Happy Thoughts

Every once in a while I feel like I am drifting from the "purpose" of my blog.  Not that it really has a specific purpose, such as recipes/cooking, home projects, etc.  But I don't want to get caught up blabbing about my life and forget to share things that make us happy!
Time for a new list??  I think so!

• Samuel is starting to read and loves it when he can figure it out on his own!  Any parent who has witnessed this knows it is AWESOME!!
• Adrian likes to play with Spiderman figures and other toys and makes them talk.  Often I get pulled into the conversation and it's hilarious how he gives "life" to them.
• I decided to organize my kitchen cabinets, since a lot of them are filled to the gills with stuff I don't even use.  That makes me feel good!  Of course, it's not completely done yet (will it ever be?), but it's getting there and I like what I've done so far!
• Dave has been on an organizing kick as well.  We still have a lot of work to do, but I know it makes him feel good to get things into their "spot."
• Being busy means I forget to do a lot of things, but I try my best to stay on top of as much as I can.  My biggest downer I had today (sorry, this is contradictory with my "happy" news) was realizing that yesterday was March 8th and I know about 5 people with that birthday and I didn't tell a single one of them happy birthday.  Is this why they make belated birthday cards? :-)  I guess I should get busy with that!
• Taking time to exercise has really put things into perspective for me.  I do classes so I have to be there at a certain time, meaning that everything else I do has to find its own time.  Or not get done.  But I feel better about managing my time since I've made it routine.
• The more "stuff" we get, the more I want to get rid of.  I don't practice this as much as I should, but with limited storage space, I do know that I can't keep everything.  Getting rid of things makes me feel really good, especially if it's already been replaced.  And it makes me feel even better when it goes to someone who I know will use it and treat it with the care I would.
• I love taking time to do things for and with other people.  Unfortunately, my schedule allows for practically no time for this, but it always feels good when I can manage to squeeze in a little quality time with someone else.  I've made goals to do something with/for someone each week or every other, but even that gets hard for me to do.  Can we add about 10 more hours to the week?

My live orchid (the blooms on the right) also make me feel good!! :-)
I'm going to end with a funny conversation I had with Adrian a couple days ago that I thought it was worth writing down:
Me:  Do you like to color?
Adrian:  Yes, I like to color.  AND I like to take baths!

Ketchup

I am now in the state of constant catch-up.  It's not very often that I actually feel "caught up" and that I don't have anything pressing to do, but now I really have no excuse to sit around and type up a blog post.  Oh well! :-)
Reflecting on the past couple weeks since I've posted, there's a lot that has gone on.  It's been a whirlwind of events, just like the lovely storm going on outside right now.  How appropriate!

This picture took several tries to get it "just right!"

Anyway, we went to visit Jim & Jennifer in Michigan and got to see their new house!
On the way home, we stopped at a sand dunes park, which was really neat.

A little chilly walking down to the beach

Throwing rocks never gets old...

On top of a sand "mountain"

After all this excitement, Dave's dad had open heart surgery.  So with all that going on, all the males in the house got sick.  Mostly just a cough cold, but it hasn't been a nice one.
Meanwhile, I have housework and all kinds of projects that I want to do lining themselves right up.  Most of them are not huge, but they take time that I am finding that I don't have!  Even if I had 3 weeks all to myself.... oh, I might make a little bit of progress!  I think I'd better get used to the ketchup!! :-)