Monday, January 30, 2012

things that made me happy this week...

* a phone call from brother R2's family.
   - nephew G told me all about his new CTR ring. he even knows what it means.
   - niece L wanted to say hi and i love you. she's almost two so just imagine how cute she is!
   - brother R2 thanked me for sending his wife N a dress, because: "she is smokin' hot in it!"

* josiah came home and has been my shadow. this dog is ridiculously in love with me.

* shopping for baby clothes for new babies with good friend MW. so much fun! and so many cute little clothes.

* buying almost blooming hyacinths--the best smell on earth right now.

* missing someone, whom i hope to keep as a friend.

* waking up a few minutes before my alarm goes off. i hate being awakened by an alarm, so this really makes me smile.

* warm sunshine.

* cleaning my room and organizing.

* falling down stairs and not breaking anything. ouch! all i could was laugh because it hurt.

* this episode of fraser. seriously some of the best physical comedy ever done. i laughed until i cried.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

thoughtful thursday: improve your argument

don't raise your voice. 
improve your argument.
--desmond tutu


now if only the republican presidential candidates would...

Monday, January 23, 2012

things that made me smile this week

* a wake up call to announce the news that my newest niece was born and all was well with the world.

* a whiny dog.

* snow!! for real this time.

* yummy dinner at ted's. good friends. the forming of a secret society. an attractive bearded southern gentleman who popped into our booth unsolicited to take our photo as we awkwardly attempted to do the self portrait thing. a great girls night out.

* the return of white collar. lemon pound cake and strawberry ice cream. and a good friend.

* creating space.

* the house to myself for the weekend.

* i love late afternoon movies with dinner afterwards. it makes for an unexpectedly early night which is a nice way to finish the day.

* a run with the dog. actually it was more like a run--stop--walk, run--stop--run, walk--stop--run... well, you get the drift.

* buying a rug for next to the bed, so that my toes have a soft landing first thing in the morning.

* when my boss gives me a to-do-list, it's like a jigsaw puzzle where half the pieces are missing. not only do i have to figure out how to put it together, but i have to look for the pieces too. it's fun!

* i think i actually got to speak with Sec. Clinton the other day.

* clean laundry. new pillows. pjs. socks. big thick sweaters. good gloves. angry birds. audio books. home decor magazines. cooking good food.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

thoughtful thursday: modesty defined

But modesty is not defined by, or even primarily about, how much of one’s body is covered. It is about comportment and behavior. It is about recognizing that one need not be the center of attention. It is about embodying the prophet Micah’s call for modesty: learning “to walk humbly with your God.” ~Dov Linzer

Beautiful, just beautiful. I found this article in the NYTimes very thought provoking, and loved how he summed up modesty. It's one of the best descriptions I've come across.







Monday, January 16, 2012

things that made me smile this week

* giving myself permission to dream.

* audio books.

* pound the hill. great friend. travel scrabble. nutella scone and hot chocolate. moroccan lentil soup. perfect evening.

* speaking italian.

* an early morning email from girlfriend SD asking if i wanted to go to dinner at bibiana. the serendipity of already having a reservation for that very evening, along with tickets to see James Earl Jones, who has the best smile ever--it twinkles, literally twinkles, my friends. lots of girl talk, good food, sharing insights and finally swapping christmas gifts. perfect.

* organizing. folding laundry. making a new sign for the front door.

* so, my smart phone was actually making me dumber. then i turned off the the notifications which tell me when someone has posted something new on facebook, or a new email has popped into my inbox. suddenly, i feel less clutered, less hectic and more in control. i now check these things when i need or want, not because my phone is sounding off. this is a very good thing indeed.

* two little girls dropping their toys and rushing across the playroom to tackle me with hugs.

* holding the cutest little 4 month old baby girl at a dinner party.

* playing the piano in primary on sunday. kids are too funny.

* talking with my mom. she read her christmas present to me, which was a photo book with quotes from my nephew G. we were laughing so hard! my favorite was this:
   brother R2: alright, G, i'm gonna show you how a super hero kisses his girl.
   he takes his wife in his arms, dips her down and totally lays one on her while son, nephew G, watches.
   nephew G: so, i throw her down and slobber all over her face then?
mom and I were rolling on the floor.

* making baking powder biscuits and homemade honey butter for my roommate's nieces and nephews. all gone when i got home.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

things that made me smile last week

a day late and a dollar short. but better late than never...

* i stopped for a whole day this weekend and did nothing. i slept until my body said no more was needed. and it was wonderful.

* saturday morning i joined other members of my ward (congegration) and helped to clean our chapel. there is something extremely satisfying and soul filling about washing windows, and i washed every single window that i could reach without a ladder in our chapel. let the light come in, i thought.

* as i cleaned the chapel i listened to the book of mormon (not the musical) and it made my morning just that much more peaceful.

* spontaneous lunch date with a great friend.

* i love my friend MW and was so excited to take her to the new digs. she's now officially moved across the river and i'm super glad she's nearby.

* my boyfriend, josiah, has been extra clingy but i'm totally eating it up and loving it, as is he.

* it was 60 degrees plus on saturday. such a nice break from the cold.

* how YOU dumping today?

* talks with my brothers about life and electrical wiring. seriously, combine the knowledge of these boys and we've got it covered. they are some of the wisest men i know.

* cooking dinner for two.

* a photo of nephew B in bright blue underwear and a red super hero cape. apparently this has been his outfit of choice since receiving his christmas gift from a certain cool aunt who shall remain unnamed.

* one morning i woke up at 0444 with the thought that i needed to go running. at 0545 i met up with back on my feet and ran two miles in 17 degrees of bone chilling cold. the hot shower afterwards was heavenly.

* clean bed sheets. thick warm socks. navy sweats. uggs. cotton and lace nightgowns. candycane hot chocoloate. hand made quilts on my bed. good books. peach and mago salsa. homemade macaroni and cheese. smoked turkey. new pillows. a healthy body. cold water. hot showers.

Friday, January 6, 2012

friends


he knows he's not allowed in the living room, 
but he totally came in and climbed up on the couch with me last night.
we didn't have the heart to get after him for breaking the rules.

Monday, January 2, 2012

things that made me smile this week

* a little girl wearing her first pair of grown up boots. she kept moving around the store and clicking her heels intentionally against the tile floor. it was fun to see her enjoyment.

* visiting one of the most beautiful gardens on the east coast. i love longwood gardens. they really know how to do christmas there.

* visiting a good friend home on leave from training. totally worth the drive!

* being honest with myself about something, even though it's not the way i imagined it.

* a new beginning.

* spoiling josiah while my roommate was gone. have i mentioned that i love this dog?

* my dad calling to say thank you for the picture of the roses still in bloom i posted earlier this week.

* even though it's christmas and january, i've enjoyed the lovely weather we've had the past couple of weeks. the warm sunshine has been beautiful and sparkly, and the cooler nights have been just right.

* choo choo.

* ringing in the new year with good friends, old and new.

* relaxing, totally relaxing.

* having monday (today) off.

* a dream where i was the personal assistant to the past president and then the current president. it was just funny to me. (this is the second dream about being friendly with a president... hmmm.)

* time spent with good friends at the movies, over lunch at home, and online. friends add so much to my life.

* being so homesick that i looked for an airline ticket to fly my mom out here... i wish.

* i have a really cool job right now, and i'm looking forward to going back tomorrow.