Perhaps a New Project...

Last night, everyone went to bed early. It was 8 o'clock, the house was dark and quiet, all except for the hum of the ceiling fan and the light that illuminated the pages of my precious journal. I snuggled up to the arm of the couch, using it to prop up my journal as I wrote. Though the air was quiet, my mind was roaring with thoughts as I quickly jotted them down. There is something about handwriting in my journal that is so therapeutic for me. I love it more than I can say.
I closed my journal, wondering what next I was going to do. The night is young, my family is tucked in bed, and I've got this very rare time all to myself. Rather than aimlessly search for something to watch online, I decided to aimlessly walk around Barnes and Noble, searching for something to catch my eye. I found myself in the "Self Help" section looking at the book The Happiness Project. I've been wanting to read this book for a long while now, and I am currently number 40 on the waiting list at the library to read it. I sat down to read it and eventually just bought it. I'm only about 25 pages into it so far, but already it has been very enlightening to me. I am in a current state of just surviving rather than thriving. I'm a pretty happy person, but I know I could be happier. There are things in my day to day life that I know I need to change... little things that I think know will make a big difference. I'm the only one holding myself back from reaching my full potential of happiness. I know that we were put on this earth to experience joy and happiness, yet there are so many demands and distractions that get in our way of truly experiencing these euphoric feelings.

I'm anxious to keep reading...I think by the end of this book, I might just start thinking about doing my own happiness project.

Through Lucy's Eyes

Lucy is at an age where everything is beautiful to her. Even if she has read the same book hundreds of times, she'll turn the page then... "Gaaasp! IT'S BEAUTIFUL!" Or she'll see the same old dress that I've worn over and over, and she'll come up to me, with both hands on her cheeks, and say "gaaasp! You look beautiful, Mama!"
Her sweet, innocent eyes, are quickly soaking in every little beautiful, joyful moment of this brief childhood. She definitely reminds me to see the beauty in the ordinary things around me.

On our way home from Phoenix this week, it was about 10:30pm and Lucy was wriggling in the back seat, trying with all of her might to not go to the bathroom right then and there. We quickly found the next exit with any sort of bathroom, all the while saying "Alllmosst therrrrre, Lucy! Alllmosst therrre!" The first place we pulled up to was a Shell gas station. As we pulled up, I noticed there were no bathrooms inside. I turned to Alex and told him he's taking Lucy this time cause there was no way I was going to go around to the side of the gas station to use their restroom this late at night with who knows what/who hiding in the dark!
Alex grabs Lucy, grabs the restroom key tied to the giant mixing spoon, and disappears around the corner. The restroom door wasn't marked properly and was among two other doors. After trying the key on a couple of doors, Alex found the right one. He and Lucy then walk into the dark, not so smelly good restroom.
Alex turns on the light and then, "GAAAASP!!" He thought that Lucy had seen some kind of rat or lizard or something, but then Lucy proceeds... "IT'S BEAUTIFUL!!" Then she twirls in a big circle with her arms outstretched, soaking in her new environment.

I'm pretty sure her imagination had taken over at that point. :)

The Happiest Place on Earth

Our trip to California wouldn't have been complete without a visit to Disneyland! This was Todd's first visit and Lucy is at an age where she's finally understanding more and what Disneyland is all about. She asks to go back almost every day! 

(I wish Lucy, believe me... I wish).

The first picture of the day... she is such a nut!

Lucy was in heaven meeting some of the princesses!

The first thing she mentioned to Snow White was that it's her birthday and that she got a bike for her birthday...oh, that girl.

Lucy loves Sleeping Beauty! She refers to her own hair as "Sleeping Beauty hair" because it's long and blonde just like hers. 

Of course she had to show off her hair to Sleeping Beauty :)

 Thank you Mom for a wonderful trip!! It was such a magical and memorable day!

Lately...

Lately, I just haven't felt like blogging, or doing anything for that matter. I've gotten in the same old rut, doing the same old things. I don't feel very inspired lately, nor do I feel like really taking any pictures. And it doesn't help that it's so dang hot here in AZ that all I'm left to do with my kids is stay inside the house, or hang out at the mall. (We're going a little crazy!)

In and amongst the demands of motherhood, I've lost a sense of who I am... an identity crisis, if you will. Something I've been struggling with for a little while now. I can hardly do something that I want to do without little hands grabbing away, or a child laying across my lap, or demanding for my attention. The motivation to do fun and spontaneous things has flown out the window.

I'm wanting to break out of this currently dull way of life, but am struggling to find a way how. In an effort to mix things up a bit, I packed up the kids and we took off to California last week for a few days. Alex was able to get a lot of good studying in for his test with no loud/crying distractions. Normally, the drive is only about 6 hours... but driving (a little slower) by myself, while trying to take care of kids, and stopping frequently for bathroom breaks and food, it took me about 8 hours to get there. Toooo long and exhausting by myself... I'm thinking that I won't be doing that very often.

We had a wonderful, relaxing time visiting mine and Alex's parents. My mom took me and the kids to Disneyland (more to come on that!), went shopping, and just enjoyed being together.
The kids and I went to my mother-in-law's classroom at her school, and enjoyed some ice cream afterwards.
And our trip wouldn't have been complete without a little swimming as well. :)

But we were anxious to get back home and see Alex again. We missed him terribly.

Now that we're home again, it's back to the same old routine. If I could write a big giant post-it note to myself, I'd hang it over my fireplace and it would say "Do something worth while today. Find the energy, find the motivation, and make it happen".

...easier said than done! But here's to trying!