I AM HAPPY FOR:

I am happy for Religous Freedom and Spirituality and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I AM HAPPY FOR:

I am happy for 4 hour breathers from home that included going and holding a sweet little spirit straight from heaven and just holding, and holding, and holding him, until I had to turn him over to mommy to feed--that's how being a grandmother should be. Have I ever mentioned that I just love to hold little babies?

I AM HAPPY FOR:

New born babies, especially when they are related. We have a new member of our crazy mixed-up family. Brighton Anderson was born this morning at 4:44 a.m. by C-Section. He was 6 lbs. 3 oz. and 19 inches long and is very blonde.

I AM HAPPY FOR:

Nights out with Ashlynne all by ourselves--just us two girls, a movie and some popcorn! Oh, and we ran into one of our neighbors.
When she is without Austin trying to impress him and without Andrew, trying to be his mom, she is a very calm child, but around those two, she can't decide who she wants to be (it must be tough being that middle child).
We went and saw the Princess and the Frog and she was a little frightened by some of the stuff in it and wanted to go home halfway through. I convinced her to stay then she fell asleep right after that, but woke up at the happy ending and then clapped.

I AM HAPPY FOR:

Relatively quiet days--2 in a row!

I AM HAPPY FOR:

My cute niece, KoriAnn: who started out in this life as a 2 lb. 9 oz. preemie 24 1/2 years ago will become a cute little mommy to baby Brighton sometime in the next 3 weeks. It was her baby shower last night and she was overwhelmed with gifts and quite frankly she was exhausted when it was all over!

Quite Time: When 5 children under the age of 5 are being so noisy,screaming and zooming around the house like cars out of control it is time to have a bit of peace and quiet!

I AM HAPPY FOR:

Nap time.
When Austin and Ashlynne were smaller, we would take a nap every day. Now that they are older they don't want to, but Andrew NEEDS to. RJ was home today, so Andrew and I took a nice nap and RJ took care of the two big kids!

I AM HAPPY FOR:

I AM HAPPY FOR: Computers and Internet.
Talked to mom on a chat line tonight. It was a fluke she even got on. They have a weak WiFi area in Peoria--which is strange because it is such a big college town.

SO SAD

In my unloading time--I spend it on the computer playing stupid mindless games on facebook. I have gotten a little better, I used to do Farmtown and Farmville for Me, Mom, Keith, Genette, Karyn and Kassie. I have sold 6 farms and now I only do 3 farms. I went from 3-4 hours to an hour and a half. I generally do this at night to unwind and yes, I know what the General Authorities have said about mindless games, but I am not gambling, taking drugs, or watching pornography, I am just unwinding from my life.

Tonight I went into Keith's facebook account and someone had signed up to be his friend. These days, he is having a difficult time with his eyesight (senile cataracts for the over 50 crowd), as well as a few other things going on in his life, so I was checking out one of the people who wanted to be his friend--she actually just wants him to be a Farmville Friend, but when I read the little blurb about her self thinking it might be someone from school, it said, "I am the mother of 4 and have 8(9) grandchildren. Life is boring, Wish It Would End."

Truly, how sad is this? I feel sorry for this woman. Nothing can be that terrible. No matter how awful I feel my life may be at times--and for those of you who know me well--life isn't always peaches and cream at my house, life isn't so bad that I wish it would end. There are days when I wish the day would end--QUICKLY! But never my life. I have too much to live for.

So on that note, I have to come up with something that I am happy for each day and will try to post it!

So today--I am happy for 3 adorable grandchildren who make me laugh.

CHANGES

There are always changes, changes and more changes! I got new doors for the hallway rooms this week. I figured it was time since the original doors and door knobs were locking you in or out of a room or not working at all and were completely unable to be repaired ever again. So after 65 years of working for this house they quit. So we got new doors and new handles. I guess this means I need to paint the hallway. now--I have opted for a light sage green with white doors, or should I go with a white hall and sage doors? Decisions, Decisions!

Mom called this week and said that the church was going to announce this past weekend that there would be changes in the mission field and to the mission in Peoria. As of the end of June there will no longer be an Illinois Peoria Mission. It will be consolidated into 1 of 3 other missions, Nebraska Omaha, Iowa Des Moine or Missouri St. Louis. Well now what? President Erickosn will be headed home at the end of June and will also be closing this mission. Where the missionaires are headed is anyone's guess. She is a bit scared of where she will end up. When she told me on Wednesday, she said Pres. Erickson told them 2 missions, St. Louis or Des Moine, however the Church news said Omaha as well. She told me with her luck, it would be Omaha. So please pray for her to be sent to St. Louis or Des Moine! My personal preference would be St. Louis!

Other changes are that Keith did lose his job on Friday--but deep down I knew it would happen and so did he. He just has to get out and pound the pavement starting tomorrow! And luckily for us he qualifies for unemployment!

Oh, and one more thing, as I sit here typing away, I look over at the futon that is holding my great grandmother's antique Grandmother' Clock (like a grandfather clock, only smaller) and wondering how I can get Ashlynne to stop jumping on the furniture. It is sitting there waiting to be fixed because as she was jumping last night--she jumped, hit the shelf above the couch and lnocked it off and broke it! I have told her a million times, as has her mother, her father, and her papa and she just will not stop! And this is what happens. I am sick about it. It doesn't work and it hasn't for 23 years, however, I love the look of it and I love antiques, so therefore I display it! At times I really miss the sound of the chimes. It brings back feelings of the comfort my grandparents gave to us and what a great time we had in coming up here and being around them--it is a strange feeling, but they would have turn 100 years old last year and it is still hard to believe that they are gone. Grandy for almost 23 years and Grandpa for 13 1/2. But it is nice to know we can hold them in our memories.

Things will get better, but when? One can only pray for soon!

EMOTIONAL

Sunday's generally are because I am a little more laid back. But, this one was different. Today was ONE OF THOSE DAYS! Today was the Sunday I was to do sharing time in Primary and I felt guilty because I didn't have to prepare anything--I'm not in the presidency anymore. It felt odd to sit through Sunday School and Relief Society without moving around and telling children to Sh! or to fold their arms and be reverent or taking someone to the restroom or sending them off to class or listening to the music. During Sunday School from down the hall I could hear the new song for this year-- "I Know My Savior Loves Me"-- and had a difficult time holding back the tears. What was I doing there?

During Relief Society Debbie C got up and bore her testimony and I cried through that. After RS, Jacob Z, said hello to me and he is a newer member of the ward and I nearly lost my tears then too. What is the matter with me?

I was invited by a friend to come out and talk while her fiancee' had a Super Bowl party to catch up with life and when I left the house, there in my mailbox was a heart shaped muffin and Thank You notes from a family of three children in the ward. As I said earlier, I was having an emotional day and that just sent me over the emotional roller coaster hill a little more. I sat in my car and bawled my eyes out.

I know that time really does heal all wounds, and not that I was wounded, I just felt out of place in a place where I had been forever up until 4 1/2 years ago.
I will miss Primary, but I also know those children are in good hands. The Lord would not call women who were terrible to teach those sweet children.

Alright, now I just have to buck up and go about my regular business and get back in the RS swing of things.