Happy Night:)

Ashli planned a fun Family Night for me and the boys tonight. The theme was all about "Happiness"

We had pizza with pepperoni which started out in a smiley-face shape, but we ended up covering the whole crust with pepperoni anyway. Kool-Aid Jammers, just for the smile... And sugar cookies with smiley-faces made from Runts bananas and hearts...

She gave a lesson about making happy moments one at a time

And had us all make a "happy list" of things that make us happy, from the smallest thing to the biggest dream vacation

She made a book for us to put our lists in

And we all decorated our page with our names

Our lists are in the book where we can all read them

And if one of us is having a bad day, the rest of us can look at his/her list and find something we can do to bring a happy moment to the day. It was a great evening. I continue to be amazed at the maturity and depth of character my kids have. I am SO blessed that God trusted me to be their Mom.

GREATEST.KIDS.EVER

So I was even more of an emotional wreck on Valentines Day than I thought I would be.

Kneeling down by my bed, crying, praying, feeling sorry for myself that morning...

right at THAT moment, Zack and Tyler showed up, each of them carrying roses for their Mama. The timing couldn't have been better.

At work that evening, Zack showed up, bearing a gorgeous flower arrangement from Ashli and Mack. So the day was OK. Tawni and my Dad sent me texts, a couple of my friends checked in on me, and I survived the lovers' holiday. And now I'm in the home stretch. No more emotional holidays in the near future. Yay!!!!

Day 17~ Your Favorite Memory

My FAVORITE memory? How can a Mom of three amazing kids have a favorite memory? But one of my favorites is when the kids were standing in the rain against a wall in New York City, SO happy to be there for the first time in their lives that they refused to sit in a hotel room, but ventured out into the rain, grabbing $5 umbrellas from the gift shop on our way out the door. Ashli's pant legs were soaked clear to her knees by the end of the day, but it was an awesome day. And Zack penned the classic tune "I lost my umbrella on the subway" that day:)

Day 15~Your Dreams

Oh my... how can I say this today? My dreams have never changed. I always wanted to be a Mom. And that's as far as I thought it through. Now my kids are grown up and they need me a little less than they used to, although they all promise they DO still need me:) So I have to find new dreams. I'm re-starting college in a couple of weeks and I guess my new dream is to be able to stand on my own, not dependent on anyone, financially or emotionally. I have a long way to go, but as I begin 2011, I take the first step toward the next phase of my life and the new dreams I find along the way.