Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Rapid City, August 2009

A short vacation to visit with family and friends.
As always, I had a wonderful time! So good to see everyone and to catch up.


Thursday, August 20, 2009

Wisdom

My friend in Alaska, Rebecca, lost her brother this month at the young age of 35. She offered up these incredibly insightful words in an email to me yesterday. I think a lot of us feel this way (I sure do!) but to see it in print written so eloquently was truly amazing. I wanted to share....

"Having lost some dear friends and now a brother, all in the prime of their lives, it is abundantly clear to me that there are no guarantees for a long life. We have only this moment, now, to be the best we can be, to love the most we can love, to give as much as we can give. There isn’t a moment to lose. Life is certainly filled with challenges and pain but the trick is to celebrate and appreciate all the beauty, because there is so much beauty and that’s what is worth remembering. The rest is just filler."

Thank you, Rebecca! I know in my heart that you will live each day you have to it's very fullest!

Saturday, August 15, 2009

At the Beach 08/13/09



Garret's Birthday

Happy 15th Birthday!!
Lilly, Evan & Garret
We got him the same card! Yes, it was planned :)
Uncle Troy's watch.
It's not a beer kozie...it's a piggy bank Lil made.
Grandma Patty & Lilly
Lilly's new party dress!
Evan and a mini-dice. Too cute!

County Fair!





Tuesday, August 11, 2009

100 Simple Secrets of Happy People

1. Your life has purpose and meaning.
2. Use a strategy for happiness.
3. You don't have to win every time.
4. Your goals should be aligned with one another.
5. Choose your comparisons wisely.
6. Cultivate friendships.
7. Turn off the TV.
8. Accept yourself - unconditionally.
9. Remember where you came from.
10. Limit yourself to thinking about one subject as you lie down to sleep.
11. Friendship beats money.
12. Have realistic expectations.
13. Be open to new ideas.
14. Share with others how important they are to you.
15. If you're not sure, guess positively.
16. Believe in yourself.
17. Don't believe in yourself too much.
18. Don't face your problems alone.
19. Age is not to be feared.
20. Develop a household routine.
21. Don't be overprotective.
22. Pay attention. You may have what you want.
23. Don't let your religious beliefs fade.
24. Do what you say you are going to do.
25. Don't be aggressive with your friends and family
26. Root for the home team.
27. Don't confuse stuff with success.
28. Every relationship is different.
29. Don't think "what if."
30. Volunteer.
31. If you can't reach your goals, your goals will hurt you.
32. Exercise.
33. Little things have big meanings.
34. It's not what happened, it's how you think about what happened.
35. Develop some common interests with loved ones.
36. Laugh.
37. Don't let your entire life hinge on one element.
38. Share of Yourself.
39. Busy Is Better Than Bored.
40. Satisfaction Is Relative.
41. Learn to Use a Computer.
42. Try to Think Less About the People and Things That Bother You.
43. Keep Your Family Close.
44. Eat Some Fruit Every Day.
45. Enjoy What You Have.
46. Think in concrete Terms.
47. Be Socially Supportive.
48. Don’t Blame Yourself.
49. Be a Peacemaker.
50. Cherish Animals.
51. Make Your Work a Calling.
52. Never Trade Your Morals for Your Goals.
53. Don’t Pretend to Ignore things Your Loved Ones do that Bother You.
54. Get a Good Night’s Sleep.
55. Buy What You Like.
56. Accomplish Something Every Day.
57. Be Flexible.
58. Events Are Temporary.
59. Be Your Own Fan.
60. Join a Group.
61. Be Positive.
62. There Will Be an End, but You Can Be Prepared.
63. How We See the World Is More Important Than How the World Is.
64. Keep a Pen and Paper Handy.
65. Help the Next Person Who Needs Some Minor Assistance.
66. Take Care Not to Harshly Criticize Family and Friends.
67. Some People Like the Big Picture, and Others Like the Details.
68. Do things You Are Good At.
69. Go visit Your Neighbor.
70. Smile.
71. Don’t Accept Television’s Picture of the World.
72. You Always Have a Choice.
73. Be Agreeable.
74. Don’t Ignore One Part of Your Life.
75. Listen to Music.
76. Let Your Goals Guide You.
77. Use Your Job Positively.
78. Don’t Forget to Have Fun.
79. Believe in Ultimate Justice.
80. Reminisce.
81. Be Conscientious.
82. Don’t Dwell on Unwinnable Conflicts.
83. Enjoy the Ordinary.
84. Focus Not on the World’s Tragedies, but on the World’s Hope.
85. Get a Hobby.
86. Envying Other People’s Relationships is Pointless.
87. Give Yourself Time to Adapt to Change.
88. Focus on What Really Matters to You.
89. Realize that Complete Satisfaction does Not Exist.
90. Surround Yourself with Pleasant Aromas.
91. Don’t Let Others Set Your Goals.
92. You Are a Person, Not a Stereotype.
93. Know What Makes You Happy and Sad.
94. Keep Reading.
95. We Must Feel Needed.
96. Say “So What”
97. Have a Purpose.
98. You Have Not Finished the Best Part of Your Life.
99. Money Does Not Buy Happiness.
100. What Does it All Mean? You Decide.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Happiness

The real joy of life is in its play. Play is anything we do for the joy and love of doing it, apart from any profit, compulsion, or sense of duty. It is the real joy of living. - Walter Rauschbusch

Perceive and rejoice that life is abundant, that beauty and goodness are amply available . . . that your happiness is in your hands. - Paul Hodges

The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise. It is not that we seize them, but they seize us. - Ashley Montagu