1. Good visits
2. Keeping boundaries
3. Women who are doing great work in the world
4. The book Heidi- I haven’t read it before and am so in love with the tale!
5. Also, Grimm’s Fairy Tales- incredible, incredible! (You would think I’m reading these because I have a daughter, but no, I’m reading them because I love them. Someday maybe she will too:)
6. The Bahama’s “Lost In the Light“
7. Remembering
8. Fast shipping
9. Leftovers that are even better than the fresh-made meal
10. Now

Today was a surprisingly good day!

Today I Am Grateful:

1) That I didn’t wake up anywhere near as sore as I’d feared after all that walking yesterday at the zoo – only my shoulders ached a little and even that went away as I got up & moving

2) For a feel-good solid hour of strength training at the gym today

3) That the boys each had a good day at school today after the long weekend

4) For finally getting back to school tonight to work on some of my hands-on techniques – it felt so nice to be back, and it was fun!

5) That I was able to be there for my best friend tonight when she really needed an ear to bend & a shoulder to lean on for a little while – helping her was totally worth this list being “late” tonight

I’m a little tired to find a good quote for tonight so instead I’m going to have fun & post something that I miss seeing with our lists (drawn by Crystal Belle P): 

1. True friends

2. Clarity

3. Sharing things you’ve never said to anyone before

4. Someone who holds safe space for you

5. Being reminded to do what you can *now!*

6. Feeling heard

7. Feeling understood

8. Feeling valued

9. Straight-up, raw encouragment

10. Surprise, early returns

1. God

2. Moments of clarity

3. Others’ labor

4. Working while it is day

5. Priorities

6. Found key

7. I forgot the other thing

8. Feeling free

9. “the past is nothing more than an infinity of moments, all come and gone in the blink of an eye.”  Katrina Kenison, The Gift of An Ordinary Day

10. Not  sure.  Not having to be sure, always or not having to be always sure  ?

1. Catching up
2. Someone who really listens
3. And who reminded me that thought patterns don’t often change even when your surroundings do- that’s an inside job
4. A quiet house when everyone is sleeping
5. Sticking with what’s really important- fighting for it as needed
6. A really cool revelation/understanding
7. Deep breaths
8. Sitting up straight (I’m working on this so you might see it a lot :)
9. Knowing
10. Now

The boys had the day off from school for President’s Day today. Daddy had to work the early part of the day but he was home around noon. That’s when the day started :-)

Today I Am Grateful:

1) That the boys managed to sleep in till 9 AM today! LOL 30 minutes longer than the whole weekend!

2) For some Free Admission passes we had for Brookfield Zoo – they expire at the end of this month so today was the perfect day to go

3) That the weather turned out pretty decent over all – we were drizzled on a few times while at the zoo but not too badly and the temp was around 50 degrees the whole time with just enough breeze to feel good & not chill you

4) For knowing my Dad will be renewing the membership to Brookfield Zoo soon – especially if we’re going to register for the Zoo Run Run 5K that will be held in the Zoo in September :-) I still can’t get over how much we’re both looking forward to it :-D

5) That I walked the equivalent of a 5K while at the Zoo today – over 7,000 steps!! I’m a little sore but so happy to have had a fun day today ♥ (Fun Fact:  A 5K is exactly 3.10685596 miles – that comes out to be 3 miles, 564 feet & 2.4 inches)

We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals. ~ Immanuel Kant

1.  Starting another oral history with my 95 year old Dad

2.  Hearing about when he was born, his grandparents, and his childhood.

3.  My Dad is so precious to me.  I adore spending time with him.

4.  Getting an oral surgeon’s appointment over with today.

5.  I put a list of people who love me in my pocket to give me confidence and courage to get through the appointment.

6.  Making appointments with friends for tea and visiting.

7.  Still enjoying chocolate from Valentine’s Day.  Thank you, Tom.

8.  Watching my grandson Nate playing basketball with his team on the University of Akron’s basketball court in a huge gymnasium.  He got a 3 point shot!

9.  Signing up to do a bird count.

10.  Finding out about a free trombone concert.

• GPa actually white-knuckling it when coming upon an unexpected blizzard.
• Maps: Loveland, CO; Romance, AR; Kissimmee, FL
• Federal and state holiday
• No school, no buses, four days off :)
• Sleeping an extra hour
• Perms..hmmm
• How things change for the better
• Comparing
• Stories with happy endings :)
• Repeatedly pushing an already lit elevator button will alter neither the speed nor the direction of travel. :)

1. God

2. Helen explains negative capability, I must not have paid attention during that 19th century lit class, or maybe the professor wasn’t paying attention (probably the former)

3. Cassie’s color choices

4. Emily taking advantage of opportunities

5. Maria

6. Ella sitting beside me

7. Any day

8. This day

“Take pressure off of yourself, dear friend, and drop all expectations that you have of others.  We can never know what is going on in a person’s life, in their heart.  We can never know what their intentions are or what they are truly thinking or planning. Expecting, assuming and creating conditions just leads to pain for everybody.

Love for the sake of loving … it is the way to peace.”

Brave Girls Club

1. Quiet time, ahh, my heart is restored
2. Really cute kids’ clothes
3. Tiny hands
4. Slaying dragons
5. The way the presence of dragons brings out the best in us
6. Ignoring what “everyone” thinks
7. And finding out that, individually, we don’t think that way
8. Really great stories
9. Friends
10. Now