blessings

Love Thursday: Remembering to smile

Rockford’s sister Phoebe gave me a handmade book for Christmas, and I’ve been trying to decide what to do with it. I’ve never been very good about consistently keeping a journal — although I suppose this site would count as a journal, and I’ve been pretty consistent with it lately. But anyway …

I wasn’t sure what to do with my new book. So it sat on our dining room table for a few days. Then it moved over to the kitchen counter. And then someone insinuated that I’ve been a big ol’ complainer lately. My first reaction was to cry. This particular person means an awful lot to me, and it made me feel like he wasn’t enjoying my company. And that hurt. A lot.

After the crying, I thought about what he said. And I guess I have been complaining a lot. About not being in Columbia anymore. About not meeting anyone here. About living so far away from everything.

So I decided to try to be more positive about where we are.

Now my Christmas book sits next to my bed, and every night before I go to sleep, I write down a few things that made me happy that day. And every night, I’ve gone to sleep content.

So here it is, my very first Love Thursday entry.

January 4

  • Poppy’s post-bath curls
  • Poppy’s smiles as “Your Personal Penguin” starts to play
  • An extravagant number of marshmallows in my Lucky Charms
  • “Born to Run” on the shuffle as I’m finishing my running stint for the day

January 5

January 6

  • The gleeful look on Rockford’s face when he watches the “Dad got hosed” ad
  • Having a few hours to myself
  • Poppy’s laughs when Rockford sings “Do the Rubber Duck” at bathtime

January 7

  • Playing “Get Mommy” with Poppy
  • Rockford telling me I’m beautiful
  • the talent scene in “Little Miss Sunshine”

January 8

  • Building Rockford’s new “closet” (a free-standing garment rack)
  • Going out to take pictures with Poppy. Her smile when I turn on the camera.

January 9

  • Lunch with Rockford at PF Changs
  • Poppy loving her dinner (mac ‘n’ cheese … “noodle? noodle?”)
  • The puff pastry on sweet potato pot pies actually puffing
  • Minute 24 of my work-out … almost done 🙂
  • The day’s last glow on Poppy’s hair
  • A nice comment on my “Rust” photo

January 10

  • Rockford telling me my hair looked nice
  • Poppy’s long post-nap hug
  • A nice, long chat with Laura
  • Very kind comments on the Web site*
  • Rockford: ” ‘D‘ is for something that you play with steaks. Whump whump.”
  • Target
  • Our futile search for a Wii

*I wasn’t really fishing for compliments on that last post. I was just wondering how you found this site. But I appreciate them nevertheless. Thank you!

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