What made me Happy today?

* A visit from my mom while I was at work
* Getting in a good run before work
* Wishing my niece a Happy Birthday
* Reading my scriptures
* Yummy french toast for breakfast
* Getting a homework assignment done
* Seeing the full moon shining on my way in to work

It's the little things each day that make life worth living. I had a friend recently encourage me to write down all the things in life that make me happy. I have not missed a day since of daily jotting down my happy things. It has changed my life. I am a much happier girl that I have ever been. Life can become mundane and uninteresting and even somewhat depressing if you are never satisfied with your current state of affairs. Life can become great, grand and glorious if you open your eyes to the beauty that surrounds you already and the happiness that is absolutely within your reach.

So what made YOU happy today?

Pictures

My new suite.

Home

It is official. I am home again with my parents. My apartment key has been surrendered and my security deposit recovered. Thus begins a new chapter of my adult life.

I am slowly getting settled into my new room. Since I like fresh starts, I decided to occupy a different room in my parent's house than previously lived in. This is the fourth bedroom I've lived in at this house. There are still two more I could try, but I doubt my parents will give up their room and Josh's old room is more of a masculine decor, so I'm happy where I am. 

I promise I'll post pictures, but not yet. I'm still in the process of un-packing, decorating and deciding what to keep and what to toss. It's amazing how much stuff you can accumulate over a period of time. I've found great enjoyment in getting rid of stuff I don't need. I like living simply.

One of my favorite parts about being home is setting up my own little home gym in the downstairs family room. I've got a treadmill and a stationary bike. It's been fun to rotate between the two each morning before work. I always feel so much better when I exercise in the morning. (Side note: I'm training for Ragnar again, bring it on!)

Some people might struggle living with their parents, especially as adults. I do like living on my own, but I also love the emotional support I get from being with my family. I feel much more loved and appreciated being at home. For now, it is just what I need.

And so thus it begins. I am optimistic for the future. Life is good.

Fall

I love this time of year. I get excited for all the holidays, the decorations and the food. It all culminates with my birthday. I like to reflect on the events of the year in fall to see how I did during the year. Did I keep my resolutions? Am I a better person today than I was last year?

My resolutions included, but were not limited to, the following:

Become emotionally & spiritually grounded
Learn to be happy even during the trials that come
Don't let little things get to you

I'm happy to report that I have improved in all three of these categories. I still have room for improvement, but I am way better than I used to be.

This year has provided me with many learning experiences. I moved out on my own, I tried new things such as playing in an orchestra and joining Beta Alpha Psi. I've been given more responsibilities at work. My baby brother got married. And many other things that are documented in my journal. Through my journey of life I can see how I have been shaped and molded by my experiences. I am a completely different person today than I was 10 years ago. Sometimes I wish I could go back as the person I am and try again, but then, I have no desire to repeat high school. EVER.

Let us travel through time for a moment. This post is on a journey.

Ten years ago, my life events included the following...

October 2002. It was my senior year of high school. I'd just gotten my braces off that August, almost in time for senior pictures, but not quite. My lips are closed for my senior picture in the yearbook. I was asked to homecoming by the only senior I was interested in. We doubled with one other couple. The guy of that other couple was a former interest of mine....we were not on the most friendly terms. Long story. The musical that year was Annie Get Your Gun. I played in the pit orchestra. My school schedule consisted of Orchestra, Madrigals, Acapella Choir, Advanced Cabinet Making, Seminary, English & Chemistry. (I got a 4.0 every quarter that year. With that schedule, I'd be ashamed of anything less)

I suppose my biggest worries of those days were getting asked on dates (some things never change), figuring out what I was going to do for college, surviving the drama of Madrigals, and a number of other teenage worries, which thankfully I can't remember. By the end of the school year I had determined to attend Utah State University and pursue a degree in Interior Design.

And now let us return to the present. Any of you who know me now would, I hope, see a much more confident and happy girl than I was then. I had my girlish joys, but I am a lot more outgoing and assured of myself today than I was then. Thank goodness for life's lessons that have brought me this far.

The journey continues. May you all have a wonderful time during these final three months of 2012!