happy days are here again

I'm having a really great day today. I don't know if it's been the long winter, the small cramped apartment, living in a city that has lost its' luster in the day to day tasks, and the confusing school system....to mention a few things that drive me nuts here - but the last few months have been a struggle for my emotions.

Yesterday was a hard and good day. A day when you start to get down to the bottom of some emotions. Bryson and I read some things that made us discuss and open up. It felt great to allow myself to really think and talk. A smile came up. We laughed. We cried. We laughed some more. Life started to feel like it was climbing back to that "normal" point I keep referring to that I think is out there...somewhere! :)

Today was a better day even still. I have started to work out more than I have....in well, um too long to think about. Strange that I never worked out while we lived in Provo but that is when I lost all my weight - and it stayed off for those two years. We moved here and I technically was moving more than ever before...but the weight came on. With a vengeance.

In regards to working out, I have come to some really funny conclusions - I even know they are funny before I tell them to Bryson. Realizations that I should have figured out long ago....such as if I run faster I burn more calories. Seriously, it's so painfully obvious when I write it out that it makes me laugh at myself for this huge awakening I had last week while on the treadmill. Sometimes I am too naive...or just completely out of the loop!

We woke up this morning and after the busy weekend celebrating Madeleine's birthday - we've had very late mornings (as in yesterday we woke up at 9:15am with church starting at 10am,and today our goal was to wake up at 8:00am....so naturally we woke up at 9:30am....we are doing so totally great aren't we?!). We had brunch which finished around 11am, and Bryson was great to let me run down to the gym while he got ready to go into the office.....as it was one of those days when he had just a "few hours" of work, the miracle of it, he really only did stay there a few hours! A first I think ;) I had a great workout, where again I had some real "mind-blowing" revelations....for me. At least I am coming around, although I feel like I have missed out on some time that I should have been doing more to care for myself armed with this great information!

The kids and I then did some jobs around the house - which spruced things up and it was not so dusty and neglected...and it didn't take that long either. We really do have great helpers in the kiddos - they can be so great. Madeleine had two friends come over to play, while the boys took out Legos and Magnetix and spread them all over the living room carpet completely immersed in their imaginary play. It was amazing! I started to make dinner, as the Elders (missionaries) came to dinner - and I think my favorite part was when I served the salad and they both said that they haven't had a salad served to them in weeks and this looked and tasted like a fancy restaurant meal. Ahhh....that really made me happy. And actually it was one of the first times I didn't mind cooking a meal either - probably as the kids were all happily occupied and I'll admit I was occupied as well - I had on the Biggest Loser via Hulu on the laptop propped up on the kitchen counter to keep me company in the kitchen....and on track (meaning trying not to snitch while I was cooking!). I have never watched that show until a week ago, and I actually like it...probably the first and only reality show I've liked (wait, I do like SuperNanny)....but I find that I learn some new tid-bit on there each time. Go figure - watching other people work out is actually pushing me to want to do better myself.

Okay....the best part of the night came when Bryson bought us a car. Yes. He did. Fabulous husband is what he is.

We have talked about the option of getting a vehicle. I complain often enough how insanely hard it is to go shopping, and do anything with a car. Even though we rent a truck from some friends - we don't have it at our disposal all the time...we share on weekends, and some times I want to be able to walk out (okay walk out and then up to the parking garage!) and know that we have our own car waiting for us to use. Having a car here is a nicety. It's not something that you have to have. It can be expensive. However, he has picked up on my hints - outright (life is SO hard, the whining, the crying, the moping, etc.....I'm worse than the kids at times with how I absolutely do not want to take the subway anywhere!) - and the not-so obvious hints...which come to think of that, I'm not sure there are many of those....but thankfully on days when we don't have the truck available for our use and we want to go somewhere it's easy for us to both say..."oh, a car would have made that nice".

Although I know that I'm really the one that is going to benefit most from this. And I am so thankful that he was able to see it would really help my life out.

Bless his heart....happy days are here again.

AND - more happy to share. We are leaving tomorrow for a few days down in Virginia - our other home! The children have mid-winter break this week and are off the entire week, so I'm going to drive down with them tomorrow and stay with my sister-in-law and their family, and then hopefully if all goes as planned Bryson will take the train or bus and join us on Friday night and we'll all drive back up on Sunday evening.

I am so excited to get out of this city and have a change of pace! We are hoping for the time to head into the city and see a few of the sites that the children don't remember at all!....and to spend time letting the cousins play, for me to see a few old friends - and of course...the shopping. There are stores here, but they are a pain to get to, I pay for parking and the stores are just not the same as in other places....how I miss these little things in our life!

So....that is all. I just had to say I'm so, so, so happy today. And to share the reasons why - even if now they sound a tad superficial.

True happiness can still come from things that are a little superficial right?!