My Happiness Project

I'm not the best blogger. It's been 18 months since I've even posted.

My site is not going to look fancy or awesome. I'll settle for functional.

I'm not horribly witty. Well, I am in real life but in blogger world, I'm mostly just random.

I am happy. Generally speaking. I am not clinically depressed or angry. I have a pretty good life. But, like most of us, life is very busy and tends to skip days. Tomorrow I will likely wake up and be 40, even though I'm only 31 today. The busyness of life has often made me pause (although not for long) and wonder what I could do to decrease the chaos, somehow slow down the clock, and create more quality (not quantity) in my life without giving up a bunch of activities that I enjoy. I tried reading the book "Make Room for Life" but had problems getting past the first chapter. Finally, after 3 months, I finally finished my book club's book for September, "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin. The book, and Gretchen's quirky personality, really spoke to me. After I finished the book yesterday, I immediately made up my mind to do my own project. Like I said, I am happy already, generally speaking. But it's a general feeling. I desire an extraordinary life. Not a general one. I want an extraordinary marriage and relationship with my son. I want extraordinary friendships and passions that I pursue heartily.

So here I go! Essentially, I am going to follow the same pattern Gretchen did and many of the things she concentrated on are areas I want to concentrate on too, with a few exceptions. The first step is to come up with a list of Simple Truths; basically, what I want to accomplish or what I define as "happiness." Second, you list Commandments; things that you hold true to in order to pursue genuine happiness and not areas you just wished you were good at, did, or enjoyed. Lastly, you come up with a list of 12 areas of concentration that you want to create more happiness in and around; for example, parenting, marriage, energy/health, etc. This is essentially what a happiness project is. It's not about perfection. It's about a passionate pursuit of life.

Again, I am really bad about blogging regularly, so don't expect daily updates. I'll shoot for once a week at the most, and once a month at a minimum. My next post will address my Simple Truths, Commandments and Areas of Concentration. I will also keep really personal stuff out of my posts, I'd hate to embarrass my husband ;)

The project starts December 1. And I promise to try and update my boring blog background.

Zoo

We had just arrived and were still fresh and hopeful.

Some where off to the right, behind that bush, is an elephant.

Big cat.

I don't know how my son knows what an otter is, but that is what he thinks this creature is. And for those of you paying attention, it's a ground hog. But otter is just easier for a 2 year old to say. So, an otter it is.

Our "conductor" had a rockin' 'stache. I wish he would have turned around so I could have captured it on film. Like bushy, handle bar, Opry house 'stache.

D was exhausted - but not enough so that we were missing the train ride. He was estatic and it made the day. He was a trooper all day long.

Since he only slept 30 minutes on the way home, we rewarded ourselves with A&W ice cream. And the sugar high kept him from being too cranky when we got home.

And when we got home, our specially ordered soccer jersey awaited.

D and I went to the zoo on Friday, on a rare day off from work. It was hot and crowded, since it was the Friday before Memorial Day, but we had fun. Other than the sun screen in his eyes part. And the waiting 20 minutes for the train ride part. And the crappy zoo food part because I failed to pack lunches because we had no food in the house because I spent too much money on shoes part.... But it was all part of being a family unit (minus dad who was traveling) - being hot, sticky, dirty, and in small spaces with other hot, sticky, dirty people. But at least I had good friends to do it with. And my baby boy!

Under Construction

I am trying to update a few things on the blog. Little by little! Hopefully it won't take me 4 months to do it...