My Hopes

I was reading a blog post written by a friends wife, about her hopes for her life, and the type of person and mother she hopes to be. It made me think about what my goals are as a person, and what I want to be, so I thought I'd make a list as well.I hope to smile and laugh, and be happy more than any other emotion. To focus on the positive, and the blessings in my life, more than on the sadness and frustrations.

• I hope to always be forgiving, and to try to understand other people and their true intentions, and to realize that when people do harmful things, it is only because they are hurting within themselves.
• I hope to always take care of my body and strive to be healthy but be able to stay balanced in my health. Eat well, exercise, but also enjoy life and eat dessert. :)
• I hope to always have a home that feels comfortable. To have it well decorated, but lived in. A place where your heart feels warm.
• I hope for my home to also be an open, loving environment. One like my mom's where there are always visitors, and those visitors often feel like they are at their home away from home.
• I hope I always have a dog. This may seem silly to some, but I feel like a family is not a family without a dog. I also feel that having a dog can help teach children how to be loving and caring toward all creatures.
• I hope to never have my children (Will and any others I may someday have) doubt that I love them. I want them to know, no matter what, that their mom will always be there for them.
• I hope to someday be a wife. I want my husband to feel as though I am his biggest fan. I want to make him dinner, and rub his back. I want to snuggle, and laugh. I want to have a loving relationship with my husband that I know is a good role model to our children of what a relationship should look like.
• I want to not live my life in fear. I want to love and laugh and play. I want to live my life to the fullest.
• I hope to be a non judgmental person. I want to have friends from all walks of life and to love them for who they are and where they have come from.
• I hope to raise a family, who laughs as much as my parents and siblings do when we are together.
• I hope to teach my children how to be charitable and giving. I hope to teach them them that giving to others brings love and happiness to their own hearts.
• I hope to learn from my children as I realize that each child and person has their own strengths.
• I hope to always value myself, and not let things in life weigh down my inner self.

One of my favorite quotes: "I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden. I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived." — Marjorie Pay Hinckley

Ok, maybe not a station wagon... but you get the idea. I hope to live a life that is a reflection of love and happiness.

And the not so little things

Events of Yesterday:

• Woke up late because the NyQuil I took the night before worked a little too well
• Arrived late to work
• Felt tired all day - contemplated hiding in a closet to take a nap at work
• Received a text from Joel reminding me that he was going to make dinner that night and that my job was to bring home a movie
• Watched the clock, waiting for it to finally be time to leave work
• Received some texts from Joel while he was at the grocery store
• Smiled for the millionth time that day
• Finally 5, hurried to pick up the movie and get home
• Joel was waiting for me at my place
• Tried to help Joel prepare dinner, was physically picked up and placed on the couch and told to relax
• Tried again, and again and finally realized there was nothing that I could do to get him to let me help
• Watched one of my law shows while I waited for dinner
• Dinner was ready - smiled at how absolutely amazing Joel is
• Ate tons of the super yummy dinner - Talapia stuffed with crab, green beans with cashews and honey glaze, spinach salad with fruit
• Stared at Joel in amazement
• Washed the dishes together, even though Joel wanted me to sit on the couch while he did it.
• Watched tv while I rubbed Joel's back and listened to him answer the questions on Jeopardy
  
• Watched the movie Brothers and drank a glass of wine, while snuggled up with Joel
• Smiled each time he kissed me on the top of my head
• Joel told me he had tickets for the Mariners game in 2 weeks.
  
• Smiled thinking about last time we went to the Mariners game.
• Snuggles, kisses
• Fall asleep smiling - again.

(Am I dreaming?!)

Best Invention

I may never use my sewing machine again.