Power Hour

I'm grateful to engage in my daily Power Hour each morning with prayer, meditation, exercise, and scripture study. It just starts my day off right, and I have more energy and joy the rest of the day! This morning, I woke up at 5:45 am, knelt to pray, and then jumped up to head to my BodyPump Strength Training class like I do every Wednesday. Afterwards, I dropped by Smith's to buy fresh fruit and veggies, and returned home just in time to make homemade oatmeal for my family at 8am, read scriptures together, and then sneak away to my room for my own personal scripture study time. It felt awesome to accomplish so much and really take care of myself spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically so then I have more strength and energy to take care of my family effectively the rest of the day. My friend and mentor, Nathalie Bowman, challenged me to have Power Hour every morning for 2 weeks straight. I'm supposed to think of a reward for myself if I'm solid with that goal. Any ideas? I could use your input, friends!

What are YOU grateful for?

Hogle Zoo

I'm grateful to live so close to Hogle Zoo. I know it's not as big or cool as some zoos, but I like that it's simple and small enough to walk around and see everything in only a few hours. My new friend Jill who I met at the temple last last month invited us to join them on their pass. So we went this morning and loved the life-like animatronic dinosaurs that are part of Zoorassic Park. Last time we went was on free zoo day in February when it was chilly outside so not as many animals were out roaming around. This morning, all the animals were out and active, and we were loving it!

What are YOU grateful for?

Rain

I'm grateful for the rain. It just makes me want to open the windows to hear and smell that goodness and then snuggle my honey. I'm still enjoying the smell of rain this morning from last night's storm. And I love how the ground looks so fresh and clean still. But I think my favorite thing about the rain is when my kids run outside and splash in all the puddles, giggling like crazy, and making me smile.

What are YOU grateful for?

When Wade goes out of town

I'm grateful when Wade goes out of town once in a while. He was at a work retreat up in the mountains for 3 days and returned home just in time to meet me at last night's fundraiser. When he's gone, it makes me appreciate him more and all he does for our family. It also motivates me to tackle my TO DO list. The house has been out of order lately since we had packed several boxes and taken down pictures from the wall in preparation to move in July. When we decided to just stay put for a few more months, we felt unsettled, trying to figure out whether to continue packing or unpack and feel at home again. What a mess the house has been! So while Wade was gone, I spent hours dejunking, organizing, and cleaning to surprise him. I hadn't accomplished that much in a long time. It felt good. I told him he needs to go out of town at least twice a year so I can get more big projects done. haha

What are YOU grateful for?

Children with special needs

I'm grateful for children like my niece who inspire me and help me appreciate my health, when she has countless doctor visits and testing for her Mitochondrial Disease. Tonight, Wade and I attended a fundraiser for the Ramsi Reed Foundation with Wade's family. My sister in law, Diana, and her family have worked so hard to create a special experience for everyone to raise money and awareness for Mitochondrial Disease. The event was a huge success, but funding is still needed for hospital bills and research. If you want some good deals for yourself, knowing it will support a good cause, check out the Ramsi Reed Foundation page on facebook. It's pretty awesome!

What are YOU grateful for?

My Kitchen

I'm grateful for my kitchen. And if it's clean, then I'm smiling even more. There's so much space to prepare and cook food or to lay out trays when we're having parties. :) Of course, more space also means more to clean. It was a mess early this morning, and so I busted out a deep clean of my kitchen along with the rest of the house so I could surprise Wade when he gets back in town tomorrow. After schooltime with my kids, my little sister joined me in my kitchen so we could make meals together (Pork Tacos and Spinach Spaghetti Pie). I was so glad to have her with me as a good motivation to plan ahead. Now I have several nights worth of delicious meals already prepared for my family. And it was a bonus to be able to connect with her and see my brand new nephew while we were together. We're thinking we need to do this at least twice a month.

What are YOU grateful for?

Monkey Bars

I'm grateful for monkey bars. It's a pretty cool thing as a mom to see your kids excel at something, even if it's as simple as the monkey bars. They both can fly along those monkey bars from side to side, like it's no one's business. Wow, I am always impressed. Plus, it makes them happy and gets their energy out so they're more calm after we return home from the park.
What are YOU grateful for?