If You Try

It's so easy to feel defeated when we are working towards a goal. I am constantly having to "regroup" and keep at it in life. We all have goals- my current goals are to workout harder, eat healthier, be less lazy in regards to my household chores, organize and utilize my time better...I could keep going but I won't bore you, its a long list! Do you have goals you are working on? What keeps you from working hard at them...or starting them? If we don't try, we don't succeed right?

I recently got the new album "Beautiful World" by Justin Cash! If you haven't had a chance to check this new artist out please do! He's got a feel good, keep it cool, jazzy beat to his music. I'll admit, Jazz music isn't at the top of my favorite music genre's, but sometimes I just need that feel good feeling that you get from listening to it! I would group him with Jack Johnson and other similar artists. Here is a brand new music video to inspire you to keep working towards your goals!

If you don't try, you won't succeed.

How cute is his little boy in this video?! Check out this other awesome video of Justin Cash and Calee Reed having a little jam session.

We Are America

I can't let this memorable day pass by without making note of it. September 11, 2001 will forever be etched in our hearts. The exact moment, the exact place we were standing or sitting in, the exact emotions we went through- we will remember every bit of it. I'm forever thankful to live in this amazing country and pray every day that we will have leaders that can guide us righteously in the way he intended this country to be. I am thankful for the public and military service women and men that protect my family every day. Here is a great song, sung by Jessie Funk, written by her husband.

We Are America

Calling America, Alex Boye

If You're Happy and You Know it.....

When I was a teenager I had a great group of friends. I have such fond memories with them and thankfully not too many of them are drama filled! One day we got the idea to start a "Happy Book". To be honest, I really have no clue where this idea came from (perhaps at EFY?)? Anyhow, we each had our own Happy Book that we faithfully carried everywhere with us. What is a Happy Book you ask? Well, exactly what it sounds like, a book/journal that we wrote down everything that made us happy! You could find anything in it, from flip flops (which we all LOVED...and had too many of) to boys names, to chocolate cake, to our family....anything that made us happy we wrote down. I sure wish I still had this journal, it would be fun to go back and look at what made me happy as a teenager. I know that while we were on this Happy Book obsession we were so close and got along so well. We had so much fun together and tried not to let the caddy teenager stuff get to us.

I decided today that since life gets tough sometimes as a mom/parent/grown-up I should take some time to list what makes me happy! If we always dwell on the negatives, things will stay negative. If we take time to count our blessings, and step back and look at what the positives are in our life things will just go better. Here we go!

From top Left going clockwise:
My family- Although my kids can bring me to my breaking point quite often, they still make me happy to have them a part of my life.
Nature- I LOVE sunsets, and the mountains, and reflections in the water of the two....I just LOVE nature
Desserts- I have an undeniable addiction to sweets, well, not just any sweets, the chocolate sort. I particularly LOVE this cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory (a restaraunt that makes me very happy) called Adam's Peanut Butter Cup Fudge Ripple. yum-o.
Mani-Pedi's- I LOVE going to get a pedicure, and when I can splurge and get a manicure too, boy I'm in heaven (as you can tell by the picture flip-flops still make me happy too!)
Music- This is no surprise considering my blog....good music makes me happy down to my soul
Baking- Obiviously this goes along with my sugar addiction...but I really am happy when I can bake and decorate a beautiful cake or cupcakes...I also love baking anything else sweet.

Round Two! Starting at the top left:
Fall, Autumn, the rescue from summer heat- Whatever you call it, I LOVE the fall season. The cooler temperatures, the nice breeze, the amazing colors, carving pumpkins, the excuse to use pumpkin in my baking. Love it all and can't wait for it to get here!
Crafting- I love making crafts!
Costa Vida- enough said.
Mercy River- I have blogged about them before, but this music group of moms is AH-MAZING.
My Husbands Pancakes- I always convince the kids to get daddy to make his chocolate chip pancakes most Saturday mornings. They are perfect in every way.
A new Haircut- Doesn't a new haircut make everyone happy? Well, unless it was a bad haircut I suppose
Bakery- I love going to cute bakeries, even if I don't get anything...which usually never happens. This was a bakery near San Francisco
Quotes- when i was younger I also had a quote journal where I kept quotes that inspired me in some way. I love how so many bloggers are willing to give out free printables with amazing quotes for the rest of us folks to use

I would like to challenge you to make a list of what makes YOU happy. Keep it somewhere safe, and when you are having a "down" day, whip that list out and add to it! Leave a comment on something that makes you happy!

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