A Happy Heart: It's Up to Me!

Anyone who has ever had a toddler, KNOWS this face.

Accompanying this face was the phrase, "I can do it!"

Needless to say I was cleaning her ears out, so I had to decline.

But, this is a phrase I am hearing VERY often.

She wants to make her choices. She wants to try things. She is wanting to grab life and make it what she needs it to be. I love that my little Lucy is becoming independent. It's sad knowing she's my last one, so I find myself savoring the little things that I can still do for her. 

I was talking to my sweet friend Kay the other day and she told me a quote that they say often in their family.

I LOVE IT.

It reminded me of my little independent Lucy, and I have had many thoughts.

If I am to be happy.....it's up to me.

If I am to accomplish good things in life.....it's up to me.

If I am to be a good person.....it's up to me.

If I am going to be content with life.....it's up to me.

My list could go on and on.

I love my life, but one of the things I love most about my life is that it's MINE. It really can be anything I want it to be. In spite of any challenge or hiccup, I can mold it and shape it however I like. It doesn't mean that is easy. But, the older I get, the more I learn that I have more control over things than I once realized. Even on days that are hard, I can still decide to find joy and to be grateful. Even if it's in small doses.

I am also learning that you can't blame others for your own unhappiness. I can't control anyone but me. My kids remind me of this awesome truth all the time. They are such great examples to me. They have all been through some hard things. They have each one had to make decisions at different times to find their own happiness in spite of challenges. They each have grabbed hold of their lives and they know that it is up to them to make it what they want. And they are off and running to create great lives for themselves. I'm so proud of them.

So, today, when I think about my life, my heart is happy.

So far it's a great life. 

And the rest will be so also.....

because it's completely up to me.

Just like Lucy says, 

"I can do it!"

A Happy Heart: Yummy, yummy bread.

I will never be a 'food blogger'. 

I promise.

I don't think anyone is really interested
in recipes that all appeal to 9 children.

Most are boring, simple and not anything
I think anyone would be excited about.

BUT.....

I do love really yummy bread.

When I was growing up, my mom made homemade bread all the time. I don't remember having store bought bread very often. She would grind the wheat and then make bread in these huge soup cans. So our sandwiches were perfectly round. And oh so yummy. It made the best toast.

Well, not only am I NOT a food blogger, I am NOT a 'make-it-from-scratch' bread girl.

I wish I were.
But, my bum is probably very grateful that I'm not.

I do, however, love my bread machine. I'm not an adventurous bread machine girl. I love to find yummy recipes that we love, and I tend to stick with them.

Well, because this is such a quick, easy treat to make for your family, I thought I'd share it.
I've tried MANY bread machine recipes so far, and this one is my favorite.

Doesn't that look yummy? 

(OK, well, it looks a little funny, but it IS a bread machine.)

Oh.....if you could only smell it.

I thought maybe someone would want to make some yummy bread for Easter Sunday.

So, here's the recipe.

I have a 2 pound bread machine, but I'm also including the recipe for a 1 or 1 1/2 pound machine.

BUTTERMILK BREAD

For a TWO pound bread machine

1 1/2 c. + 2 TBL Cultured Buttermilk, 80 degrees F/27 degrees C

1/4 c. oil

1/4 c. sugar

2 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. baking soda

4 c. flour

2 1/4 tsp. Active Dry Yeast OR 1 1/2 tsp. Quick Rise Yeast

Put all the ingredients in your bread machine in the order of the recipe. After you put the flour in, make a small hole in the flour and put your yeast in it. 

Select your normal White Bread Cycle. I choose light crust, because anything else is too done. At least for my cute little bread machine.

For a 1 1/2 pound bread machine:

1 c. + 2 TBL Cultured Buttermilk, 80 degrees F/27 degrees C

3 TBL oil

3 TBL sugar

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

3 c. flour

2 tsp. Active Dry Yeast OR 1 1/2 tsp. Quick Rise Yeast

For a 1 pound bread machine:

3/4 c. + 2 TBL Cultured Buttermilk, 80 degrees F/27 degrees C

2 TBL oil

2 TBL sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda

2 c. flour

1 1/2 tsp. Active Dry Yeast OR 1 tsp. Quick Rise Yeast

THERE IT IS.

Simple. Easy. And very, very YUMMY.

I'm making more tomorrow.

Happy Easter everyone!

This yummy bread makes me happy.

'Lovely LIttle Things' Giveaway Winners!

The GIVEAWAY!!

I forgot to announce the winner!!

......it's all four of you who left comments!!

Woohoooooo!

I'm posting the pictures of the earrings you can choose from.

Rebecca already picked hers.

I will be sending the rest out this week. 

Just send me a message on Facebook or leave a comment here and let me know which pair you would like! 

(Don't worry if you pick the same pair as someone else.)

(I need your address Olivia.)

I have ones for everyone else! 

Keep doing your 'little things'.

It will make your heart happy.

A Happy Heart: My little racer.

This is our sweetheart Zach. 

He is tenderhearted and is as good as gold. He is kind and gentle, yet he has such great strength in him. You would think that he would be timid, but he's quite the opposite. He's spunky and fun. He's adventurous and is willing to take on anything new.

Lately his new adventure has been running on the track team.

His older brothers run track, so he was very excited to follow in their footsteps.

Literally. 

He started going to practices, and at first was still excited. 

Then I started hearing comments as he discovered that being good in this sport was not going to come easily for him. 

But, he kept going to practices.

After weeks of practicing with his team, Zach was excited about his first track meet.

He had worked hard.

And he was ready.

Then came the race. 

He ran.

He ran hard.

But in spite of his efforts, he ended up coming in last. 

And our sweet little Zach faced a challenge that I don't think he was prepared for.

He felt very discouraged, embarrassed, and was surprised that had happened to him.

I felt so bad for him.

It was one of those things that I couldn't shield him from.

I wanted to.

But, this was something Zach was going to have to get through.

We had a conversation about how he was feeling. 

We talked about his discouragement and discussed different options.

And then Zach made a decision. 

He decided to keep trying.

And I was so proud of him.

So two days ago, was Zach's next track meet.

I watched him start the race, and anxiously watched as he started to run, saying a silent little prayer for him to be able to do his best.

I watched him run around the track and felt so proud of him as I watched him fight for his spot. 

He was not going to quit.

We screamed our crazy, loud heads off and I could tell he was giving it everything he could.

 As our sweet Zach crossed the finish line, I was so happy.

He had not quit.

He decided to keep trying.

And he came in.....right in the middle of the pack.

He was not first in line. 

But, he had done his best. 

He had improved a great deal, and I could see relief written all over his face.

Zach's example of determination and endurance makes me very proud of him.

It makes me want to try harder to keep working on things that are hard for me.

It fills me with admiration for the giant person that is stuck inside Zach's little 13 year old body.

Today, he makes my heart happy.

A Happy Heart: Ricky defending his life

I know posts are more fun when there are pictures, but I just couldn't get a picture for this one!

Ricky is a lot of things. He's funny, he's tender-hearted, he's a hard worker, he's compassionate, and he's not afraid of handling tough icky things. He's a tough cookie. When I start worrying about the pressures of life, he always tells me, "Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it."

And somehow I always believe him. 

He's just wonderful.

One of my other favorite things about him?

He's easy to scare.

heeheeheeheeheeheehee

(evil, EVIL laugh)

Well, last night, as I went to bed, I headed for the bathroom to brush my teeth. But, alas, Ricky had beat me to it. 

So, I waited. 

But, I decided a sneak attack would be a fun way to wait.

HAHAHA! 

Oh...it makes me happy just thinking about it again.

So, I waited.

When he opened the door, I said, 'boo'.

Not "BOO!!!!!" or "BOO!",

Just 'boo'.

And the best thing about Ricky is that is all it takes.

And he JUMPS, gets this WILD look on his face, his fist raises and he comes at me, LITERALLY ready to defend his life.

Ahhh...HAHAHAHAHA!!

I wish I could paint a better mental picture of this. My new goal is to get a picture of this. It makes me laugh so hard. 

He's hilarious.

He makes me laugh.

And that makes my heart happy.

A Happy Heart: My Friend Belinda

I've been thinking about certain people in my life who make my heart happy.

And I thought I would highlight some of them, mainly for the chance to document the impact they've had on my life.

Today I thought I'd share something about my friend Belinda.

This is her.

She is a wonderful mother, and a beautiful grandma.

She lives far away in Washington,
which DOES NOT make my heart happy.

Why DOES she make my heart happy? For many reasons.

Belinda is a friend who knows what it means to be a friend. 

She doesn't just talk the talk, but she walks the walk. 

And her walk is amazing! :)

There are many things that have anchored Belinda in my heart. From the first day I met her, she was full of questions in an effort to get to know me, but also in an effort to make me feel loved and welcome. She always seemed interested in my life, but the more I got to know her, I realized that she showed this interest to everyone. She knows how to make you feel loved, and she is willing to go out of her way to do so.

The most tender memories I have of Belinda are linked to the period of time when I went through my divorce. To say that period of time was difficult is an understatement. It was such a private pain that I went through, so I didn't want to talk to just anyone about it. But, because Belinda had made such a consistent effort to be a friend, she was one of very few I found safe to confide in. 

As a friend, she went above and beyond. It's moments like that when we see the true colors of those around us.
And her true colors were beautiful.

This weekend I heard a leader in my church say this:
"If you come upon a person who is drowning, would you ask if he needs help, or would it be better to just jump in and save him from the deepening waters? The offer, whilst well-meaning and often given, 'let me know if I can help' is really no help at all." - Ronald A. Rasband

And that is what Belinda did for me. She didn't ask. She just did it. She knew I would not ask for help, yet she knew that there were days that I was treading water just trying to survive. And she jumped in on a regular basis and saved me. She visited me, she took care of Keely, she sat (sometimes for long periods of time) and just listened, she held me and let me cry without having all the 'right' answers, she built me back up, she told me on a regular basis that I was strong enough to get through it and cheered me on as I tried. And sometimes in the middle of the tears, she somehow even managed to make me laugh.

She did more than offer help. She gave it.

So, although that was a very painful period of my life, it was touched by love and kindness in powerful ways.
Belinda is an example of the word 'charity'.
She saw a need, and she found a way to help.

Belinda makes my heart happy.
She has made my heart happy from the first day I met her.
And even though she is far away now, the very thought of her brings feelings of happiness and peace.

Thank you Belinda.
I haven't said that in a long time,
but I always feel it when I think of you.

A Happy Heart: Lucy's Words

I was snuggling with Luke a couple of days ago, and out of the blue he said, "Mom, you make my heart happy." It was such a tender thing to say and I loved that he was trying to express the sweet feelings he was having for me at that moment. Then he said, "What makes your heart happy?"

I've been thinking a lot about that this weekend.

There are many things that make my heart happy.
Every day there are new things.

I love that about life.

I love that every day we can have moments, at some point, that make our hearts happy.

So, this month, I'm going to focus on what makes my heart happy.

Similar to things that I love, but different in some ways.

Today, Lucy's little words make my heart happy.

As a mom of little ones, there are many things that are said on a daily basis that melt my heart. These are little things that are easy to forget as they grow up and get older. That was one of the motivating factors in me starting a blog. I needed to find a way to remember them. I don't have time for major scrapbooking, and so this is my solution.  It's been fun to document some of the little daily things that have brought me so much joy.

Lucy is a toddler, so her speaking skills are still improving. She still mispronounces words, which I know I should correct more often, but I think it's darling to hear her say, "BUKE!" instead of Luke. She says "cancake" instead of pancake, "ganburger" instead of humburger, "Keety" instead of Keely, "Churty" instead of Charity, "Altimes" instead of Valentine's, but my favorite saying has to be this.....

I've been loved by many,

but I've only been "yubbed" by Lucy Lu-Lu.

I love being "yubbed" by her.

She makes my heart happy.