Tag Archives: family

happiness

A day at the zoo

The kids and I went with a dear family friend to the zoo today. It was the first time in ages we had gone and seen the animals – I haven’t been since before the flood. It was kind of chilly but it actually made it perfect as there were barely any other people there. 

When the boy was little I used to take him a few times a week to the zoo – it was our thing and it has lots of good memories. I was kind of surprised at how much the kids still enjoyed it now. 


It was just simple happiness – together with our friend enjoying the day. One of the small happiness moments that make up the big happiness memories. 

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Derek with his crew 

This afternoon the girls and I went and visited Derek with his crew – it was the first time we had seen him in a while. 


He has grown – still cute but less like a baby. 

On our  way home we stopped and had a really nice visit with my aunt and uncle. I don’t do that often enough, but that was one of the things I missed most about home – impromptu visits. 

Happiness – Derek and his crew, us and our crew. 

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Feet on the ground

I spent a lot of time today taking about faith and life and other good, deep stuff. First with a cousin/life long friend and then with the boy. It was almost like one conversation flowed into the next one even though they happened hours apart – it was pretty cool. 

I need those kinds of chats that let me explore where I am in my faith and how other people see theirs. 

The boy summed up our anxiety issue well tonight. We were talking about horses and basketball and how they ground us and open our spiritual paths (horses for me, basketball and other sports for him). He said it’s true what they say – depression is worrying about the past, anxiety is worrying about the future. We need to find the  things that help put our feet on the ground right now in the present moment and live in it. 

Wise words from a 15 year old. 

That’s what today did for me, and what I’m working at balancing into – finding the things that keep my feet on the ground and focusing on the present moment. 

My tribe. It’s full of  awesome and wise people. Happiness. 

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Couch potato

My girl is still sick, her poor tummy just won’t give her a break. 

We spent a good part of the day with her cuddled up next to me on the couch watching movies. I tried to multitask and get some studying done, but mostly just held onto her while she felt crappy. I consider it a huge blessing that I am able to be there for the kids in the many ways they need me. It’s been a rough couple of weeks emotionally and I’m sure part of this is the fallout from that. 

Eddie the Eagle (again), Peanuts Movie, The Goldbergs – she had some good for the soul couch time with her mama. Happiness 

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Movie night 

We had a bit of a tummy bug in the house today. That added to the stress that has been pummeling my family meant we really have needed to stop and slow things a bit. 

We all sat together tonight and watched Ice Age Collision Course – we love the Ice Age movies. I have really realized over the last couple of days we need to refocus on love and peace. We let some evil and hurtful forces enter into our energy fields and that is exactly  we have worked so hard to heal from. It will be a continuous journey, but one I am dedicated to leading us on. 

Happiness –  sitting with my monsters and laughing at a movie. What a blessing they are. 

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Recharge 

For the first time in weeks we didn’t have to go anywhere today and we took full advantage of a recharge day. We are better rested and more relaxed than we have been in ages. I know I feel more grounded and centered than I have been in a long time. I’ve been feeling very energetically blocked for a while and I feel like I’ve managed to shift some of that around.

A quiet day at home  with the monsters. Happiness. 

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Calm the chaos

We kind of managed to stop the world for a little bit this afternoon and my family took some time to come together and calm the chaos. One thing the three of us have learned is how to love and support each other no matter what. It is really a pretty amazing thing, love and support in a way I never thought would be possible. 

Things seem calmer and more grounded. We still need to hold tight to each other, but I think today did a lot to provide security. 

The courage and love my kids have is amazing. It gives me the strength to keep moving ahead. That is happiness, on a very deep and spiritual level. 

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Family Day 2017

My understanding of what a family is has certainly changed over the years. I so badly wanted what I considered a traditional family – mom, dad, kids, dog, cat, horses, happiness. That didn’t work out so well for me. We are our own little family, and a pretty happy and functional one at that, but it wasn’t how I had imagined life would turn out.

Being a single – or solo – parent is hard work. There has been so much emotional turmoil that we all have gone through and the recovery and healing from that is substantial. At least one time a day something comes up that triggers some kind of pain in my children (or in myself), and sometimes it takes all the strength I have to deal with it. And I have to deal with it always as the only adult in the household – which means no one to bounce ideas off of, to discuss strategies with, to lean on.

I have discovered the three of us have incredible strength.

I feel like we celebrate the fact that we are a family all the time, but today is Family Day and it makes me appreciate what we have even more. Even with the hard times (or maybe because of the hard times) we are so incredibly close. I have a relationship with my children that is better than anything I could have ever imagined.

That is what real happiness is.

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