Happiness.....

My good buddy, Nile, commented and asked about happiness. This is a good time for me to make a list of things in my life that represent happiness to me. (in no particular order)

List:
summer afternoons
rainstorms
feeling beautiful
catching up with old friends
iced tea
children
two small girls dressed in princess dresses driving a camouflage power wheels (seen today on my walk)
strong walks that make you sweat
leisurely walks with someone you love
leisurely walks alone....time to think
ducks
the feeling of wind on bare skin
running around without shoes or socks
plush carpet
dark cool basements
giant comforters and pillows
lifelong kindergarten friends
mom
dad
family in general
learning
finding a great book that you can't put down
showers
snow monkey plum iced tea
evening dinners with great friends
laughing
being inspired
each season in its own time
church community
road trips
traveling
new shampoo
fresh laundry
bonfires
camping
SMORES!
running through sprinklers
dresses
music as an accompanying soundtrack to my life
kind strangers
corn on the cob
big dogs
trees
flowers
inside jokes
the growing comfort of someone you love
wisdom of elders
connection of siblings
scrabble :)
the feeling of books
writing
photographs
naps
acceptance
being held
holding someone
the smell of he laundry detergent isle at the store
grandparents
jazz in june
farmers markets
singing
playing the piano

to be continued....

eight feet deep and the rain still comin' down

I'm really enjoying my new temporary "home". This is me....today, sitting on the deck. Note the bike path and stream running alongside......it's really beautiful out here. Also, I know I may look a bit psychotic here......but this is typical, for those of you who don't already know. In addition, I set my laptop on the deck railing and hung from the outside to take this photo, which explains the ridiculous looking neck and facial expression. Very nice.
This was in a series of photos where on my laptop- in photo booth, I have about 3 seconds to position myself for the photo. I'm sure if any neighbors saw, I put on a pretty good show pushing the button on the deck and sprinting over to the fence to get ready.
For a while, I was trying to make it to that back corner of the fence- which proved to be exhausting after the 7th and 8th photos......also, I turned out as a sort of blur as I ran to make it. Here's one of my mid jump, making my way to the corner. In addition, we have a dog, Cameron, who uses this backyard......so you can imagine the task of navigating through landmines, while trying to make the 3-second photo....while jumping! Man...I'm TALENTED!
Here you can see a pot of marigolds that I planted over the weekend. The package said it would take 8 weeks for them to come up. I think they lied. I'll keep you updated on the progress- they're cute little things, aren't they?!
Here's a "birds-eye-view".......
It's important to note that my camera is broken, so I'm taking photos with my computer. I am getting pretty great at tipping it "just right" to get the desired angle. :) My goodness....the things I go through to keep ya'll updated.

I'm home alone this afternoon. I've been working the past few days or running errands with Megan, so it's fun to have extra time to do things like this.

I just noticed that the neighbors two houses over have an outdoor pool.....it may be in my best interest to mingle through the neighborhood and make acquaintances with them. :) After all, Nate and I ARE having a who-can-be-tanner competition this summer. I've got the advantage with my native American blood and olive skin-tone....(really I'm like 1/94th native American, but I still like to claim it).....but he's better about getting outside to do yard work on the weekends or evenings. So far, I think he's winning. However, it's pretty warm outside today- very sunny....and I've got 3 hours, a cute suit, fudge cycles in the freezer, and a cool breeze. This may be the day that I take the lead......

One more thing. Nate took me shopping last night and bought me a new, VERY cute dress. I'm so excited about it. It was the first one I tried on.....which NEVER happens....but it just screamed HEATHER!!!! and I felt beautiful in it. It's great with or without jeans- which happens to be my favorite way to wear dresses....with or without jeans. :)

I'm off for some journaling and QT.......what a perfect day. Hope everyone is well. Be blessed, my dear friends!

What a Difference a Day Made

I have a new address for a while. Yesterday I moved most of my things to my brother's house and now I'm at Johnny's for a couple of months- much closer to work, and coincidentally closer to Nate and Mike. Very nice. I'm also loving being here with Megan and Amy, and the ump-teen other people who have been staying this weekend. Tanner, Brandon, Zeckser, Levi (lives here), Aaron, Megan's parents, Amber......there are a lot of us. It's good to be around everyone- but will be very nice to get a break and some quiet when the weekend is over.

I'm very excited to have cable again. Also, they've dvr'd every episode from this season of the office, one of my very favorite shows, so i've enjoyed watching them again and again the last few days. This will be a nice place to stay for a month or two.

My grandmother has been in the hospital for the last three days. I think things are looking better, but prayers are always appreciated, especially with people we love.

where do we go from here?

I've spent my entire afternoon and evening packing my life- to be opened at a very indefinite time and place. My plants are resting in a short box, ready to find their new home with Nate, my dresser is completely empty, my desk is packed up.....and now I'm left with lots of odds and ends that don't really seem to fit anywhere- but things that I use occasionally- I've found more half- used lotion bottles than I could have imagined....

My dear friend, Meg, came to help me tonight. She kept great company while adding a bit of humor and love to my evening. What a blessing!

I'm very tired and not sure why I'm sill awake. Tomorrow - tomorrow night....I can't wait for.

you don't wear my chains

Packing. Packing, packing, packing.........ick. It's been fun, emotional.....harder than I thought. It's scary moving- exciting, yes.......but also very scary. I'll move into john's house for about a month and a half and then i'm off to milwaukee until at least december. Yikes.

Here's a cute picture martha sent me.....I'm not sure what we're doing, but I like it very much. If you can't tell from the picture, Nate-o and I are a little strange...but we have SO MUCH FUN!

I love it.

I think it's going to rain. I hope it does. I am ridiculously inspired by rainstorms- my window's open, I'm cleaning like crazy and loving my room for a last couple of nights.

beautiful disaster

This song means more to me than I can explain. More and more often, I feel I am simply... a beautiful disaster.

Beautiful Disaster lyrics

i think they were wrong, i am ever after you...

I wrote a nice long entry yesterday - and lost it. :( My connection went bad and I lost all my text. I was so sad....maybe more frustrated, that I didn't even try again. It was a post about patience, road rage, ignorant people and areas for improvement. Maybe it's better that ya'll didn't get to read it.....you'd find me out and then I'd be in real trouble!

I finally get to go to work today. It's been nice to have a break, but there's only so much reading I can do before I fall asleep....and I don't want to go shopping because I don't need a thing, and it hasn't been nice enough to lay out.....woe is me! Poor, poor heather.....alone and bored on her days off. sick.

I packed all of my kitchen things up yesterday. I'm beginning to feel a little nomadic. I'll move my things from here- to be opened at an indefinite time and place. I'll live out of suitcases for the next month and a half and then in a home that is very foreign, without any of my comfortable things- my duvet, my plants, paintings and pictures, etc. I'm not sure how this makes me feel. A bit excited, yes.....but also very much alone. So many people are crying out "why is everyone leaving"....."all of my friends are going different directions"- which is true, but right now, I'm just as scared of being alone as anyone else. It's going to be important to find encouragement in my travels.....otherwise, I won't make it without a Sam's-club sized Kleenex box, a pair of large, very dark sunglasses, and some vapor-rub for my chapped nose.

live laugh love

Today is Megan's birthday! Tonight we'll get together with a lot of our friends for dinner and birthday festivities.

Yesterday Megan was watching Rob and Erin's boys, Caleb and Bryce. I stopped by to play for a while- they are so stinkin' cute....

Bryce was all over the place. And what a little ham- this boys knows he's cute!

Everyone's happy! Bryce seems to be the entertainer in the family. Caleb just sits back and laughs, it's pretty cute.
I wondered why dad took their shirts off for dinner....and soon realized why. These boys are messy!!!

Look how sweet he is.
And as I was leaving, Megan and Caleb were curled up watching the 7 o'clock news while baby #2 played on the floor.

Living is easy with your eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.

I've got a few days off this week....and I'm going to try to pack a lot of my things from my apartment. Right now, it's a disaster. You know, that mess that inevitably happens before things can be organized again- especially when moving and clearing out old stuff.

I'm sad to close the boxes on this season- the room I've had here has been such a sweet haven for me; a place to love, sit quietly, cry, laugh, rest.......Martha lived here with me until she married Ryan, Amber's shared my bed with me when people visited and stayed in her room, Sarah's slept here when she was sad or afraid.....and Melissa's even snuck in a few times to say hello.......it's been a great place of safety for all of us, and I'm sad to leave. I also look down from my 3rd floor window across the street to my dear friend, Leslie's house. I watch as her mailman delivers packages and as she and her roommates come to and from their busy days. I've watched these trees shift from green to rust and mustard, to bare cold and back again into flourishing, strong posts waving silently in the cool breeze. I've loved my time here.

Leslie and I went on a great walk today....it's so good to catch up with old friends. And I have dinner scheduled with my big brother- and time with my dear Megan early this afternoon. These days off are such a blessing.

And for now, I'll watch Spiderman 2- so that I can go with Nathan to see the 3rd, something for which I am most excited to see- simply because it means time with him.

when you have everything you have everything to lose.

You're right, Jay. It's no longer May Day.......and so, I must post.

It's been a good week. Sorry for the lack of writing- I'm not even sure what I've been doing to fill the time....but I know I've been very busy.

It smells like fertilizer. Neighbors are ecstatic about the first non-rainy day in about a week- everyone is out mowing and......fertilizing, evidently.

I think I may go to a coffee shop- for the first time this year, just to read. I've always taken a computer, a textbook, lesson plans, etc. It would be nice to just be there.....or, perhaps, I'll go to pioneers park again to get some sun while reading. Although, I'm just finishing a back-full of peeling skin....from the places i couldn't reach when putting sunscreen on myself the last time i went there.

Maybe a nap, maybe a movie......reading, writing.....lunch......so many possibilities- and so much time! What a fabulous day!!!!

It's MAY DAY!!!!!!

Happy May! It's beautiful outside- warm, breezy, beautiful. Love it.

I'm supposed to be studying for my final tonight. My LAST TEST EVER!!!! Well, probably not. But for now, I'm going to tell myself that it is. I'm taking my last final at 7pm and then going to my brother's to spend time with him tonight. He's so great and I miss him a LOT when I don't get to see him.

If you haven't already done so, you should check out the Martin's blog- they've got an incredible story- a new addition to the family. A pretty awesome example of God's faithfulness.....

Martha and Ryan leave in ...5 days? Not sure, something like that. very soon. I'm excited for them in their new, VERY exciting journey.... :)

I really should get going on my final studies. More posting soon, my friends!