Happiness

What is happiness? This is something I have been thinking a lot about. How can I be experiencing sadness, and yet still feel happy? I did not think the two could coexist and yet it has been possible. One of my first thoughts when we found out about Lily's diagnosis was wondering how we would ever be happy again, but thanks to my amazing husband, he reassured me that we would be happy and that if God commanded us to care for Lily and he also commands us to be happy, then he would also provide us a way to do both.

Finding out what real happiness looks like has been one of my goals this year and apparently there are some things that really make a difference.

For example, did you know that studies show that the more neighbors you know, the happier and safer you feel? Plus if your neighbor is happy it increases your happiness by 34%. Also experts say that you should have at least 2 close friends for maximum happiness. I am really lucky that I have great neighbors and friends and that is one of the things I love about where I live. Everyone knows everyone, and it is easy to have lots of quality relationships.

Also having one club where you attend once a month is like having your salary double! Thats another great thing about my friends and neighbors, we meet once a month for a girls night out and it really does make all the difference.

Another study shows that money can only make you happy to a point, happiness maxes out once you earn $75,000 per year for a family of four!

There are lots of things that can affect our happiness and the great thing is, it doesn't seem like you really need a lot to actually be happy. I am blessed with amazing friends and family, and the love I experience with my husband and kids brings so much joy and contentment. When I look around and see all that I am blessed with, it easier to realize how I can experience trials and rough patches, and yet still have a great sense of happiness.

The War On Household Items

Hunter is waging a ruthless war on our household items. Not one toiletrie, or kitchen item is safe from his tyranny, and the death toll in this house continues climb. The toll so far includes:

1 bottle of shampoo

2 bottles of dove body wash

1 can of hairspray

1 bottle of baby powder

1 canister of cinnamon

The only thing left in Hunter's wake is empty bottles and broken dreams, and what does this heartless dictator do:

He dances on their graves!

p.s. No, he is not really this skinny, he is just contorting his body in a weird shape while he dances!

Planning

I had a plan. Ever since I can remember, I have been making plans, and for the most part, my plans actually work out the way I want them to. When I was 18 I had a plan for what my life would look like in 15 years. This is what it looked like: Go to college, travel, get married at about 22. Finish college and start having kids. 4 kids- each 2 years a part. Be done having kids by 32. All was on track until..... well now. I did not plan for this, I did not plan on having a child with special needs. I did not plan on having my whole world turned upside down, and I did not plan on having my plan messed with! That has been one of the hardest things about this whole situation, what does life look like 15 years from now? For someone who has always thought they knew, this is very uncomfortable. So for the first time in my life there is no real plan. No map of the next 15 years, no idea what is coming next. I don't like this, I want my warm fuzzy plan, I want to be comforted by the idea that I can see (and be excited by) what the future holds...

But during this time of instability, I am grateful to know that even though I don't know the plan for myself, I have a loving Heavenly Father who does. I have the knowledge and strong reassuring feelings that everything is part of His plan, that everything we are going through is the plan for us, and when I remember this, I can feel comforted and excited to know that the next 15 years will be great (even if I have no idea what it looks like). If you want to know why I believe this, you can visit here!

Oh, and if this isn't all making sense, you should know that we are also in the process of looking for a new job, and moving... which is why we can't make any plans... yet.

Recipe 5: Banana Bread

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   Ingredients

   • 1/4 cup white sugar
   • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
   • 3/4 cup butter
   • 3 cups white sugar
   • 3 eggs
   • 6 very ripe bananas, mashed
   • 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
   • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
   • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
   • 1/2 teaspoon salt
   • 3 teaspoons baking soda
   • 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
   • 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
   • STREUSEL topping (you might need to double this)
   • • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
     • 5 tablespoons white sugar
     • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
     • 2 tablespoons butter, diced

   
   

   Directions

   Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease four 7x3 inch loaf pans. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dust pans lightly with cinnamon and sugar mixture.

   
   

   In a large bowl, cream butter and 3 cups sugar. Mix in eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix in salt, baking soda and flour. Stir in nuts. Divide into prepared pans. sprinkle with streusel topping.

   
   

   Bake for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

   
   

   I am giving this recipe 4 stars because it is very yummy, my family ate a whole loaf in less than 2 hours. It is pretty easy to make, it does take a while to make, but you get 4 loaves, so I think that makes it worth the time spent. It is not expensive, especially since you don't really have to have extra ingredients on hand (maybe sour cream). And since it has 6 bananas, I am calling it healthy, even if you don't!

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Superman's in Pajamas on the Couch

Little Hunter is sick today and spent most of his time on the couch in his p.j.s watching movies. So of course the line from this amazing song came to mind and I got to thinking:

How fun it is to have a little boy around. I grew up with all sisters and it was the most girly environment you can imagine, and then with Ella being the first born, it was easy to stick with what I knew.... dollies and princesses. But when Hunter came around, he introduced me to a whole new world of boys! I have watched more Spiderman and Superman movies than I ever did as a kid. Sword fights and flips off the couch are just part of the daily routine around here. I can honestly say that I love it! I love that Ella plays differently because she has to find games her brother will enjoy, and I love that Hunter makes us all laugh all day long. I also love to be a part of his Super Hero make believe life, it is a totally new and fun experience that I think anyone who has brothers, may take for granted.

I love you Little Man!

Enjoy the song:

Lily's Blessing

Lily and Zen had their blessings last weekend, and it was a whirlwind! In two days we had two blessings and a lot of family time. It was wonderful to be around so much family and I am grateful for all of those who came from near and far to be a part of this joyous time.

Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure:

Happy Valentines Day

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

Valentines day is much more fun when your kids are super excited, so I decided to make it extra special this year with some fun decorations and crafts. The kids loved coming home from school to find this:

The hearts on the window was a fun craft that I found on

Martha Stewart

Although, my hearts look nothing like Martha's, but thats okay, because my kids loved them and thats what counts!

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

Lily's Stats

We took Lily to the Doctors today for a well check up and it wasn't the greatest news.

She has gained less than a pound in the last 2 months and her head circumference has not changed. The doctor decided we need to try a different formula that will give her some extra calories, so hopefully we will see some weight gain in the next few weeks. It was a little sad to know that she only weighs 11 pounds, but the doctor seems to think that she is doing pretty well overall.

Age: 7 months

Weight: 11 pounds

Height: 25 inches

Head circumference: 15.5 inches

Ella's Birthday Party

This last weekend we had Ella's party and a very special guest came: Rapunzel!

We had a "Tangled" theme party with lots of pink and purple everything. It was a really fun day and what made it even better was that my mom and sisters came to town to help. I love it when family is around and Ella loves it even more!

We had pizza and cake and then Rapunzel came to do the girls hair. She also read them a story and danced with all of the girls. It was a fun day and a very happy birthday!