Celebrate the Feeling!!!

Last night was date night. 

It was great.

  

Eli came along for the first part. After dinner at home we went to the park so Eli could get some playing time in with someone who can actually chase after him without waddling. Then...surprise! Dairy Queen sucked us in. (not like me at all, but it was so fun to stop and share a blizzard together). As Eli sat there and played with our empty cup for like 20 mins, Nate and I just laughed and enjoyed ourselves. After we got home and family scripture study, Eli was off to bed, and out came the games!

#sidenote

One time for a day date, we all went to a game store and spent $20-$30 on a fun 2 player game. Best investment ever. Instead of donating that to Chili's, we have played that game so many times! Its like the date that keeps on giving! 

Anyway...i smiled so many times, and laughed! Oh man, it feels good to laugh doesnt it?? I kept saying over and over to nate how wonderful our lives are and how happy I am. I seriously go to bed smiling like every day, and can't get enough of my simple little life! Then I wake up happy....like that happy feeling when you were engaged? remember that? yeah, i feel that!

Not that I'm trying to make anyone feel bad that they don't have that feeling, because believe me, i have lived through some hard things. i went through 8 years of feeling sick sick sick to my stomach with many pains no matter what i did, ive had horrible depression, difficulty sleeping, sorrow for sins, pain for a lost loved one, the list can go on. And if you've been following me at all, you know my life isnt perfect either! i have much discomfort that comes with pregnancy....BUT right now, i have chosen to feel happy through it all!

Our little family is just as perfect as I can imagine it could be at this point. We all love each other so much, and Eli brings a joy into our lives that I never thought i'd find outside of loving my spouse. Eli has this light and happiness that beams from his little red cheeks. 

(here he is blowing you a kiss at the gym this morning)

And we have Christ and a forever family. Nate and I serve and love each other. We have wonderful supportive families. All of this is there if I am sick or not, money or not, to-do list long or not. We are just happy! And it feels even better to smile about it!

On my way to my dr. appt this morning I heard this song on the radio by Oh Honey called "Be Okay." In the chorus it says:

 I'm wide awake, so what's the point of dreaming when your life is great?

Celebrate the feeling, celebrate the feeling

Can't complain about much these days, I believe we'll be okay

Isn't that great! It feels so good to celebrate the feeling! Aren't we all living a dream?  We are all blessed beyond anything we can imagine! Its amazing!

Here's a quote that helped me recently: "Faith builds on the past but never longs to stay there." by Elder Holland.  So no matter what happened 10 yrs ago or an hour ago, don't let it keep you down. i have lived too many hours, days, years, being sad about what happened in the past, and how i just "knew" that it would continue to happen to me in the future....NO, stop. Dont "stay there" like Elder Holland says. Move foward with faith and happiness!

So here's to having a wonderful day! To smiling! To giving a big hug to all we love and telling them we're grateful! 

Here's to having a dinner conversation about all the blessings that we really do have!

Here's to celebrating the feeling!!