Cloudy Days

Today's post for Project #becauseimhappy:

Cloudy days make me happy! #becauseimhappy#nature #beautifulmorning

I don't know what it is about cloudy days that I find so...beautiful, refreshing, and just purely wonderful. Maybe it's because the sky seems so alive when the clouds are there, moving along slowly, just waiting to give us the moisture they are holding. They are majestic. Nature is majestic, and I am happy that I get to experience it.

Something about rain. My mom loved the rain. I remember days when I was a child where we would sit together on our porch and watch the lightning storms, enjoying the smell and feel of the coming rain. 

Since her passing, there have been several times when I felt my mom's love in the rain. While I was in Ephraim I blogged about such an experience. My first summer in West Jordan I was going through a rough time. One day, while out with my friends, it started to pour rain, and I had the thought that it was like a giant hug from her.

I hope you all have a happy day. And if your day isn't going so well, just find a small thing to be grateful for. It's the little things that can really make a huge difference in our lives. No joke.

Love you all!

Tender Mercy Tuesday (Yes, I know it's Wednesday)

I had every intention of posting yesterday for Tender Mercy Tuesday and I totally forgot. I know I posted for Project #becauseimhappy, but that doesn't count. I had considered skipping it, since it is now Wednesday and therefore "too late" for a Tuesday post. However, I decided that was not a reasonable excuse. Whether we recognize the Tender Mercies in our lives when they happen, or a day late, as long as we recognize them, it's all that matters.

This week's tender mercy happened last Friday, October 31. I was at work, waiting for L, one of the boys in my two year old class, to be picked up. Friday was L's last day in my class, as he is now three and has moved up to the older class.

Earlier that day, L was having a hard time with helping to clean up. So I asked him if he was going to be a Bumblebee (which is what we call the three's class) on Monday. After he answered in the affirmative, I then asked him to show me how a big Bumblebee would clean up. He hesitated for only a moment, but was quick to help after that. I was very proud of him.

It wasn't until later that I realized L had been sad when I asked if he would be a Bumblebee. Until last week, it was all talk. "Oh L, you're going to be a Bumblebee soon", "L, you are getting so big! Are you excited to be a Bumblebee soon?" It wasn't until Friday that an actual limit was placed on his time as a Ladybug. Knowing that it wasn't just talk, that it was actually going to happen, he seemed more hesitant about the idea.

Before L's mom picked him up, I was sitting with him on the ground outside. He looked at me and said, "Miss. Stephanie?"

Now, you have to understand, my Ladybug's don't always address me by my name. It's usually "teacher" or, for those who haven't learned the difference, "mama". So having L use my name caught my attention.

"Yes, L?" I replied.

"I love you."

It was a simple phrase, and one that he had said to me before, but this time it was different. It was as if he knew what was coming and wanted to give a "final testimonial" to me. I was really touched.

"Aw, I love you too, L."

And that was it. No further conversation, we just sat together quietly, enjoying the nice fall weather.

I am so grateful for my job. For all of the stress and the hard times, it has truly been a blessing in my life, and a sweet reminder of how much our Heavenly Father loves all of His children. Learning to care for an love kids that I have not had the privilege of bringing into this world myself, I can't imagine Heavenly Father not loving us, his very own.

Have an awesome week everyone!

Riding the Train and Weird Conversations

When I started thinking about my #becauseimhappy project, I was planning to just post the pictures and leave it at that, occasionally add some quotes. However, I decided today that I would write an actual blog post about the pictures I took, explain what it is about that particular thing that makes me happy.

This was yesterday's photo and the caption with it:

Riding the train to work with my dad makes me happy!#becauseimhappy #beautifulmorning

A little over a month ago my car broke down. As a result I started taking the the train to work with my dad. He has to be to work an hour before I do, but I preferred getting a ride to and from the station from him, rather than walking. Plus, it's nice to ride the train with my dad.

Granted, we don't always talk, sometimes we just sit in companionable silence, and there are days when we can't sit next to each other so conversation isn't possible, but it's nice to have the option, to know that I could talk to him if I needed to. Sometimes it really doesn't matter if you talk about important things, or even at all. It's having the ability to talk, having a chance to talk with each other that makes a difference. Because cutting out time in your day so that you can actually talk with the people you care about is important. 

Here's the photo from today and it's caption:

Weird conversations with my best friend make me happy. #becauseimhappy #itsgonabeagoodday #bff#loveit

I cannot tell you how many weird conversations I have had with my friends. They range anywhere from our favorite geekdoms to things happening in our every day lives, to random thoughts we have that just NEED to be shared. I've even had a religious conversation about fangirl feels (don't ask).

Like I said before, it doesn't matter what you talk about, or if you talk about. It's being able to talk and to spend time with the other person. It's giving your time and getting time from them, no matter how odd or unorthodox it may seem

I hope you are all doing well, and that you are having a very happy day!

Because I'm Happy

Last week I posted a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #becauseimhappy. This post sparked an idea in my mind for a personal project that I want to do.

Every day, for the next nine weeks, I will be posting a picture of something that makes me happy. Along with these photos I will include a thought about happiness to share with anyone who is interested.

Here is my first photo:

See that leaf? Know what it means? It's from the Ancestry.com website. It's telling me that there may be more documents and files pertaining to some of my ancestors.

My mom was very much into family history. I remember as a small child going to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building with my mom as she did genealogy. I mostly wanted to go so that i could soon around in the big computer chairs. As genealogy became available for use in the home, my mom would commandeer the computer every Sunday to do family history work. She would tell stories about my ancestors that she'd found, and I remember the feeling of curiosity about those people who have gone on before me.

After my mom passed away, no one in my family really did a lot of genealogy, or family history work. Every once in a while someone would find something, but that was the extent of it.

 In my final semester at Snow College, I decided to take the Institute's Family History class. For for months I would spend an hour, two days a week, at the Family History Center in Ephraim. During that time I would search out names and dates for my ancestors.

I learned that one of my ancestors lost his first son while living in England. After the death of their child, he and his wife moved to the United States. I felt a small twinge in my heart, wondering if these parents were ever able to go back to England and visit their son's grave. That twinge grew into a desire to locate exactly where he was buried, with the hope that one day I could go to his grave myself and pay my respects.

After reading my ancestor's personal history, I tried to search for the cemetery where his son was is buried. When my own searching did not provide any results, I reached out to some clergymen in England that I thought might be able to help me. They were able to forward my information to a gentleman who worked with the archives for the area, and, I'm happy to say, I was able to get the information I needed.

Ever since then, my interest in the stories and histories of my ancestors has grown. When I signed up for Ancestry.com, I had no idea the excitement I would feel as I found more and more information about my ancestors and their families.

So, there's my happy moment for today. We'll see what tomorrow has in store!

P.S. I encourage all who are interested to participate and create their own #becauseimhappy campaigns. Feel free to post how it's going. I'd be happy to hear about it!