Let's spread the word!

I would love to take over the blogosphere with happiness
and I need your help!

Let's try to get 100 people to participate
in the 52 Weeks of Happiness Project.
If every person who participated invited one friend
to join in our quest to find happiness in our lives,
then I bet that we could easily get 100 people on board!

As a little thank you for my lovely readers,
whichever person guides the most people to participate
will get the pleasure of taking over my blog for one day.

That's right, tell all your friends
to leave a comment to let me know that you sent them
to join in the carnival.

Whoever sends the most happy people
will be a guest blogger on
my little ol' blog!
We have to reach 100 though!

Sounds like fun, huh?
So, go tell your best bloggy buddy to take a picture
of something that makes them wildly happy
and tell us all about it.
Then tell them to tell their friends.

Who knows?
Maybe we'll change the world,
one happy photo at a time!

You could be a doll
and write up a little post about it
and use that fancy little button that I made up there,
if you wanted to.
Just sayin'.

Okay, please scroll on down for this week's
52 Weeks of Happiness.

52 Weeks of Happiness :: Week 11

Friday night dates at home.

It has been such a challenge for Roger and I
to spend one on one time together.

Too often, we sit on the couch and zone out
after the kids are in bed.
I have passed out on the couch on more than one occasion.
We were feeling a bit distant until
we came up with the perfect solution.

Every Friday night we have a date in our bed.

We pick a different beverage each Friday for us to sip on
while we lounge in bed together.
This week we chose a cheap bottle of Pinot Grigio.

We make up a plate of yummy snacks to snack on as we relax.

This week's menu included
homemade rosemary bread that my Dad's neighbor made,
summer sausage, garlic cheese spread, and grapes.

Then we are super indulgent
and put the TV right at the foot of our bed.
We curl up and watch a move on Netflix.
I lucked out to find a man
that actually enjoys Jane Austin films.
So this week we watched Emma and snuggled.

It feels like when we were dating
and we decided to stay in on a Friday night.

It's the perfect way to start the weekend
and we actually feel like we've spent some quality time together.

Of course, a lady doesn't kiss and tell
but let me tell you,
Friday night smooches are the best!

Wanna hear something else making me happy?
Today is our 8 year wedding anniversary!!

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Want to join me in my quest
to scout out happiness for a whole year?
Simply post a photo of something that
makes you wildly happy and tell us all about it.
Then, steal my button and include it in your post.
Don't forget to link up to Mr. Linky.

Did you read my exciting development for this project?
If not...click here!

Becoming a Soccer Mom

Griffin just completed his first season of soccer.
I am officially a soccer mom and I have to admit,
it's pretty awesome.

Griffin was so proud to put on a uniform
and play his little heart out.
Even though it was a challenging season for The Dragons.
They lost every game but the last one,
thank God they won the last one.
They were the underdogs, for sure.
It was actually kind of cute.



Let's be honest, half of the kids had no idea what they were doing.
One little girl on his team just stood there
and looked cute most of the time.
Other kids were afraid of the ball.
Sometimes they got distracted by a
spontaneous game of tag in the middle of the game.
No one cared though, they were just excited to run amok on the field.

We really enjoyed spending our Saturday mornings as a family
watching Griffin play and cheering him on.
When Koen wasn't trying to rush into the game, he was right by Griffin's side,
wanting to be just like his big brother, the soccer playing king in his world.

I totally turned into one of those cheering parents

that gathers on the sidelines.
I would shout "GO DRAGONS!" and suddenly find myself
screaming at the top of of my lungs.

It was all I could do not to grab the other moms
and organize a dance routine to perform at half time.
It was so much fun.

They somehow pulled it together at the very end and won 7 to 5.
Griffin was so proud to take a victorious walk
and say "good game" to the other team
and actually mean it.

I have a feeling that this was the first
of many soccer seasons to come.
I feel pretty good about being a soccer mom.

Now all I need is a minivan.

Winner : Elf Edition

We have a winner for this week's installment of Freakshow Friday. Please take note that my super hilarious and non biased best friend was the judge. Here are the top three in no particular order.

Moooooog35
Everyone at Keebler was surprised
when the company sprang for "Glamour Shots."

Jeremy from We Took The Bait
Link from "The Legend of Zelda"
poses after his last estrogen therapy session.

VandyJ
No one could convince Erin
that Aragon was never coming for her.

The winner is...
Moooooog35

Everyone at Keebler was surprised
when the company sprang for "Glamour Shots."

Moooooog35
is the funniest blogger in all the land.
Now head on over to his blog

and marvel at this fantastic award he just earned
to proudly display forever.

Thanks to all the people who played.

Tune in this Friday for another instalment of Freakshow Friday!

Freakshow Friday : Elf Edition

It's time for another installment of Freakshow Friday. Where I ask my readers to come up with a caption or story for a funny photo found on Awkward Family Photos. My best friend will be the judge and she's one hilarious freakaziod. So, bring it! Here is this week's photo, this girl is super special.

Do these ears make my lips look green?

You got a better one for me?

If so, you may just when this awesome award

and have bragging rights forever.
Oh...do I ever have an award for you!
You will win this brand spankin' new award!!

If you win then I'll link up to your
Blog and make a big deal
about how funny you are.
Simply leave your funny caption or story
in my comments section.

The winner will be announced on Monday.

The Prayer of the Exhausted Mommy

I am currently smack dab in the middle of training
Koen to sleep in his big boy bed.
I find myself sitting on the hard floor in his room,
next to his little car bed,
trying to force his big round eyes closed
with my brain waves.

The darkness surrounds me,
the minutes seem to turn to hours,
the walls start to close in,
my butt falls asleep,
and I start the feel trapped.

I try to quietly stand up to sneak out
when his little head pops up.
"Sit, mama!"
he demands in a sleepy voice.
I plop back down on the floor in an exhausted stupor
and then I find myself bargaining with God.

Dear Lord, (I pray)
If you make Koen go to sleep within the next five minutes, then I will give my spare change to the homeless man that stands on the corner in front of Walmart instead of giving him the stink eye. Also, if you make him sleep through the night then I will personally volunteer my time at the charity of your choice. If he is going to wake up, then I pray that you would miraculously make one hour of sleep feel like three hours of sleep. That way, I could fool myself into believing that I had six hours of sleep when really I just had two. Hello? Is this thing on?
Amen.

I'm starting to think that God

doesn't hear the prayers of tired mommies.
If I had even one night to sleep uninterrupted,
I'm sure that my faith could easily be restored.

For the love of all things holy,
just give me a decent night's sleep.

The View From Poppy's Bench.

Many years ago, when we were newlyweds,
we gave my parents a bench as a thank you gift for our wedding.
They nestled it in their front yard
and my Dad has taken a moment to rest on it
almost everyday since.

It's weathered and worn plaque sits lovingly on the back of the bench.
We were so grateful for their kindness in paying for our wedding.
This is a true memorial of our gratitude.

My father pruned the tree that surrounds it
and made himself a little hideout to sit
in the mornings and evenings
when the sunlight is the most beautiful.

You can almost always find him there kicking back
and if you don't know where to look,
he might go unnoticed.

It's the perfect spot to observe the beauty of nature.
Chipmunks and squirrels will often parade around in front of him.
He has a front row seat to the show
that the animals unknowingly perform.

A leaf may swirl down in front of him,
almost showing off as it spirals down onto the driveway.
The birds seem to sing in harmony.
A cat bird chirps "meow" in the distance
and sounds like a kitten calling out.

Another exciting day unfolds in front of Poppy's bench
and I am so touched that he loves
his old and beat up gift.
I will forever remember my father
sitting happily on his hidden bench.