Day One Hundred Fifty: Positivity Packet

In this new year, we are trying to be intentional about infusing our home with positivity. Ruth came up with an idea for Positivity Packets, which is a sort of mailbox system that allows us to leave encouraging notes and little gifts for each other whenever inspiration strikes. We all decorated our own and hung them on our bedroom doors, which has had the bonus effect of giving a visual boost to an otherwise uninteresting hallway. We are all so excited about sharing the love!

My Positivity Packet

Day One Hundred Forty-Nine: Pinewood Derby Car

Joining Cub Scouts with Clay in the fall has given me many opportunities I might not have otherwise had. For instance, today I got to assist Clay and Jeff with the building of the Pinewood Derby car. Since we don't own any power tools (except for a drill), I spent quite a bit of time sawing on a block of wood with a tiny handsaw. And, I did that in my high-heeled booties, my sparkly sweater, and my tiara. Because I'm awesome. 

Day One Hundred Forty-Eight: Schindler's List

I never have been able to bring myself to watch Schindler's List because I knew many of the scenes would be difficult to endure. But after taking the older kids to the Holocaust Museum in D.C. Jeff and I thought it would be good to watch the movie with them, and we finally had our chance tonight while the younger boys were occupied with a different movie in another part of the house. There are scenes that are difficult to watch, but I think it is worth seeing anyway.

Day One Hundred Forty-Seven: Tiara

This video showed up in my Facebook feed this week:

And, after I left a snarky comment, this tiara showed up in my mail today:

I have never owned a tiara before, but I can already tell it is life-changing. I'm thinking about making it a permanent fixture. Thanks, Sis! You have no idea how much I needed this!

Day One Hundred Forty-Six: Lunch in Jarrell

When most of your day is spent in the car, it's hard to work in a First, but we managed to get it done with a lunch stop in Jarrell. We have passed through the little town known for its tornadoes many times, and we have even visited a friend who lives there, but today was the first time we ever stopped for lunch at a restaurant there. It's not terribly glamorous or exciting, but it's all I've got for today. Although, if your a fan of Tex-Mex, you might be excited to know that Mexicano Grille serves up a delicious lunch.

Day One Hundred Forty-Five: Anchovy

I have always been turned off by anchovies and have never even eaten one. But today I finally decided to try one while we were having lunch at a new-to us Argentinian place in San Antonio. It wasn't as bad as I imagined it might be, which is how many seemingly unpleasant things turn out to be, I guess. It actually seems a little silly that I've invested so much effort in avoiding them in the past.

My first anchovy

Day One Hundred Forty-Four: Polar Bear Dip

At noon, with the outside temperature hovering around 42 and a "feels like" temperature of 32 and almost-sleet falling from the sky, the six of us and my mother-in-law took to the sea for the 20th annual South Padre Polar Bear Dip. The water, at 60 something degrees, was definitely the warmest part of the whole encounter.

If you know anything about me at all, you know I consider any temperature below 70 to be freezing, and I always try to avoid being in cold places when I can. You may also know that I NEVER put my head under water unless I'm standing in a hot shower. So, today's First was very much a stretch for me. But I'm really glad I did it, and this one may be the one with the most life lessons packed into it (aside from lessons I'm still learning from the Ripstik incident).

Here are the top five life lessons I took from today's First:

1. You can't overthink a difficult situation. Sometimes you just have to jump head first into the next wave and go with it.

2. Pain is temporary. Even though you feel like you might die or never be able to feel your toes again in the moment, you eventually get over it.

3. It is easier to work up your courage when you are surrounded by an awesome support network that you can share both the bad and good with.

4. It feels really great to do something you didn't think you could do.

5. The best memories, stories, and lessons are just on the other side of your comfort zone.

Baby, it's cold outside!

Before

After