waiting for winter

Today, the silly little thing that's made me smile the most is the sound of the heater kicking on. I've been so cold lately and just the sound of the heater makes me smile because I know the house will be a little warmer.

It's been the little Christmas decorations popping up around the house.

It's been all the talk of Christmas and New Years.

It's been searching for the perfect gifts for everyone and for the perfect sparkly New Years dress.

Taking a break to breath

This long weekend was full of moments -- big and little -- that made me smile.

It was seeing my parents and laughing with my mom through an entire football game.

It was buying little pumpkins and decorating our house for fall.

Me and Kelly Squatting - Taken by Sarah 

It was raking the leaves with roommates in hopes of ending our mice problem.

It was spending time to get to know a friend.

Oktoberfest 10k - Taken by my mom

It was waking up bright and early to run my first 10k. It was finishing the race and finding out that I had kept a steady pace -- 7:51 -- throughout the entire space. It was knowing that an 11-year-old boy had kicked my butt in the race. It always amazes me to see these young kids running these races and doing so well.

It was learning a new game and laughing our asses off.

Roomies - Taken by Will

It was celebrating my beautiful roommate Kari's 21st birthday.

Kelly and Kari - The Birthday Girl

It was watching my dad wrestle with his granddaughters.

It was being able to sleep in and not rush through my day.

And it was capturing all of the moments on camera.

It's raining leaves

It's all the silly little things like...


...watching all the leaves slowly change colors and fall to the ground like rain.

...seeing pumpkins pop up outside of everyone's front doors.

...walking into grandma's house and smelling fresh apple pie.

...breathing in the fresh air as I run outside in the perfect weather.

...going shopping and seeing fall decorations everywhere.

...contemplating what I'll be for Halloween before I even know my plans.

...spending time outside in the parks, taking in the beauty and enjoying the peacefulness.

...and when all the leaves fall to the ground, it's raking them up into a big pile and jumping in it just like we did when we were kids.

Find your escape

This weekend was the best of everything. I got to spend time with friends, escape to the park and "check out" for a while, experience something completely new to me and run like crazy.

Friday night, a friend and I went bowling. It's been a long time since I last went bowling, and it definitely showed, but it was still really fun. Then, a few people came over to the house for a few games and a lot of laugh. I didn't get any sleep, but it was a great night. 

Saturday, I woke up at 6 a.m. for an Advocate story. I bundled up and drove down to the Regional Science Center. It was still dark when I got there and the wind was chilly blowing across the prairie as I walked to the  site. I was there to observe the bird banding, interview the students and professor and get photos and video. There were twenty or more students signed up to come, but only four showed up, so I ended up helping with the bird banding as well. It was an entirely new experience for me. Seeing these little tiny birds tangled up in this big net and trying to disentangle their little bodies and keep them warm. Holding the robins in my hand and throwing them up in the air, so they could fly away. It was an amazing experience. 

Later, I grabbed my camera and my iPod and went to Lindenwood Park. I wandered around the park taking everything in: the calmness, the beautiful fall colors, the chirping of birds, the peacefulness... I took pictures of everything. It was my time to escape and "check out" of the world for a while. I cleared my head and let my mind wander as I enjoyed the quietness of the park and the liveliness of the playground.

Some days you just have to check out for a while. Turn off your phone and computer and just get away. It be cruising around in your car, taking a walk, or just sitting at a park. Take time to enjoy the beauty of life and think about all the wonderful things in your life or maybe the not so wonderful things in your life that you want to change. Take the time to reexamine your life.

'You make me smile'

Today was a great day. I don't even know why, but I couldn't stop smiling. It might have been the fact that I talked my family into coming to visit me. Or, maybe it was finally registering for my first 10k. It could have even been talking to that old friend for a few short minutes after a month of not speaking to each other.

I know the weather was definitely a part of it; sunny days always make me happy. 

I'm not saying today was perfect because it wasn't. But, I was happy, and at the end of the day that's all that really matters. Take time to enjoy all the silly things like blasting your stereo and dancing in your car, laughing at your ridiculous sub-heads about aliens or wasting time playing bits over and over again just to hear the funny quotes.


I had this song stuck in my head all day, so I had to share the video. :)

Oh how I've missed you

Sometimes life gets a little too busy and all the silly little things that I love to do get thrown to the side and almost forgotten. Sometimes I wish I had a few extra hours in the day, so I could do all those silly little things like writing this blog, going for a walk with my roomies, taking photos or just listening to music and dancing.

Yesterday, I had the chance to go to the Johnny Holm Band show on campus with a few of my friends. It was so much fun to just be able to de-stress for a few hours singing and dancing to the music. I loved it! I was also able to take some great photos, which is always a plus!

No matter how stressful and busy life gets, don't forget to set aside a little time for all the silly little things that make you smile. :)

Be the Energizer Bunny

I got three hours of sleep last night and woke up at 6:30 this morning. I went to campus early and started my busy day. I felt like the energizer bunny running from here to there with plenty of energy and excitement. It (the lack of sleep) didn't hit me until I got to work and I was just sitting on the couch watching tv. But after work I had the chance to hang out with some friends and just talk and be silly. 

Today, so many silly little things and some not so silly, not so little things made me smile (and laugh.) It was the friendly campus squirrels running from tree to tree. It was briefly visiting a friend at work. It was simply the fact that it's Thursday and I didn't have a night class for the first time this week. It was interviewing the guys at the Veteran's Resource Center, even though my brain was very scattered and I probably seemed very unorganized. It was running mile repeats and sweating like crazy. It was walking to Dairy Queen with a friend and having a strange man try to ask us something, we couldn't understand what he was trying to say. It was taking random photographs just because I felt like it. It was finally getting an email back from ILoveFargo.com about the internship - they offered me the job!

Just Laugh About It

Today was one of those days when every little thing goes wrong, but no matter what happens you still have a smile on your face and can laugh about it. I think I am really starting to become more happy. I am taking the tips I have been reading in Blissology and using them to my benefit. I envision everything going smoothly as I have planned and it seems to work out, but even if it doesn't go as planned I am okay with it.

Today, it was Kaia's excitement and colorful imagination as she retold stories from the pictures in her library books. It was getting a 26 point word on Word Feud. It was making plans for a weekend dinner date. It was talking to myself enthusiastically for three hours while attempting to record a self-interview for Desktop Video. It was getting a small photography assignment in one of my classes and getting an excuse to go take some photographs this weekend.