Baby Shower Happiness

We are feeling very grateful today.

Yesterday was my baby shower. First of all, I'm grateful to my mother, who decided to throw me the shower. She and my dad put together the invitation with a little creative input from yours truly. Mom arranged the whole thing and made a ton of delightful food. And it turned out wonderfully!

Baby showers are a hit-and-miss thing for me. I've been to some that have been truly enjoyable, and I've been to some that were, frankly, rather torturous. Every new mother is different, as are those ladies who throw the showers, appreciated though they always are. Everyone has their own ideas about what a shower should involve.

For me, the important things were 1) having a chance to visit and spend time with the lovely women in my life, 2) eat yummy things, and 3) NOT play any ridiculous games.

(Please forgive me if you are someone who loves baby shower games. I just don't care for them, personally.)

With those things in mind, I would say that my baby shower went off GREAT. There were no silly games, there was much yumminess to consume, and lots of pleasant visiting. It was almost unfortunate that so many people came, because I hardly hard a chance to visit with many of them. Except that it was actually incredibly wonderful that so many people came. =)

I will admit honestly that I was hoping to receive a few gifts to help us get ready for Baby J's arrival. Yet I was in no way prepared for the generosity of my friends and family. It was a mountain of presents! And so many fantastic things that we needed and wanted. I was a little overwhelmed!

Last night, James and I were in the nursery looking over the things that we received. One of the best parts of my day was when he looked up from the pile of darling baby clothes with a big smile on his face and said, "I'm going to be a dad!" You should have heard the excitement in his voice! It matched my own level of anticipation. Six weeks and counting!

To those of you who came to the shower yesterday, a heartfelt thank-you, for your company and for your thoughtfulness. To all, thank you for your love and kind thoughts. We are grateful for you all!

Balance

I value balance.

Proportion. Moderation in all things. Harmony.

I have numerous examples. Food, for instance. I see so many people go to extremes. You've got the one end--people who eat fast food, microwave dinners, and processed foods almost exclusively. But you've got the other end--people who are so determined to eat healthy that they deny their taste buds any pleasure whatsoever. Most people fall somewhere in between, with various justifications for their choices

Work is easy to get out of balance. You've got workaholics--those who work a ton, but even when they're not AT work, they're still thinking about it. And you've got those who avoid work like the plague, who try to get away with as little work as possible. And everything in between. For some it's a passion, for some it's a chore.

Facebook is another area where I see a lot of imbalance. Do you ever scroll through people's Facebook profiles? (I'm kinda a FB stalker sometimes.) You'll see people who incessantly post complaints. You've got people whose profiles are like billboards for companies, products, or ideas that they are obsessed over. There are people who seem to repost every single thing that they find even slightly amusing. You've got the photo people, the ones who post an absurd amount of photos, usually on a theme, whether it's food, or their kid, or their cat, what have you. And you've got people who never post anything at all.

Balance.

I find that when I get wrapped up in any one thing, I suffer. If I get too wrapped up in work, my social life suffers. If I get too wrapped up with healthy eating, I don't feel as satisfied with life. If I post too much about one thing on Facebook, I find that I am boring or annoying to others. If I get too wrapped up in my own goals, I am less able to serve others.

When I am feeling stressed, bored, or dissatisfied in any way, after some study I usually find that some part of my life is out of balance. Don't get me wrong, I like excitement in my life. But my true happiness, my true contentment, comes when the important pieces of my world are all in harmony.

Much love on Valentine's Day!

 Happy Valentine's Day from the Holley House!

This year Valentine's Day has been a little eclectic for James and I. My sweet husband surprised me with my Valentine's gifts three days early. I had actually already purchased a gift for him, and so I reciprocated the gesture the following day. (We started watching immediately!) We actually don't have any special plans today, because on top of James's normal workday in SLC, my day has been consumed by LTUE, where I am presenting on two panels this afternoon as well as a book signing this evening. So we'll be celebrating Valentine's Day tomorrow instead.

I have always liked Valentine's Day. There may have been a year or two where I felt more inclined toward the "Single's Awareness Day" mentality. (When you're single and surrounded by people in committed relationships, it can be hard not to feel anti-Valentine's Day to one degree or another.) However, there's always been something about V-day that has sparked a happy note for me. I think it's because I am generally a lover of people, and Valentine's, while primarily a romantic-love-based holiday, still has given me the opportunity to express love and affection for those I care about, platonic or otherwise.

So, my dear friends and family, I just want you to know that I love you! I am grateful for your affection and your investment in my life. I feel very blessed to have so many amazing people in my world. Have an wonderful Valentine's Day!