Happiness is . . .

Lists and Lists!

I am a list maker. I don't remember when this list making fetish of mine started, college perhaps, but I do love a list. I make weekly lists for groceries - two actually - one for Kroger and one for Costco. I make a list of what I need to do each day and then what I need to do for the week. There is a list of chores, a menu list and a list of my workouts for the week. Some of these lists are on notepads, the refrigerator and on my personal calendar, but all of them are in my mind in list form.

I love the accomplishment of a list. When I make one, I immediately write the things that I have already done so that I can feel the satisfaction of crossing things off. It brings my soul sheer pleasure! Sometimes it's as simple as . . .wake-up, cross off!

This week is list heaven. Daren and I take Collin to BYU-Idaho this weekend. We will be gone for five days. You can imagine how long my lists are. In fact, they are so long it is becoming exhausting thinking about them. Long lists are not so much fun. They usually encourage a whole seperate list of avoidance tasks.

True, long lists do allow for a lot of crossing off, but they are stressful. I tend to like the short ones best. They are superficial and easy. Sort of like my work ethic. Lists for Girls Camp/Scout Camp, family vacations that last longer than a week, these are the lists that I loathe. This is my first time sending a kid to college - it's worse. It is all exciting, but there is some joy being sucked out of it all by the list. Should we abandon the list? I think not. We'll just shorten it to daily tasks - clothes, check! kitchen stuff, check! bedding, check! We are ready here. We have pen, paper and the skills. Git er done!

Anyway, my sisters tagged me to make a list of the things that make me happy. Here is my list . . . consider yourself tagged.

a day on the beach, a good book, a funny story, running on my favorite trail, a beautiful view, kindness, Chelsea, MI, family, football games in the fall, rose scented bubble bath, a fluffy pillow, the smell of bacon cooking in the morning during campouts, mountain air, sister's reunions, bike rides, cinnamon ice-cream, children's laughter, good memories, fall foliage, waking up before everyone else to a silent house, growing things.