The To-Do List

Today, I had a ton of things on my To-Do List:

• Do the laundry
• Clean the bathrooms
• Buy a new vacuum
• Vacuum
• Wash the floors
• Have the girls try on their clothes to see what still fits and what doesn't

...and a million other tedious tasks. I planned on getting to them, I really did, but guess what???

I didn't do any of it!
This morning, when I went into the kitchen, I noticed this little plaque that sits on my counter:

I have this sitting on my kitchen counter as a reminder to enjoy life and to stop and smell the roses, at least once in a while. I love the things listed on The real To-Do List!

I especially love the following:

• Sing---although I'm not good at this, I LOVE to sing. In the shower, in the car, at the store (usually this is a soft singing where only I can hear). I use to have a phobia for singing because when I was in the 5th grade we had a Christmas concert, and the little girl beside me said, "just move your lips". True story. When I had Ariel I sang my heart out to her. Mike would kindly tell me that it wasn't that good. One day, I told him that someone once told me that when a mother sings to her babies, to them, it sounds like heaven. He then told me, "no, she just came from there, and she knows what it sounds like, and that's definitely not it". Ha, Ha. I digressed, but anyway, I don't care anymore. I LOVE to sing. Singing makes me happy. It really does.


• Smile at strangers---This gives me goose bumps. Have you ever just smiled at someone you don't know, for no reason at all? It's so awesome because the person usually can't resist smiling back! A smile can do so much for someone. When I was in high school, I took a Leadership class in which our teacher challenged us to find just one person, who looks sad, or like they have no friend , and just smile at them. Smiling can work miracles, I tell ya!


• Keep Learning---We can never get too much of this! I love learning new things.


• Notice Kindness---People don't do this much anymore, but wouldn't the world be such a better place it they did?! I challenge you to notice kindness at least once everyday this week, and then let the person know you noticed it. See what it does for them.
  

Man, I just noticed I'm talking about all of them! So, I'll just stop here, and save you from having to read what I think about each one.

Unless, do you really want me to continue??? Nah, I didn't think so.

Oh well, too bad, I'm going to list them all anyway because I LOVE them. Besides, this is my blog, right?? :)

• Eat ice-cream! Who doesn't get happy doing this! When I went to Orlando, we ate an ice-cream (or two, lol) everyday at McDonald's! It was so fun, and I've taken my girls twice to get one since I've been back!


• Hope...I think I talked about this enough in my last post, but let me just say...if you don't have it, FIND it!


• Count your blessings! They are there, and trust me, you can always find someone a lot worse off than you! I am so thankful for all the blessings in my life...and think I probably have a lot more than I deserve!


• Laugh---I really should do this more, seriously. When I laugh, I forget about everything else around me..the good, the bad and the ugly, and I just LAUGH. When I came back from Orlando, my silly family gave me the biggest thing to laugh at. I asked Mike if they missed me, and he said, "No, not really. It was if you were never gone." I was like, well, okay. Until.....I went into my bedroom to unpack! I found this:

Let me just say, that if this didn't make me laugh so hard, I mean hysterically hard, I would be totally embarrassed to show this picture, but I laughed so loud, and for so long, that it woke Cecily (I got home around 10pm that night). Yes, the goofs took a picture of me and blew it up, cut out my head, and then stuffed my clothes to make a "mini-Andrea". They have the remote control in my panty hose hand, and marshmallows beside me. lol...

I know you are laughing too.

It's okay, I give you permission. I'm laughing too...still laughing!

Isn't it fun to laugh??? I could be embarrassed, but I choose to laugh.

• Love
• Love some more. I think these two speak for themselves.
  

Anyway, to get back to the purpose of this post. My type A personality often takes over and I forget to do such things as mentioned on "The Real To-Do List". Well, today this plaque served it's purpose. The girls were out of school for a teacher work day, and I could have spent the day cleaning and catching up on mindless task, OR I could just spend the entire day hanging out with them.

And I chose THEM!!!

And I'm so glad I did!

We ended up going to Cottage Hill Park. We met up with the Parkes', the Jordan's, and the missionaries. We had sooo much fun. We played soccer, had a picnic lunch, and then the kids had the most fun rolling each other down the hill in this HUGE tractor tire (this thing was almost as tall as me when standing). The kids got inside of it, and took turns pushing each other. I have to say Cecily was by far the bravest. She went first and barely let out a sound, except, "THAT WAS AWESOME. I WANT TO DO THAT AGAIN!"

I did forget two important things though:

1. Sunscreen---we all have red cheeks, and Ariel's arms look tan.


2. MY CAMERA!!!! Why do I never have that thing to document all of our fun times! Lisanka did get a few pictures on her cell phone, and promised to share them.

After our fun day at the park, we came home and prepared for FHE. Ariel got her lesson together (which was FABULOUS), and I helped Cecily with her treat...which was a concoction she made with chocolate chips, peanut butter, marshmallows, and pecans (she wanted to add Fruity Pebbles, but I talked her out of that)....and we all actually liked it. :)

When Mike got home, we hung out in the backyard swinging on the tree swing, had dinner followed by FHE. What a FUN day! A lot more fun than cleaning (I'm not saying that cleaning isn't important, but it's not the MOST important, for sure).

Today, I realized that it's important to take time out for The "REAL" To-Do List....you know the things that REALLY matter.

For those are what memories are made of, and make life a whole lot more enjoyable!