Journey for Joy

So a in August I picked up The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. Not sure why it caught my eye, but I am glad it did. It's all about the fact that while the author is happy with her life, she could in theory be happier on a day to day basis. Couldn't we all?

The author decided to spend a year doing what she called her Happiness Project. She broke it down into 12 areas that she wanted to improve to help her become a happier person. It was really an interesting goal she had and kept me engaged int he book right up to the end. 
So I've decided to start my own little project. Except I'm calling it my Journey for Joy. A little different than happiness, which is defined as a mental state characterized by positive emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. I like to think I am a pretty happy person already. That's why my goal is joy. Or intense joy, more specifically. 
If you catch me on a "good" day, I'll tell you that I love my life. I am very happily married. I have amazing boys. I have a wonderful family. Great friends. I need to work on my spiritual walk because I've been a little lazy lately. But overall, I'm a happy person. 
However if you talked to me today, would you know that about me? Probably not. I get bogged down in the daily stresses. My son not wanting to do his homework. People not taking care of their own volunteer obligations. Money. Money. Money. All that day to day stuff robs me of my happiness and definitely depletes any joy I am trying to hold onto. 
So my Journey for Joy begins in September. I am going to sit down, make a 9 month plan (because I know I won't stick to anything through the summer) and get down business. The business of finding joy. I'll do my best to at least post my focus for the month and then a wrap up at the end of the month. I'm not promising much more than that but I'll try! 
Wish me luck! Better yet, wish me joy!

End of Summer Wrap Up

Well, summer has obviously kept me busy, so here's an end of summer wrap up!

Since my last post, we spent a week at Schlitterbauhn in New Braunfels, TX and Fredericksburg, TX. You'll have to visit my FB for pics because right now I am too lazy to add them. Three days at Schlitterbauhn were fantastic and exhausting all at the same time. I am proud to say that at the age of 30. (cringe!) I rode every single water slide, thrill ride, and stepped in every pool in the three park resort that is Schlitterbauhn. Now you understand the exhausting part. Fredericksburg was cool. Derik found a new love for breweries after dining at Fredericksburg Brewing Company. I found a love for Scottish Egg...yum! The museums were cool and I can see another visit to this quaint little town in our future. Sadly, at the end of the week, we had to part company with not only Derik's family, but our boys too. (tear) It's always hard to say goodbye at the end of summer.

After that action packed vacation with the Carleton Family, it was back to just the three of us (Derik, Braden, and yours truly). We holed up in the house for a solid week. Other than going out for the required groceries and school needs (as the start of school is unavoidable, despite our attempts to pretend otherwise), we didn't leave the house. This housebound week lead me to plan one last 'getaway' before the dreaded school routine sets in.
For the first time EVER, the three of us hit the road. I hadn't realized that we haven't taken a trip unless the boys or my parents were with us. This time it was the three amigos. We headed for Colorado Springs, which is my new home away from home. I love those mountains and tried (and failed) to convince Derik we could move there. We didn't do a lot, a little shopping, visited 4 (count them, 4) breweries, enjoyed the scenery. Braden's one request was to revisit Seven Falls, which we had gone to in 2006 when we went to CO with the boys in tow. Braden was too small to climb the steep stairs then and he wanted to give it another go. The three of us climbed who knows how many stairs to the first landing and that was enough for my guys. I decided, out of stupidity or a desire for adventure I'm not sure which, that I would continue up the to the top. 244 very steep stairs altogether. And another 244 very steep stairs back down. My legs were jello for days. This climb was the equivalent of being on the StairMaster for over an hour. Stupidity must have been the right answer. BUT...I have some cool pictures from the top! Again, see FB for pictures. There are just too many.

So we are back home, halfway into the last week of summer. Meeting teachers on Friday. Starting school on Monday. Trying, half-hearted mind you, to get Braden and myself back on that school sleep schedule. He was out by midnight and up by nine am, if that tells you how we are doing. It's going to be a rough first week, I think. We have a few plans left. Maybe another visit to the pool and a movie. We are just savoring the free time, which can be enjoyed by doing nothing (or so I am told).

I just cannot believe how fast this summer went by! Hope the school year goes by just as fast!