Hope award

Thank you so much to Miss Ruby for this beautiful award. I love it, and I absolutely love the message, it's so fitting right now.

During difficult times it can be hard to even think about the things that bring happiness, let alone find the energy to take joy in them. It's even harder to hold out hope that the future will bring better, happier times, and that one day your dreams may actually come true. I know that's the case for me; I have a tendency to wallow in the mire. But I'm learning to change that, I guess it takes practice, huh?

The rules for this award are to write a post about one thing that makes you happy right now, as well as something you have hope for. Strangely enough, it's harder to think of something that makes me really happy than something I'm hopeful for. I won't lie, I am having a hard time staying 'present' right now, so this is a particularly useful challenge!

I guess outside of the standard "husband and home" response, the one thing that makes me happy right now is feeling really close to my girlfriends. As you know I'm a bridesmaid in two different (and quickly-approaching) weddings this month, and I'm very excited about that. Particularly because my friend A and I were the best of friends for years, but for a couple of years up until November 2009, we didn't see very much of each other at all. We didn't have a falling out or anything, we just kind of drifted our own separate ways for a while. But I'm so happy that we're rebuilding our friendship and that she asked me to be a bridesmaid. I'm also really excited to be in my friend T's wedding. She is overflowing with excitement herself and it's infectious! It's hard to be sad when there are all these happy events going on in the lives of the people I love, and when they've invited me to take part. In the end, I'm grateful that if I had to miscarry, that it happened when I had time to deal with it, but not too much time to dwell on it.

As for hope, well I have a lot of hope right now. I'm hopeful about getting pregnant again and carrying to term, but I'm not ready to think about that too much just yet. I have big hopes that hubs and I will be able to sell our house within the next couple of years and buy something bigger, and that doesn't require as much TLC. That's something we've recently been talking about more and more. I'd love to have a second bathroom! And a kitchen where ALL the cabinet doors close snugly; and floorboards that don't squeak so much. I love our little house and I'm proud of all the work we've put into it, but I'm ready to be done!

I'm going to cop-out on nominating any particular people for this award. I'll just say, I nominate ALL of you, and if you feel inspired to write about something in your life that makes you happy right now, and something that gives you hope for the future, I would love to read about it.

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I went and visited my grandma in the hospital on my lunch break today (I actually took two hours, good thing I warned my boss I'd be out for a while). She looked pretty good, but was tired. I don't blame her, she said she'd been awake since 5:00 a.m., and had family coming and going nonstop since 8 or 9. About 8 other family members were there the whole time I was, that's enough to wear anyone out. They say she might be going home tomorrow; I very much hope so.

I think that's about enough out of me today. Thanks again to Miss Ruby!! Enjoy the rest of your Tuesday, everyone.