Apparently I'm not the best Blogger...

Not to over state the obvious on that one. :)
I guess my new year's resolution should have been to be a better blogger. :)
Things have been rather normal arond here... things going well, things going bad and things... well.... just going.  Rest assured that I am finding the joy in everyday.

For example, I had a debut performance of a dance Duet with my friend Stephanie recently.  I was scared out of my mind, but it ended up being not only a great experience, but a joyful weekend overall.  I believe our joy of the dance showed through.

Another example is that just the other day I came home to a broken sump pump, a thunderstorm, and my Hubby was in CA for work.  What did I do?  (Well, after the initial swearing) I got right in there and fixed it.  And I felt really good about that.  A definite example of finding joy in a seemingly joyless situation.

So, I will try to be a better blogger.  I gave up Coca-cola for Lent, so I'm sure I'll have many tales to tell as the days go by. :)

I have nothing to say for myself...

Apparently the year 2011 is the year I completely forget I have a blog.  Now, please do not think that I have no been seeking and finding the joy in my life everyday.  I have.  I just keep forgetting to share it with you.  I can't believe it's mid-February! 
The joys have been sometimes small, like my daughter telling me about problems she's having with kids at school, and having to take joy in the fact that she is sharing this problem with me. (Rather than being mad about the kids' behavior towards her)
Some joys have been big, like going to see Tony & Tina's Wedding with my hubby and great friends.  We had a tremendous amount of fun! 
So, I have been finding it... but not sharing it.  I need to get better at remembering about you.  Finding the joy is one thing...... but sharing it so you can maybe find some joy in your life is really what's important.  It would serve me well to remember that.

Is it February Already?

Winter is zooming by!  So much has been happening, it's hard to keep track of it all.
The joys have been plentiful.  The easy one is that we have had a record breaking blizzard!  The drifts outside my back door were almost as high as me and I couldn't even open my door.  It was crazy!  Here's a pic of outside my back door.

The birds I have at my feeders have been plentiful.... and beautiful!  Even their muted colors are bright with the white backdrop of nature.
My daughter won a state award for one of her drawings and will compete in Nationals.  That too was quite joyful.
Plus, the last few weeks have been a Packer frenzy here at my house.  Making it to the Super Bowl was extremely exciting.  The Championship games really had us riveted.  But, last night's Super Bowl win for the Green Bay Packers was a great joy, made even greater by having lots of friends and family gathered together to experience the fun, food, and laughter.  It was the perfect night!

Ahhhh.... January

So, here it is, mid January.  I look outside and see the beauty of a snow covered landscape.  If I were to set foot outside I would be frozen solid.  It is cold and getting colder.  Today is one of those days in Wisconsin where the low for today is tomorrow's high.  Not a good sign as the temperature drops.  So, today I find myself feeling extremely grateful for my heated home.  The fact that I can sit her comfortably and look out my window and enjoy the beauty outside is definitely a reason for joy as well as gratitude.  I truly believe that gratitude can bring joy.  I think if more folks were grateful, more folks would be joyful.  Crazy but true!
Since I'm not exactly sure whet day I left off before I will leave you with that thought for today - Wednesday - and after this go back to my day by day format I was doing before.  Stay warm folks, drive safe, and be joyful! :)

Holy Baloney!

WHOA!  It has been forever since I last posted!  I am so sorry!  Christmas time is my absolute favorite time of year.  One of the reasons for this is that I am always busy doing wonderful things with my family.  Lots of time with family and friends means no time on the computer = not writing in my blog.  I believe it would be safe to say that the joys have been tremendous since I last wrote.  To write them all would take days. 
So, my tidbit for you today is to simply make sure that you spend time with the people you love.  Love is the key to joy. :)

Christmas week!

Wow... I can't believe it's been almost a week since I wrote last!  Whew!  It's been a great month so far.
Tuesday - I had this day with Monica.  I took her out to lunch.  It was awesome!  I don't get to have one on one time with my girls as much as I would like.  This lunch together was a great way to connect.  I think I need to do this more with all my girls.

Wednesday - At dance class we learned a cheoro to a Christmas song called Deck the Rooftop by the cast of Glee.  I was really fun and quite the workout.  I was a great way to end my day.

Thursday -  The family did our Annual Fast Food frenzy night.  This is a night around Christmas where we drive through whatever fast food restaurant the kids want, grab dinner, then drive around the town looking at all the Christmas light.  We've been doing this for years.  It's really fun and the kids love getting to eat fun foods they don't get very often.

Friday - More game playing happened on Friday.  It was only Monica, Melody and I )although Deron did join later) but we had fun.  We played Spy VS Spy on the xbox... and Melody was kicking our butts! Go figure but the 9 year old is genuinely good at that game and is hard to beat. :)

Saturday - The Jingle Bell Rak'n haflas was that night.  It was a lot of fun.  Plus, I got to perform the dance I missed performing the week before because of the blizzard.   It was a wonderful night full, of dance, fun and the Christmas spirit. Joy was everywhere. :)

Sunday - Well, the major joy of this Sunday was Deron & I got to become Godparents to a darling boy named Rhys.  We were honored to be asked.  The ceremony was lovely and the food afterwards was awesome.  It is impossible to not find joy when holding a beautiful baby. 

Time is flying faster than Santa on Christmas eve!

I had no idea I hadn't written since Friday.  I think it's because I actually think everyday about what my joy is for that day and what I could write about.  This, of course, results in me thinking I actually wrote it sometimes.  I have always said my mind is like a blown glass trap. :)
So, this past weekend was nuts.  As many of you may be aware, the Midwest had a horrible storm pass through.  I woke up Saturday to a winter storm warning that progressed into a blizzard warning.  Normally, this would not phase me in the least on a Saturday morning.  Unfortunately, I was supposed to be traveling 2 hours south to Chicago that night for a Holiday Fundraiser Hafla.  Needless, to say, we did not make it.  But, some of my dance troupe members did go and were fortunate that the storm was not as bad as had been predicted.  So, I was very sad to miss it.  I know.... where am I going with this?  Well, instead, I stayed home, put a fire in the fireplace, listened to Christmas music, and played a fun game of monopoly with my family.  It was so much fun that when the older two girls came home from their retreat on Sunday, we played it again with all six of us.  Those 2 games of monopoly brought me more joy than any amount of dancing ever could. :)
Monday - OK... I know I seem to have a theme going here, but last night we played Life as a family.  Remember that my oldest is home for holiday break, so these little things mean a lot.  Any time all six of us do something together, it's a big deal.  Plus, we had the bonus of Monica's (my oldest) friend Anna came over to hang with us.  All in all, it was a great night.  Three family game nights in a row... that has to be a Kling family record.

Snow...

Ok...we had some snow fall last night (Thursday).  Unfortunately, it fell when I had to drive 30 minutes (without snow) to take two of my girls to the dentist.  For future reference, I do not like driving even under the best of circumstances.  Put me in a snow storm where I can't see anything including the road I'm driving on, and I get scared and cranky.  {Add to that the frustration of kids with cavities, if you will.}  The appt. started late, took longer than expected and it took awhile to schedule all the future appointments.  By the time we left the building the snow was coming down pretty hard.  So, where's the joy?  Well, I swear, it's too bad not everyone has a child to hang out with everyday.  We walk out and I'm thinking "crap", and Melody walks out and says "I love snow!  It looks so beautiful and sparkly."  Sure enough, when I stopped to actually see the snow as what it is... beautiful crystals sparkling in the light, and not the awful crap that's made the roads a death trap for me... I felt better.  I could see the joy there.  I may have not been feeling it while white knuckling it all the long, long way home, and definitely not when Melody had to miss a Scout meeting because of our delayed arrival home, but I saw it nonetheless.  Thank you Melody!
{BTW - Deron was in MN so he couldn't drive them...he was too busy flying home is the sparkly stuff. :) }

Sometimes it's hard...

When I say it's hard, I don't mean to imply that here isn't joy in every day.  I mean sometimes it's hard to see it over the other not-so-joyful parts of the day.
For example, Sunday was hard for me because I learned that my best friend was moving away.  Not that 5 1/2 hours is an insurmountable a distance... I know it's not.  But most of my close friends live 5+ hours away.  It's what happens as we get older.  But it's still a bummer.  There's a lot to be said for having folks close by.  But, I am grateful for her friendship, extremely happy I have things like Facebook now to help us stay closer, and I know that her husband's new job is a blessing for their entire family.  Those are the hidden joys inside a seemingly not-so-joyful thing.
So... moving on...

Monday - A rather uneventful day.  I had Melody home sick, which is not so very cool.  But, sometimes, having a child home sick does allow me to spend quality time with them and baby them.  I am blessed to be an at-home Mom.  Sick kids are one of the many reasons I choose to sacrifice financially and stay home.  It is a blessing that I get to be here for them.  And I find joy in life's blessings.

Tuesday - OK... so I had both Melody AND Madison home sick with colds.  Of some blessings... less is more I think.  Sometimes you have to make your own little joy or fun.  So, we had brats and hot dogs for dinner.  This may not seem like much, but when it's like 12 degrees outside, eating something that reminds you of summer is fun.  Along with burgers, hot dogs and brats are one of the things we rarely eat during the cold winter months.  Do they cure colds?  Nope.  But, if they makes us smile, they might as well.

Wednesday - I remembered that I had bought some really cute dolls that were in an after Christmas sale last year.  I happily set them up and dang... they are really cute!  I am very happy I got them.  They really add to the Christmas cheer that is radiating from my living room.  As I have said before, I love this time of year.  Everyone being full of love for each other and God is pretty cool.  If I like to show my enthusiasm through things that light up and play music... that is wonderful.  It's my way of sharing my joy with everyone around me.

St. Nick week

Well, so far it has been a very busy December... and I think it will only get busier!

Saturday - Weirdly enough, my joy for Saturday involved a craft fair where only 7 folks showed up and the only thing I sold was to another vendor. (Craft Fairs are always a bit hit or miss).  The joy part came from hanging out with lovely fellow dancers for 4 hours... some of whom I hadn't really met before.  Plus, afterwards, my friends Stephanie and I went next door to the Irish Pub and had some delicious food. So yes, with the food cost, I actually lost money on the day, but what I gained in friendship greatly exceeds the money.

Sunday - Sunday was the dress rehearsal for my troupe's Christmas piece for the Holiday hafla coming up.  It was so fun seeing us all dressed up looking like toys!  Granted, there were a few malfunctions with wardrobe pieces but that's what dress rehearsals are for, right?  My joy that day was seeing everyone looking cute and being happy.

Monday - I got to set up my new to me Christmas decorations..... Mr. and Mrs. Clause dolls that are sleeping.  They snore and whistle jingle bells.  I got them from ebay.  They are from the year 1992.  I think they are adorable!

December!!!

Yep... it's December in Wisconsin folks.  that means that at some point the weather will be entering my blog... just you wait. :)
Tuesday - Again the mail brings me joy.  I was sent a lovely necklace by a fellow bellydancer as a Christmas gift.  She made it special for me to match a costume I own.  Here's a pic I took with my phone... isn't it lovely?

Wednesday - I was lucky enough to go to the Milwaukee Art Museum with Melody and her fellow 3rd grade Jr. Art Docents.  I was a joy to be able to not only experience such beautiful art, but to share it with young people and see it through their eyes.  Everyone should take the time to see the world through the eyes of a child some time.  It can be quite a wonderful place.

Thursday - Well, I woke up with a bad cold.  Did not feel good AT ALL.  So guess what my joy was?  A nap.  I do not usually take naps.  It's not my nature.  But I took one that morning and it was a joy.  Not everyone can take naps when they are needed (myself included), so it was nice to be able to take one when I was sick.

Friday - Tonight is Pizza with Santa at Deron's work.  We'll be taking Melody.  It will be very nice and joyful.  I need to appreciate these moments as much as I can because soon enough she won't want to go anymore.  My kids grow up fast enough... I need to enjoy them being little while they are still little. :)

December is upon us...

Ok... so here's how the weekend panned out.
Sunday - Deron came home from hunting.  He got a deer!  This is really great for us.  Believe it or not, the venison helps a great deal throughout the year.  I rarely buy ground beef and Deron's venison steaks are extremely popular.  With the cost of groceries going up, I take great joy in a freezer full of meat to start the new year.
Monday - This was an odd day.  Deron had off of work and the kids had off of school.  Conflicts arose (they are inevitable in a family this size I think), but in the end, we had a pleasant meal together.  The weird thing was that we ended up eating Taco Bell because we were too tired to cook.  So, we drove through, brought the food home, and had a lovely family meal.  Nothing beats saying Grace for Taco Bell food. :)  That and we discovered a cute show called Shawn the Sheep, and sat as a family laughing at silly farm antics.

Thanksgiving Weekend

Well, we ended up not being able to go to the Cheesecake factory, but went out for Mexican instead.  Either way I go to wear my cute outfit so it was good. :)

Wednesday - The kids had a half day of school.  Monica was home (always a joy).  Having all four kids home for a night was nice.... even if they do tend to bicker.... I still enjoy the fact that they all have to be here in order for the bickering to commence. :)

Thursday - Thanksgiving!  I always find joy in family and food... who doesn't?

Friday - We set up the Christmas tree.  It always takes way longer than expected, but Melody, Mallory and Erik helped put it together, put the lights and angel on.  Then Mal and Erik had to leave and Monica and Madison helped with the ornaments.  Christmas is my favorite time of year.  There really is joy everywhere.

Saturday - Melody is not feeling so fabulous today, but her Grandma still came over to spend some special time with her.  They are watching movies, playing games, doing crafts and Melody even did a puppet show.  It's a joy to see them spend such quality time together.

Dang it!

Dude... seriously?!  I haven't written in that long?  I mean I usually miss writing on the weekends but come on... apparently the holiday brain is quite fragile. :)
Friday - Does making leftovers instead of cooking count as a joy?  I mean, it was sure nice not to have to worry about dinner or what to make.  Sometimes, I guess I really do have to appreciate the little things thrown my way.

Saturday - Ahhhh.... Saturday was a lovely day simply because I had absolutely nothing to do.  That rarely happens in my world.  Literally, I could do nothing or anything and no one cared. (Well, I made to make sure the kids were fed, but you know what I mean.)  I could spend the day in my PJs if I so chose.  It was a very good day. :)

Sunday - Easy peasy... The Packers went to MN and slaughtered the Vikings 31 - 3.  I know, I know... how many times will I use the Packers as my joy?  Well, as often as they bring me joy.  I'm not one to look the joy gift horse in the mouth ya know.

Monday - Deron was home from hunting and had the day off.  So we got to spend a lazy day together.  Granted, only until 3pm because then I had to pick kids up and take them to the dentist, but still, it was more time together then we have had all month.  I will glad when he is done traveling for awhile.  In the meantime, I will enjoy my time with him while he is here.

Tuesday - Well, Deron and I plan on going to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner tonight.  I have a cute new outfit that I can wear and 50$ worth of gift cards to use.  Shaping up to be a win-win if you ask me.  here's hoping no one comes home sick from school and the dinner goes off without a hitch.

Where did the week go?

Holy Moly... is it Friday already!
Tuesday - It was Madison's 14th birthday.  We had a ridiculously rich chocolate cake and cheese stuffed pasta shells for dinner.  Monica even came home for it which was very nice.  She got money towards ski and snowboard club at school.  She's never tried it, so here's hoping she ends up liking it. :)

Wednesday - OK... this joy is kinda funny.  Sometimes joy is just having a nice giggle.  My sister Lisa lives in Idaho.  So, the years when she does not come home for Christmas, she orders a lot of her gifts online and has them sent to me to distribute to family in WI.  Well, I knew about one package that was coming that day, but suddenly I get a text saying "Did I mention you have a package coming from _____?" Nope.... and not 30 minutes later the UPS truck shows up with the package.  It made me giggle.  And it reminded me of the year she sent me my birthday gift early...and never said anything to anyone.  Imagine my surprise when a box of coke glasses shows up for me and I have no idea who sent them.  I wasn't until a few days later that she told Monica about them.  Imagine Lisa's surprise to find out I already had them.  Sometimes shipping is faster than you think. :)

Thursday - Deron came home after being gone for what seems like forever.  That's more than enough joy in a month where he gone most of the days.  I'll take it. :)

Crazy dance fun!

First I need to mention Thursday - my joy for that day was Christmas shopping for my niece and nephew.  I'm sure there will be more than one day where I have joyous shopping experiences.  I love Christmas - everything about it - and so I will be finding joy in all its facets.

Friday - Sunday - I spent my weekend at The Great Lakes Bellydance Convention in Ann Arbor, MI.  The days were full of fun, friends, dance, food, learning and everything else that makes for a joyous experience.  It would be redundant to go through each of the three days.  I was so filled with joy each moment I was there.  It was truly an amazing time spent with friends.  I can't wait to go back next year!

Monday - Deron will be out of town for all but 4 days in November.  Bit of a bummer to say the least.  So, yesterday morning he was about to leave to drive 2 hours to Chicago for a single meeting and then drive 2 hours back.  He looked at me and said "Do you want to come along?  We can get lunch afterward."  Naturally, I said yes.  I knew I had a lot to do, but knowing this was one of only four days I get to spend with him home, I had to take it.  We talked the whole drive and had a lovely lunch.  I used the time in the car while he was in his meeting to go over all my notes from my weekend workshops.  My joy came from not only the time spent with Deron, but also from the gratitude that I could actually drop everything and go with him.

Ode to Joy

Tuesday - So, my youngest daughter Melody (9yrs) started taking flute lessons last year.  This came about because some amazing friends of ours gave her a flute their family wasn't using. Melody loves her flute lessons.  Tonight was such a lesson.  It was a big night for her because she was able to play Ode to Joy all by herself.  I got to hear it myself.  It was lovely!  Never was a song so aptly named for me than at that moment.  Her sense of accomplishment was a true joy to behold.

Wednesday - have you ever had a good mail day?  You know, a day where the mail comes and has some really great stuff in it... not just bills?  I had one of those.  I received the free dance DVD I won (it looks awesome), Mallory received her new phone (she loves it), I got photos from Halloween from my Mom, and I actually got a 30% off coupon from Kohl's,.  Now I usually only get the 15% off ones.... not that I'm complaining.  But I actually get to save 30% off my next purchase.  That's a sweet, sweet deal. So, my joy today was delivered by mail. :)

Jeepers creepers!

Sorry I have not written everyday.  The irony is that I truly THINK about what to write about everyday.  I guess that's the really motive in all this.... to make me think about and appreciate even the tiniest bit of joy in everyday.

Sunday - The Packers beat the Cowboys.  That, in and of itself, is joyful.  But it was also a good day all around.  My dance troupe finished learning our Christmas choreography (which is really cute!) and Deron, Monica and Melody came home from their weekend up north.  This was a big weekend for Melody.  It was the first time she was going somewhere overnight with Daddy without me.  She was really nervous about it.  I'm so glad she went.  Melody had a great time and got to play with a couple of her cousins that our her same age.  She also got to help with the new hunting cabin, and help build deer stands.  Those are memories she can carry with her.... memories of a weekend with Dad and Monica.  Those are precious.

Monday - Hmmmm... this one is a little tougher.  Deron's work made it so I didn't even see him.  Melody did not want to go to school... many tears and "it's not fair"s later... she got on the bus.  I guess the best part of my day was the fact that I baked a ham for dinner.  I love ham.  Love it!  The fact that it has to cook for a couple hours, and I get to smell it all that time is a bonus.  Everyone is happy when they walk in from school and can smell the lovely smell of a baking ham.  So, I guess yesterday's joy was in making a great meal for my family.

First Weekend in November

Friday - Friday night was The Almost Anything Goes Show at the High School.  Madison performed with her 8th grade band, and I got to see the Wall of Sound perform this year's show.  It was the first time the Kling Family didn't have their own table.  They opted for more seating and less tables this year.  It was also the first year I didn't have someone in the colorguard.  It was a great show.  I love marching band music.  It just takes me back to band in high school and being the drum major for our marching band.  Plus, I get the added bonus of being so proud of my girl up there playing her clarinet.  She hasn't decided whether she wants to do band or choir next year, but either way, I still have many years of concerts ahead of me.

Saturday - A fun day!  I got to visit a friend for a few hours in the afternoon, got to beat Madison at Monopoly, and begin watching the movie White Nights with Madison that night.  I had forgotten how amazing the dancing is in the movie.  It was wonderful to share it with one of my daughters.  Even though Madison is not a dancer herself, she was still amazed at the skill and beauty.  Joy can always be found in sharing with my kids.

Good times...

Wednesday - Fun night!  It was the last class of the session for my bellydance class.  that means we go out for margaritas afterward.  WOOT!  Our favorite restaurant was finally open after having been closed for a relocation.  Add to that the fact that I was (sort of) successful at zilling to a song in class and it was a joyful night indeed.

Thursday - Last night was Melody's parent/teacher conference.  It was great!  The teacher had such lovely things to say about her.  I know that Melody was quite nervous about 3rd grade, and the fact that she didn't know her teacher.  Now, she is thrilled with her teacher and her teacher is very happy with her.  It was a definite joy to have that conference.

Today's joy.....hmmm..... have to stay tuned....