Pursuit of Happiness
There is no doubt that we have found our happiness here in Iowa. It’s been a fantastic vacation so far. A serious PAUSE.
It’s so RARE for me to just sit and do nothing. Especially on vacation. Don’t you find that vacation is always CRAZY busy?
I’ve learned a few things about myself during this RESTFUL vacation:
- I need to do this more often. Laying around in your pajama’s reading a book is OKAY!
- Napping during the day TWICE is incredible. Napping never happens in real life.
- Sitting on the front porch drinking my coffee with NOTHING around isn’t as boring as I thought it would be.
My in-laws live in the country. Neighbors are not close and corn fields are plentiful. I’m a city girl so country living has never appealed to me- EVAH! However, just sitting outside watching the clouds go by or watching the birds feed their babies in the bird houses has been good for my soul. It’s quiet. It’s given my brain time to chill.
Sunday we had a family “unplug” day. I was dreading the upcoming event. Seriously… no phone in my hand? I cannot think of the last time I went without looking at my phone in a 30 minute interval. I know, it’s sad but I am telling you the truth.
The good news- I survived and so did the kids. My church small group was given the challenge because we *always* say we are so busy. This was a serious challenge for the kids and I. This was easy peasy for Russ.
Waking up on Sunday morning the kids acted as if we had forgotten about the challenge and instantly picked up their electronic devices. They found out quickly we remembered and it was time to pick up a book or play outside. I found myself a little anxious not being able to pick up my phone and get the morning *news*- Facebook news. Sad, I thought to myself.
After attending church that morning we came home and the four of us starred at each other for a bit. The kids dove into the books they had purchased before the trip and I did the same. Russ was a happy camper spending time with his dad outdoors.
It wasn’t long when Alexis and I were sitting on the bed just having a quiet conversation. Brandon soon joined us. It was a moment I didn’t want to end. Their sweet conversations was heartwarming. Why don’t we do this more often?
In our pursuit for happiness that day (which we really didn’t think could happen without electronics) we found ourselves completely rested and the day was fantastic. It was a great PAUSE for each of us.
The kids have continued to enjoy the country life and went horseback riding yesterday. It was another exciting day for them.
My card share for today could not have been more perfect to describe my day. This Project Life card from our Everyday Adventures Project Life by Stampin’ Up! is one I would love to frame. Just as a simple reminder.
I simply adhered the Project Life card onto Basic Black cardstock and then another smaller card (3 x 4) on top of that one. I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut the feather. The feather comes from My Digital Studio and was exported as a SVG file and then imported into my Silhouette software.
Once the feather was cut I embossed the tip only using Gold Embossing powder and then adhered it onto the card front using dimensionals.
If you are not a big card maker but are looking to have a few handmade cards readily available, try using a Project Life by Stampin’ Up! card set. You can make fast and easy cards that are beautiful in minutes. The artwork is fantastic and you may find yourself framing a few pieces like I want to.
You can see the products I used for this card below. Just click the picture and it will take you directly to my Online Store and you can purchase.
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4 thoughts on “Pursuit of Happiness”
We e-mailed when I was in Hilton Head with my daughter, son-in-law, and 4 and 2 year old grandsons. We all had a great time. Yesterday during a hectic time, the 2 year old looked at my son-in-law and said, ” I want to go back to Sweet Gum Court,” (where we rented the house) Your kids will have great memories of this time, and it’s great Russ gets to spend time with his parents at his boyhood home. Soak it all up!
How wonderfully you describe being in Iowa…cornfields and all! Great pics of the kids, the beautiful horse and wildflowers and how really wonderful that you ALL had an UnPlug Day…. So glad that Russ and his family are spending quality time together – you and the kids as well. Keep to your new mantras….they can be just as good at home if you let them be! Your card is fabulous – love all of the colors and the beautiful feather! Continue to vege and enjoy the peace of the country!
Thanks Carol. We are having a fabulous time. 🙂 It’s been an amazing trip. Very restful. Just about ready to get back to the real world. LOL. XO
Carla, I can bet I’ll be saying the same thing once we get home. I know my restful days are coming to an end. Truly we have had the best time here. It’s been great for all of us to chill out after a crazy year.
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