2019 Things that make me smile

I have got a cold/sinus thing going on.  The pressure around nose and eyes made me just want to close my eyes and sleep...so that is what I did tonight. Pretty much sleeping off and on - and will go back to sleep as soon as I post this - and that is making me smile tonight.

It is cold out - I love cold - it makes me smile today.

Last year was when I first learned about the Festival of the Arts at Epcot - I really wanted to go, but timing didn't work out.  This year $116 roundtrip flight caught my eye and a trip was booked.  I am so glad I did - I got to learn about cels and got to paint one, took a class on hand lettering, participated in the animation academy multiple times, watched broadway shows, painted on a mural....I could go on.  Tonight reflecting on my trip makes me smile.

My trip is coming to a close tomorrow, but today Margrette had to go back to Minnesota.  When I planned this trip I planned on going by myself.  When Margrette decided to come with I was excited to have someone with me, but also a bit nervous about exposing her to my extreme Disney geekiness.  I am fortunate to have an awesome sister - who went with the flow on everything I love to do, had delicious dinners I would have never done on my own and put up with my endless memory sharing about my ten year old trips here with her sons, Tony and Emma.  We ended our time together at Hollywood studios - one of the things we did was go to the Frozen sing along.  I teared up a bit at the end - where a sister's love is the true love in the movie.  I was sitting next to someone who would do just about anything for me and is there when I need her - sister love.  I am so grateful for the one on one time we had together - I am truly blessed to have her as my si...

I have been to Disney several times in my life, but I have never done a character meal. I never felt the need to, I could get a picture with all of the characters I wanted in the parks - except one... Grumpy. I collect Grumpy stuff, he is my favorite Disney character. This fall when Disney added the Storybook dining experience with Snow White, Dopey,the Evil Queen and Grumpy I knew it was something I wanted to do.  Emma’s trip it was all booked up, when I booked the trip with my sister it was booked up, last night when I checked one last time there was an opening!  Awesome dinner, Awesome company (my sister) and a photo op with a favorite made me smile tonight!Thanks Margrette!

Each night of the Festival of the Arts, performers from Disney Broadway musicals take the stage.  We were lucky to have great seats to the show and it won’t surprise some, but I knew every song - and they weren’t all the best known from each musical that made me smile today.

It is Mickey’s 90 birthday! One special thing they are doing is a special photo op with Mickey and Minnie together in special outfits.  I really wanted a pic with them,but all day the wait times were really long up to 120 minutes.  After we finished a late dinner, we noticed the wait time wast only 35 minutes so we decided to jump in line. Turns out it was about 5 minute wait and I got this great picture of me and my sister - that made me smile tonight.

Today is Emma’s birthday!  It is kinda of fitting that I am at Disney today as her ten year old trip was the last time I was here - spent a lot of time today thinking about that awesome trip and special memories made including my first ride today, Haunted Mansion, one of her favorites.  Thinking about this special girl made me smile several times today.

As I walked to my hotel room tonight, right across the way was a huge Mickey phone.  Growing up we had a Mickey phone and when it died, my mom got another one that still is in her kitchen today.  After a long airplane flight tonight(a little friend behind me kicking the seat the whole flight) this made me smile.  

Tomorrow I am leaving for a bit of a vacation.  Anyone who knows me, knows I love Disney and the arts. I am heading there for a few days, primarily to attend the International Arts Festival, combining a few of my favorite things.  I am especially looking forward to the classes we will be taking on Saturday and Sunday.  Tonight I packed everything so I can leave and that makes me smile.

Love a lot of Kid President quotes.  This one showed up in my Timehop today - with everything going in the world, it made me smile.

We have tomorrow off - no alarms for me - and that makes me smile.

Left Ella in Ely today, I am smiling tonight knowing that she is enjoying time sitting on the back of the couch, watching out the window and keeping grandma safe by barking at everything that goes by.

 Next week I am using some of my non-duty days and going on vacation.  Because of this, Ella gets to spend time at grandma’s house for a few weeks.  I am grateful that my mom will take her so she doesn’t have to be boarded.  She will be spoiled and get a lot of love from grandma. Knowing she will be well taken care of makes me smile to night.

Watching Jerome play tonight while working.  Ella keeps hearing Jerome's name during the broadcast and wants to watch too. "Newhouse has been doing everything, everywhere." "Newhouse on the play - he has been electric tonight"  Hearing Jerome do well playing tonight makes me smile tonight.

Today I had the privilege to provide feedback to 5th and 6th grade students on their pitches for their upcoming Shark Tank presentations.  I loved seeing the creativity of the students and was really impressed by the last group - they shared their presentations, we gave them feedback - they came back a few minutes later and used all of our feedback to make their presentation.  Can't wait to hear how their presentations go - this great kids made me smile today.

Today as I was working I realized that I probably had too many tabs open in Chrome.  I counted and we had about 53 tabs open at that moment.  While it was horrifying to some, for some reason it made me smile.

It was time to take off the Christmas Plaid collar and put on something different.  This past summer, I did a tour of St. Ben's with Josie.  We stopped into the bookstore and a new collar was purchased for Ella.  This is the first time she has worn it - the Bennie colors look good on her - and made me smile tonight.

Guess what I watched this afternoon?  Not feeling 100%, so as I flipped through the channel guide for something to watch as I rested in the couch.  I love a good musical and Bye, Bye Birdie was on TV.  Spent the afternoon watching and singing along and that made me smile tonight.

One of my favorite pastimes is watching my nieces and nephews doing things they love. Today I went to Mankato to watch Josie skate in competition.  This was her last competition as a senior.  I thought she did great and I can’t wait for her final program in March. Watching her exceed at something she loves makes me smile tonight.

We have routines, Ella and I.  Every night seems to end on the couch with Ella snuggled in - now it is a process and if my legs aren’t just so, there is a stare down until I move. But I look forward to her snuggling in each night and tonight it makes me smile.

This photo came up in my Timehop today.  It made me pause and think about my life and where I am today.  Through ups and downs, the thing I keep coming back to is Life’s Good - and that makes me smile.

All of my holiday decorations came down shortly after Christmas except the frame with all my cards.  Passing by this makes me smile and think of all of the friends and family I am blessed to have in my life.  I know I need to take it down soon, but tonight it makes me smile.

The Ed Services team support each other in a variety of ways - today I found myself looking at music lyrics.   The variety of the music was fun and I found I knew lyrics several of the songs without looking them up - they were from musicals.  Looking back on this quick break from the professional learning course I was working on makes me smile today.

I hate grocery shopping.  It is a time suck and I always end up with way more than what I need.  Last night I ordered online from Cub for pickup.  Found when I was ordering online I was more focused on what really needed and eliminated the impulse purchases.  But the best part was tonight - pulled in, texted I was there and in a few minutes they were loading the groceries in my car - I didn't have to go inside!!  The process was really slick and that made me smile tonight. (I used Cub this time, has anyone else tried another grocery store?)

When Ben and Jerome were growing up, "date nights" often included going to see the latest animated movie.  They would even sometimes make bets if I would end up crying at some point in the movie.  Today I came upon a marathon of the Toy Story movies and watched all three.  It brought back memories of those "date nights", Ben's birthday at Cinema Grill and just spending time with the guys.  There are days that I would love to go back to those times, but as Woody says in Toy Story 2 "I can't stop Andy from growing up, but I wouldn't miss it for the world" .  Glad to be part of their growing up into the awesome young men they have become - and tonight our Toy Stories are making me smile.

Day two of watching Tommy and his Virginia Blue Devils teammates play hockey.  Today they played Bloomington Kennedy.  While they lost 3-2, proud of Tommy as he scored both of the goals for Virginia - and today that made me smile.

For the past seven years, I was a regular fan at the BSM hockey games.  With Ben and Jerome both graduating, I no longer have a local team where I know the kids playing hockey.  The weekend before Christmas and this weekend, nephew Tommy is playing in the cities with the Virginia Blue Devils.  It is so fun to watch him play.  While they didn't win tonight, it was great watching him play tonight - that made me smile.

Let’s face it, I have more tech devices in my house than one person should own.  iPads, iPads mini, iPhone, you get the picture.  I also own a Kindle (maybe 2).  I remember standing up in a professional learning session when the Kindle first came out and stating that I would never use a Kindle because I love books too much.  Today, I can't tell you the last time I read a paper book for pleasure, I read all books on my Kindle or the Kindle app.  Why?  I always have my book with me and can continue reading from what ever device I have with me.  But I find myself leaning towards my Kindle when I read lately - I can focus on the book and not get distracted by the lure of a game or social media with one click of a button.  This year I want to read more - and my Kindle will be a tool I will be using a lot.  Two books complete in the new year,  read on the Kindle and that makes me smile.

After some time off, today it was back to work. So good to be thinking, connecting, producing, creating - back in a routine of doing something I really like doing. Today being back in that groove made me smile.

Few years ago, I maintained a blog for a year on things that make me smile.  Going to try to do this again this year - hope you follow along. Today is the first day of 2019.  A day for new beginnings and looking forward.  In this year hope to be healthy and happy - to explore, create.  Along the way I know there will be challenges, but looking forward to a new year is making me smile tonight.