I love to smile…especially when I am remembered.

I am loving this “Smiling Campaign”.  I hope you are too! 

I want to share something that truly makes me smile.  I love when I am remembered.  Genuinely remembered.  I love it when I receive sweet notes in the mail.  I love it when I receive phone calls that make me smile and cry happy tears.  I love when friends and family drop by to just say “HELLO”.  I love being remembered.  I love feeling special.  Well, tonight, I would like to share with you something that makes my heart fill with warmth and truly brings a smile to my heart.  

When I look at the calendar every May, I scan the days and events that are scheduled to take place and my eyes notice one particular day.  A day that brings an immediate tear to my eye, a lump in my throat and gloominess to my soul.  This particular day is Mother's day.  I love my Mom so much and I am grateful to be able to celebrate it her each year but there is that sadness that enters the heart because my greatest desire is to be a mom.  A mom who laughs, giggles, teaches, hugs, plays, cheers, reads bedtime stories, cuddles , mends, feeds…and the list goes on and on.  Yes, my greatest desire in life is to be a mom.  I know that right now in my life, I don’t get to be something that I cherish the most.  So, every Mother’s day, my heart hurts just a little, tears fill my eyes just little more frequent and the sadness (even though I try to hide it) stays a little bit longer. 

BUT…I have a special friend that remembers me on this particular day.  A friend who has the most incredible Christlike characteristics.  A friend who has so much tenderness and kindness in her little soul.  A friend that I yearn to be more like each and every day.  A friend who brings a smile to my face and heart when the smiles are hard to come by. 

This Mother’s day, I received the most beautiful gift…actually three gifts from my special friend.  A sunflower, diet coke and peanut M&M’s…she truly knows me. Thank you my sweet friend.  You truly brought a smile to my heart!!  You truly amaze me with your sweetness and kindness.  I can’t even describe the way that you make me feel.  You truly are a blessing to my heart.  I just love you!!

I love to smile when remembering wonderful memories!  Don’t you?

~Michelle

It is time to smile…I love quotes that bring warmth and comfort.

Since today is Thursday and I love quotes.  I decided that I would share a quote that truly makes me smile.  It is one that when I read it or I hear it quoted, it immediately brings a warmness to my heart and a smile to my face. 

It isn’t true?  We just need to endure because good things are coming our way,

I love smiling…it brings sunshine to my soul!!!

~Michelle

It is time to smile…General YW Broadcast

I realized that life has gotten crazy and sometimes I forget to do what I love to do best…smile and laugh. So…today as I was scanning the pictures on my camera, I decided to dedicate the next several days to things that bring a smile to my face.

Let’s start…I love my calling in the church. I love  being  surrounded by amazing leaders and incredible young women. They truly bring a smile to my face and a bigger smile to my heart.  So..let’s check out this event that brought a huge smile to my face.    

The General YW Broadcast was held on Saturday, March 30^st. For the past few years, we have held a dinner prior to the broadcast and decided to continue on with this tradition. We feel that inviting the young women in our stake, their parents and leaders to a dinner enhances  the excitement of attending the broadcast and listening to the General Young Women leaders of the church.

Our dinner consisted of a baked potato bar filled with plenty of toppings, salad, rolls and desserts. The Stake provided the baked potatoes and the wards provided the toppings, salads, rolls and desserts. We were grateful for those that were willing to donate so many delicious food items. We had a wonderful turnout with approximately 96 in attendance. This included young women, their mothers (and a couple of fathers) and leaders. It was so much fun.  I love that there were so many smiles!!

 

After the dinner, we proceeded into the Chapel to listen to the General leaders of the church. It a wonderful night enjoyed by many.

Ok…didn’t these pictures  bring a smile to your face?  I know that they did mine.

I love to smile!!

~Michelle 

It was a long 23 days!

Each year, I have a project at work that brings a lot of anxiety.  It shouldn’t be a big deal, I have been in charge of this project for many years but for some reason, I fret over it.  My nights become even more treacherous to find sleep.  The problem is that I do not work on it outside of work…why don’t I just forget about it during non-working hours?  But, I don’t…I worry constantly about it.  Tears are always on the brink of falling down my cheeks.    I get frustrated with myself and then I get frustrated with others.  I know that it affects my emotions and my mood.  I know that I become amazingly stressed out during this time of year.  I know that I shouldn’t really talk to anyone until the project is completely over because somehow and somewhere along the line, I am going to make them angry with me.  I know that I have learned over the years that I will complete this project with a high score and that I shouldn’t stress over it so much.  But…I do.  I know that this year wasn’t any exception.  I was moody and stressed.   My dear friends tried to make me happy and pleasant to be around…they really tried’ it didn’t work.   So…when I received my results, Vieve went on an errand. 

When she returned, she left this delicious treat on my desk. 

Hmm…I should have brought them a treat…they had to put up with me.  So…if you did get attacked from me during this stressful time, I ask sincere forgiveness from you.  I have tried to remember the past 23 days and apologize to those that I wasn’t really nice to but…if by chance…you didn’t get a humble apology…please accept it now.  I truly am sorry. 

So…

To my dear friends (who are still my friends after the past 23 days),

Thank you for being patient with me.  You truly are a blessing in my life.

With much love,

Michelle

As for my results…for the second year in a row…I scored 100%.  Today is definitely a good day!!!

~Michelle

The Red and Blue Train

Have you ever been part of an adventure that makes someone’s dreams come true? What do you remember about that experience? Do you remember the smile that came across their face or their precious laughter that escaped from their lips? Today I had one of those amazing adventures. An adventure that created so many smiles and plenty of laughter…a memory that will last for a long time.

Want to hear about it? Yes. Good, because I wanted to share it.

Ever since the “Red and Blue” train arrived in Utah County, Miss B has wanted to ride it. She decided that she wanted to ride it for her birthday. After much searching and collaborating, we found the time that we all could go together. So…the adventure began…

We started out by attending Brylie’s school program. Aw…this little girl is growing up. I am definitely a proud aunt. I am grateful for the opportunity and privilege to be a part of her little life. It is amazing and every day is an adventure. She was absolutely darling as she participated in her class program. She sang all of the songs with complete excitement. She was so proud to give her speaking part. Aw… I love this girl. She truly brings a smile to my face.

After the program, we headed to Provo to board the “Red and White” train.

Brylie was so excited. She didn’t stop talking the whole way. She couldn’t wait to get on board.  I love how her smiles and giggles are contagious.  It makes every adventure simply PERFECT!

She informed of what stops we had made and what stops were approaching.  I don’t think that she ever quit talking.  We rode to Salt Lake City and then transferred to TRAX.  She was so excited to get on the “bus”.  It was awesome. 

We stopped at California Pizza Kitchen for dinner and had to wait…

and…wait…and…wait for our food. 

Then it was off to the Gateway for an evening of shopping.  We shopped and shopped.  Everyone had been trying on clothes and Brylie decided to was her turn.  Dad asked her if she wanted a new outfit and of course, she said that she did.  She definitely is a Gren.  Ha Ha.  Anyway, we found a store and picked out a darling skirt and top for her.  While we were in the dressing room, she informed me that everyone in the store was going to be excited to see her in her new outfit.  She put on the skirt and top, opened the door and exclaimed, “Here I am!”  She modeled for everyone.  It was hilarious.  Aw…I love this girl. 

It was an awesome adventure!!  I am grateful for this little girl.  She makes life simply delightful and incredibly fun!!! 

~Michelle

Comic relief at the gym…

I provided comic relief for everyone that was near me at the gym bright and early this morning.  I am humiliated but as I am writing this entry, I am laughing and the humiliation is disappearing.  Would you like to hear my adventure this morning?  When I am on the treadmill, I usually read.  I prop my kindle up and read.  It passes the time quite nicely.  But the past few mornings (well, it has been quite some time) I have woke up feeling a tad bit nauseous.  I have noticed that as I am reading, the nausea intensifies. 

So, this morning on the way to the gym,  I decided to watch a TV show hoping that it would help with the nausea.  Yes, this is all going through my brain at the bright early time of FIVE AM.  My friend, Vieve, has been telling me that this particular show is something that I should watch.  I wouldn’t be focusing on words, I would be focusing on the people on the screen.  Makes sense, right?  Ok…at 5:00 in the morning, not much really makes sense. 

Sidenote:  Vieve screens all my TV shows and my movies.  She tells me if they are “Michelle appropriate”. She has taken on this task and keeps me informed with what I should watch and not watch. Bless her heart.

Back to the story…I put my headphones in my ears, plug them into my kindle and I click play.  I start to watch this show and for some reason I lose focus of everyone around me.  When I first arrived at the gym, there were three people in front of me, Vieve next to me and a lady in a gray sweatshirt one down from where Vieve is running.  Yes, I am USUALLY aware of all my surroundings.  I make sure that I know who is in front of me, who is in back of me and who is on each side of me.  I have this weird curiosity that has to know those things…or it puts me completely out of my comfort zone.   

Ok…back to the story…For some reason, I lose focus of everything around me. This TV show has me enticed. I am not aware of anything going on around me. They could have cleared the place and I wouldn’t even have known. So, it is about 30 minutes into the show, when something happens on the screen. 

I jump.

I scream.

I almost fall off of the treadmill. 

It wasn’t until I looked to the left of me and there was a girl in green shorts that jumps off of the treadmill next to me and moves down the row from me.  I look at Vieve and I feel this complete panic go through me like a lightning bolt.  I was mortified.  Who jumps, screams and almost falls of the treadmill while watching a TV show…at the gym? Apparently, I do.

The good news…I didn’t realize that I had spent 45 minutes on the treadmill without even knowing it. HUZZAH!  My nausea did not intensify.  HUZZAH!  HUZZAH!!  I hope that this happens again tomorrow…not the humiliation part but the not-realizing-that-I-am-working-out-part.

Life is good and I am grateful that I can provide comic relief to all those around me.

 

~Michelle

I fought. I fought hard.

Have you ever had one of those moments in life when you just need something?  You have this indescribable feeling inside that makes you want to cry but you don’t want to shed any tears?  If you did shed tears and you ran into someone, they would either look at you weird or they would ask what was going on?  If they asked what was going, you would just say that you were crying because you were crying…you didn’t know why…only that you felt like it.  Then, it would be awkward and we would just stand there looking at each other wondering which one felt more awkward.  But on the other hand, you just want to cry because you want this feeling to go away. 

It is not that I am sad or  angry about anything.  The feeling is indescribable.  It is a feeling in my heart that just wants and needs to get out.  Well, this is how I have been feeling for quite sometime.  I know that if I had a good cry, I could get rid of this feeling but I do not want to cry because I don’t have a reason to cry.

I had a meeting tonight and as I was driving to the church, that feeling inside me intensified.  I could feel it get stronger and stronger.  The tears started to well up in my eyes.  I fought them with all that I had.  I had to conduct the meeting.  I had to be happy and excited about everything.  I am happy and excited about everything except for what I am feeling.  Did that even make sense?  Anyway, like I said the feeling got stronger and tears started to come.  I fought.  I fought hard. I made it.  The tears stopped.  The feeling is still there but the tears stopped.  WHEW!!

Then, I walked inside the church.  There was this sweet lady that I know.  She jumped up off the couch, grabbed me, gave me a hug and shared with me some of the most tender thoughts.  She truly was inspired.  I am grateful for those who act when prompted to do things because…tonight, I was truly blessed. 

I did have to leave her presence because the tears were coming back but I fought.  I fought hard.  They stopped.

Then the warm fuzzies came.  The feeling went away until my drive home.

I will fight.

I will fight hard.

Why? 

I don’t like to cry when I don’t know what I am crying about.

I will just count my many blessing for the sweet friend who gave me a hug and shared her thoughts with me tonight.  I am blessed.

~Michelle