Thursday Thirteen: "Oh what a beautiful morning..."

13 reasons why I'm singing that glorious song from "Oklahoma!".

1. I've gone to bed before 11pm every night this week. More time with REM helps me cope. It's like I'm breaking out of a funky, zombie trance that would NOT let me go to bed before 1am. One thing that has really helped in this break-out is,

2. Getting up at 6am. True, it helps that the temperature is not quite as forbidding. Who wants to get out of bed when it's dark and way below freezing? But I've been especially excited to get out of bed because this week I got a...

3. Gym Membership. There have been so many studies detailing all the benefits of exercise. I have an equal number of excuses why I have not been exercising. But the gym offers me the best of two worlds; I can watch TV and burn calories at the same time. Plus, they have everything there in this warm building away from distracting children telling me how big my bottom is. I am feeling the benefits. It also helps that when I leave the gym all gross and sweaty, the...

4. Sun is shining. Oh! It makes me want to skip and sing. I have also really liked hearing...

5. The birds singing in the morning. They are fascinating to watch. It is easy to see how someone like Beatrix Potter could create societies and spin stories around animals. Sometimes I can hear them talking too. You don't think I'm crazy do you? Well, hopefully not as crazy as....

6. Catherine and Heathcliff. I've picked up "Wurthing Heights" again. It's been a long, long time. I've always thought of it as a big downer. But this time I am really appreciating the author. Well, you appreciate anything more when you have a better understanding. I'm excited to get more understanding and a little nervous as I'm preparing to...

7. Go back to school. Yep, I've got everything in and hope to start this Spring. I don't know how I'm going to do it all yet, but I feel so good about it. I LOVED college and it makes me sad that I never got my degree. So, in our family's tradition of doing things a little backward, 11 years and 4 kids later, I am going to get that degree. Wish me luck!

8. Good friends. I LOVE friends. Friendship is different when you are a busy mom. It's seems like a luxury. I don't always have the time I'd like to build good friendships with other people. It makes me so glad though when someone makes time for me. Like going to the very exciting homeschool store and then out for some spontaneous ice cream or joining me at the gym. :)

9. Growing seeds. I can't wait to have a big, beautiful garden someday. It's absolutely thrilling to watch a seed sprout and then grow. The potential! The excitement! I love flowers and I think tomatoes that I grow taste so much better than the ones from the store.

10. Growing children. More than watching seeds grow, I love watching my children grow. It's mingled with a little sadness, but... The potential! The excitement! The joy!

11. Strawberries. They're back! I can't believe it. Every year they come back earlier and more expensive, but I love them. They take me right back to all my favorite Summer time memories. They taste so good on my cereal and with whipped cream. Oh. I need to go get some today.

12. The gorgeous mountains. The mountains here are looking particularly majestic right now. They still have plenty of snow. When the sun is shining and the sky is blue they glisten to a degree I would call radiant. I can almost taste the freshness. I can't wait to go to the mountains.

13. Road Trip. I feel another road trip brewing. We have talked about going to Bryce Canyon or Arches. It will be soon and the thought makes me happy.