Time is flying!

Day 71
A picnic lunch with sweet girlfriends at a park Dusty Shamrock and I used to frequent down in York when he was just a baby brought a smile to my face today.

Day 72
Today was spent talking with prospective cake and flower people for the wedding.  Thinking about eating yummy cake and celebrating with so many loved ones next May makes me happy.

Whatcha think about this?  Could it be a cake topper in spite of being uneven on the bottom?


Day 73
This morning, I visited with a former coworker from high school and reconnecting was today's happy moment.  One of the topics we discussed was the use of technology and how Heather doesn't really text if she can help it.  It wasn't until I was driving home from her house before I recalled she was the first person I emailed back in the late 90s!  Heather had gone off to college while I was still in high school and working at Subway.  I remember coming home from shifts and checking my email to find messages from her.  How funny it is to think that 17 years later...we had a conversation about texting and Skyping people.  It kind of makes you wonder what sort of technology will be used 17 years from now?! 


Day 74
Today should have been spent getting a class organized and I should have signed new employee paperwork but instead I only read up to page 34 of a two inch thick report about my new place of employment before calling it quits for the evening.  However, thinking about some of the sparkly decorations I saw at Michael's last night when Mom and I priced some possible decorations makes me happy today in spite of feeling behind in where I thought I would be at this point regarding course prep.

Promises in Color

Shortly before Easter, I learned about a friend's sister who had unexpectedly received a devastating medical diagnosis.  One of the girls on the email prayer chain made a comment relating to God's promises and rainbows:

My heart is breaking at this news and I am so sorry that you all are walking through this storm. I am continuing to pray for a miracle. I am praying specifically that God would send you a rainbow to remind you of His faithfulness. I am praying that your sister would be overwhelmed with God's peace and goodness. I love you!!

One hour after that message was sent, I saw this on the inside of the car while riding in Pennsylvania.

The following week, while in North Carolina, I saw another rainbow prompting me to say extra prayers for my friend and her family.

The next week found me in Colorado where I saw a rainbow inside the apartment I was staying in...sixteen floors from the ground and on a sunny day (with no rain in sight).  Then, several days later, as I traveled from NC to PA, I saw a rainbow over Highway 81 as I passed through Virginia.  

For those of you who might not be familiar with the religious significance of rainbows, according to Genesis 9:

God said: This is the sign of the covenant that I am making between me and you and every living creature with you for all ages to come.  I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.  

I also utilized rainbows in my dissertation defense to vividly illustrate the findings of my research...I wonder if I subconsciously used the rainbow analogy to reassure myself that God keeps His promises and I would be delivered through my defense.  Ha!

Self Determined Identity Type

Fluidity

Management & Resiliency

Anyhow...a week went by of no rainbow sightings but the updates kept coming about my friend's sister.  She has a long battle ahead of her as she fights cancer but has a treatment plan in place. In fact, this past Tuesday, she began her first round of chemo.  I had been praying for my friend and her family throughout the day as I received updates and messages via the email prayer chain.  However, I should not have been surprised to discover the double rainbow directly over my parents' home as my Mom and I returned to the house from running errands that same day she began chemo.    If you have a moment, please lift up this young mother in prayer as she faces her biggest battle yet.  I trust God does keep His promises and will help my friend's sister as she faces the next steps in her journey but a little extra prayer never hurt anyone...thank you.

Beautiful happy days...

Day 62

These pretty pink flowers in Mom and Dad’s front yard made me smile today.

Day 63

On the way home from church tonight, we drove past the bridal shop where I purchased my rehearsal and wedding dresses.  It was fun watching Dad try to guess which dress was mine.  He’ll have to wait until 05/23/15 to see if his guess was right!  Do you have any guesses?  :)

Day 64

Having this 100 Happy Day Challenge is forcing me to look for the happy in each day and to stop and take time to reflect on blessings rather than focusing on challenges and for that I’m grateful today!

Day 65

Completing Adam’s and my website today (after two days of putting it together) made me happy today!

Day 66

These rose sheets my Aunt Marie had used on my bed at Grandma’s house reminded me of Grandma since she loved to tend to her rose bushes in her front yard.

Day 67

I saw my new office today.  It won’t be ready to move in to until August and has no windows but I’m looking forward to getting settled in…both at home and at work as I learn the ropes at FUS.

Day 68

I met my new landlord and housemates when I visited the house we will be renting at the start of the school year in Ohio.  We learned some fascinating history about the house.  Back in the day a religious community of brothers had lived in the home.  They blessed and consecrated the house and called it, “Our Father’s House”.  Several years ago, the brothers were invited to leave Steubenville for Denver, CO (where Adam and I got engaged)!  I can hardly wait to talk to my friend, Doris, on Sunday night to see if she knows any of the now priests who used to live in our new house!

Day 69

In spite of the nearly seven hour drive home from Ohio that was spent fighting traffic in Pittsburgh for over an hour, the on and off rain, and the fog, the drive home to my parents’ that should have been barely five hours was a nostalgic one that made me happy at times.  To avoid paying tolls on the Turnpike (oh and when did the Pittsburgh to Harrisburg toll go up to $20+?!), I decided to take 22 over to 80.  I had not been on some of these roads in a decade if not longer and was reminded of road trips home from college with some girlfriends, of football games and visiting friends and a former flame at Penn State, and the exciting feeling of traveling across the state in my teal ’99 Chevy Cavalier dubbed Tinkerbell due to the glittery sparkly décor on the inside crept up alongside of me as I rolled down the highway.  As I inched closer to home and came home on back roads I had not traveled since high school, I remembered Saturday nights spent cruising Shamokin to talk to cute boys, painting Meredith’s dad’s law office window for Halloween Windows Painting, and stopping in at Danny’s and M & M’s to visit Jess and Meredith while they were working.  As I wound my way through the mountains, past my high school, and felt as if my car were driving itself home on the two-miler into town, I felt happiness over the back roads that have helped to point me in the direction I’m heading now…out west to Ohio by summer’s end!

Day 70

Today was a treat as I played with my PA nephews while my parents and I watched them for the day.  Another treat we enjoyed was after mass when we picked up dinner and dessert at Heisler’s.  YUM!