INSTAGRAM wednesdays: dustin's ANNIVERSARY PRESENT

Dustin's favorite musician is Melissa Etheridge.  He's seen her five times in the last four years.  Whenever she tours in SLC or a neighboring state, we get tickets.  She is an amazing performer, and if you're into concerts, you'd love seeing her live.  She puts on a great show.

Anyway, the last time we saw her was earlier this month - just two days after we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary.  Obviously, the perfect present I could get Dustin was for Melissa to wish him a Happy Anniversary during her concert.

So, I went to Twitter because if you want something done, you tweet about it!

I sent maybe three or four tweets within a two day span.  Nothing major.  I wasn't really expecting anything to become of it, but at the same time I didn't feel like my efforts were all in vain.

So, the day of the concert, I sent one final tweet.  Once at the venue, we found our seats and had a KILLER view.  We were five rows back and the microphone was directly in front of us.  When Melissa came out onto the stage, she was so close I could see her fingernails.  It was perfect.

Then, during the show, someone yelled "It's my birthday, Melissa."  So, she, of course, said happy birthday.  And then she said, "I'm supposed to wish Dustin a Happy 10 year anniversary."

We were dying.  I couldn't believe she (or one of her "people") saw my tweets and actually followed through with my request. 

We immediately stood  on our feet and screamed, and since we were so close, she totally saw us.   She threw one of her guitar picks in our direction, but it fell short and the person in front of us caught it.

It was the coolest night ever.  I was so happy my crazy idea actually worked.  I'm pretty sure I'll never be able to give Dustin a better gift, so I'm calling it good for the duration of our marriage.

{#neverunderestimatethepoweroftwitter}

the IMPORTANCE of being KIND

On Monday morning, I volunteered at my daughter's school to help with reading.  When I arrived at the school, I was told to check-in at the office.  As I was checking in, which was all done on a computer in the corner of the main office, I heard my daughter's voice.  I glanced behind me and saw her speaking to the school secretary.  She explained that her friend, who was standing next to her, had hurt herself during recess and needed ice for her cheek.

It wasn't until then that she turned and saw me sitting at the nearby computer.  We said hi to each other as the secretary told the girls that ice was available outside with the recess duty.  I motioned for her to follow the instructions, so she and her friend dashed out of the office on to their next destination.

In that moment, I couldn't help but be proud of my little girl for a few reasons.  I was proud she took the initiative to take her friend to the office and was confident enough to talk to the secretary.  But, mostly I was proud that she was being a good friend and that she showed concern and kindness towards one of her classmates.

It is easy for me to overlook the more gentle attributes my daughter displays.  I encourage her to do things on her own and for herself, and I know I put too much stock in her becoming independent and strong.  

This experience reminded me to reinforce the importance of kindness, thoughtfulness and courtesy to my children.  And I'm grateful for my daughter's example because if she can do it, I can do it!

{j}: JOURNALING

I used to write in a journal every single day.  I wrote more than what I had done that day.  I wrote about my thoughts and feelings.  I used to collect journals and would buy one whenever I went some place new.  I'd write in the front cover where the journal was purchased, the date, etc.

Even though I have my blog{s}, I still think it is important to keep handwritten journals.  My parents have several of my grandparents' old journals.  I miss my grandparents a lot and think reading through their journals, seeing their handwriting, would be a good way to remember them.

I hope, when I'm long gone, someone will be curious about reading more about me.  This is why I've set a goal to write in a journal every single day for one year.  This goal will be very simple to accomplish.  All I need to do is put a journal close to my bed and write at least one sentence in it every night.

I hope to cross this off the list by next year.  I guess this means I'm going journal shopping tomorrow!

{day TWENTY-ONE} dollar MENUS

Last night, my little crew and I went to McDonald's for some treats.  We were all craving {okay, mostly me} some ice cream, and what's better than a yummy vanilla ice cream cone for only $1?

Of course, whenever you go to McDonald's, you have to get a large drink because, hello, they are only $1 too.  The only thing that would've made our little outing better is if I could have ordered a Dr. Pepper instead of my usual caffeine free Sprite.

So, the next time you have a little craving, hop on over to your nearest fast food joint and enjoy a little treat for only $1.  It really is something we should all take advantage of.