The pursuit of happiness:

I had to laugh out loud when I saw this picture of Marley in her red silk kimono. First, because she's so darn cute, and second, because by some trick of lighting, my kitchen looks like something out of design*sponge! Maybe I need to add an asterisk to my blog title? In real life- my kitchen does not look like ANYTHING out of design*sponge, but that made me wonder...maybe the same is true of the actual houses they feature?

Eric's sweet little basketball team finally won a game on Saturday. I died. I have been to a few gut clinchers in Cameron Indoor Stadium, and none of them compare to the agony and joy of watching this game. It was mostly agony though. I have one question for the out-of-control parents who scream instructions to their kids and yell at the refs (in an eight-year-olds' basketball game!!): Why? Just- why? I've never even felt the urge to yell at my kid during a game. That's what you're paying the 75 bucks for the coach to do right? I leave the coaching to the coach and consider my role to encourage and praise. Do they really think their kid even hears or processes their repeated shouts of "GET THE BALL! TAKE IT! GET UP- DON'T CRY! REBOUND!" over all the other parents yelling and screaming the same things? Honestly, I don't understand it and I feel so bad for those kids.

Eric's team scored 18 points in the first half to lead by 17, but the other team rallied in the second half and tied the game. Poor Marley was screaming her little head off by this point, but no one could hear her anyway above all the parents' screaming. They got up by two with about 30 seconds left, when Eric randomly fouled a kid (he tripped over him) and the kid made his two foul shots. Poor Eric was devastated and trying so hard not to cry. All I could do was catch his eye from the sideline and mouth "It's okay!" as the second shot went in. Then Eric passed the ball to a kid named Peter, who made a shot with 6 seconds left on the clock. Bless that boy. I will love him forever, and if I have another son, I might even name him Peter. (That's not Peter in the picture though...)
On Sunday, Brigham picked out my jewelry for church. It was hard to get a good shot of myself, but it was the mood ring he had given me for Christmas, on a silver chain since it's too big for my finger, and then a ring my mother-in-law gave me on a string of pearls. I thought it was very inspired! I paid him a dollar a few weekends ago to re-organize my jewelry box, and ever since then he's been into picking out my jewelry. That kid:).
This is how he chose to watch the video on Martin Luther King that was our Family Home Evening on Monday...
I keep reading articles and hearing on the radio about "studies" that "show" that having kids makes you less happy. I'll agree with them- if you asked me to rank my level of happiness while doing different activities throughout the day, sure- I'll take a massage, or even a run, over playing Candyland. But they're completely missing the distinction between momentary happiness and lasting happiness. It's impossible to quantify the joy that children bring you. I guess I don't have much hope of a study ever affirming my choice to be a mother. Luckily, I have other sources of affirmation...

But I do sometimes worry that with all these studies floating around I might never get nieces and nephews on my side of the family. Don't listen to them you guys- have kids! Well, okay- get married first. And then have kids- they're awesome!