Kelly Olsen, January Happiness Project

Nora has been one of my good friends for a really long time.  I remember in Jr. High hanging out with Nora and Annice and just being crazy kids.  I unfortunately do not have a memory like Julie D. but I do remember always having the greatest feelings about Nora and the kind of person she is.  She has always been a great friend to me.  Her mother even made an impression on me to the point of where I think about what she did as a mother of 9?? to stay so fit and trim even now. She would place a certain amount of chocolate chips on the counter each day (say 20) and that would be her treat throughout the day.  Once they were gone, she was done.  I loved her self control.

WLJH Gymnastics team with Nora

WLJH Advanced Dance with Annice

Nora and I were in gymnastics and Madrigals together and in musicals together going way back. I love Nora and the strength she has as a woman, mother, daughter, spouse and friend.  She can totally kick your butt in setting and accomplishing goals, and this is why I am glad to be on board with her 2014 Happiness Project.  I expect to be inspired and guided through her wisdom and others.  Thank you Nora!

 

Visiting Utah years ago and getting together with friends
Finishing Basement and Ordering Family Pictures

It is interesting that I was so willing to add one more thing to my life right now.  But I know for a fact that if I am not held accountable for something, I will at times fall short and it does not happen.  I just recently went through a pile of stuff that has been sitting by my bed for the last 6 months.  I could not even force myself to dig into it.  I told my husband just to pick it all up and throw it out for me while I was away one day. :)

So this is exactly what I need at this time in my life.  We had our family pictures taken back in June before my daughter Brooke went away to BYU for college.  I hate making decisions so there they sat, locked up like prisoners in the computer where no one can enjoy them.  Well now that I have placed it on my happiness project list for January I placed the order. It took me 3 hours to go through all of them and make sure to order the right ones for grandparents and figure out which one I wanted to have as the large picture in my family room upstairs and also in my family room downstairs and which ones will go in the family album.  I think I probably went a little overboard, but at least I think I have enough to make me happy.

We also have been working on our basement for the last 4 months. We got a new pellet stove to heat the home and replaced the carpet and purchased new furniture all so the kids will have a place to invite their friends over and have a place to hang out.  I am very excited by how it all turned out.  I am also happy to say that at least one of my children since it has been done has had friends over for parties and are using it.  This weekend for example Carley is having a slumber party down there on Friday night and Zack is having his first boy/girl party on Saturday night.  Natalie had a movie/game night with friends last weekend and plans to have one every other week?  It is nice to have a place that my kids want to be and invite their friends into our home.  The only downside is now Kevin and I are banished to the upstairs.  :)

For many years Kevin and I will live in our homes and then finish the basement right before moving out.  This time we decided that we needed to do a basement overhaul.  No one wanted to ever go down in the basement before (even though it was finished).  It was cold and uninviting.  A little couch that seated 3 and a recliner with 2 big love sacks were all that was down there.  In the summer it was too humid and smelled funny and in the winter it was just too cold.

We decided it was time to make it a place where we will all want to go.  The first thing we needed to do was add a pellet stove.  With propane prices skyrocketing and us paying $3000-$4000 to heat our home each winter we decided not only would it be cost effective to get one, but it would also provide a much better heat.  So we tiled the floor around where the stove would be and tiled up around the walls of the little cove it would nestle back into.  We then ordered carpet and got that put in right after Christmas.  We purchased a new leather sectional and leather theater chairs and love seat to fill the space and add a ton of seats so all of the family can be down there at once.  We moved things around to make a TV/theater/viewing area, a gaming area (with game table and ping pong table), a computer/homework area and a system gaming area where there is an additional TV to play the Wii and PS3 on.  I actually even touched up all the dings in the walls and hung some pictures. 

So now here comes the finishing touches.  I ordered the family pictures and will have them framed and hung...along with some vinyl lettering...so it will finally, after nine years of living here, be a place where we want to all gather.  We still are trying to find a cabinet that will hold the components for the TV, but other than that it will be complete.

Ignore the chords, we are searching for the perfect cabinet

Gaming area

Computer/homework area, game table

Ping pong table folds and stores to side until needed.

We already gather here the first chance we can get every day and we never want to leave it.  It is soooo warm and cozy.  Our dog, Taz loves to lay in front of the stove and bask in the warmth.  I find myself going down there to check emails and never coming back up all day long.  Even though it is heating the rest of our home on the main level to 71-72 and the top floor (with bedrooms) to around 65, I just love to be cozy and warm.

Taz enjoying the fire in his favorite spot

Oh how I love my family room and oh how I love this happiness project connect for helping me order my pictures and complete the room.  Thank you Nora!