Life's Little Instruction Book

We have been deep cleaning our basement for the last couple of weeks.  We are doing so for a couple different reasons: 1) We just have to much junk and need to get rid of some of it and 2) so that we can start finshing it.  We've lived in our house for almost 5 years and we are ready to have a finished basement!

As we were cleaning last weekend I came across this little book tucked away in a box. 

I really thought nothing of it until I opened it and saw this:

Amy who is now my sister-in-law (we married brothers!) must have given this book to me for graduation.  I don't recall getting it at the time.  It probably did not mean as much as it does know.

As I started flipping through the pages Amy highlighted certain ones and would draw cute little designs or make a note.  It's so much fun to see which ones she thought were good to highlight.  She picked some good ones!

I think this present is more valuable now (almost 12 years later) than on the day she gave it to me because many of the 511 suggestions, observations, and reminders on how to live a happy and rewarding life are more necessary now than ever before.  12 years later I work full time while trying to raise 2 kids and be a good wife.  Sometimes just that last statement is overwhelming and add on everything else - 2 houses, 2 dogs, bills, vacations, holidays, time for me, etc, etc, etc. life can get away from me. 

Over the last 3 months I've really been trying to take a look at me and see what I can do for myself to be happier!  Please don't get me wrong - I'm pretty darn happy with how my life is right now - but I feel like there should be more.  I know that's stupid to say because there are a ton of people that don't even come close to what I have but you know what I deserve it and the people around me deserve it too. 

This little book has fallen back into my lap at a very perfect time.  Now I have to decide where I want to keep it so that I look at it more often - I don't want to run across it again in 12 years!

Here is a picture of Amy and I when we worked at Baskin Robbins together in high school.  I know you are all very jealous of our hats!

Here we are together at Brad & Liz's wedding in Sep of 2004!

So thank you Amy for giving me a very good graduation present that I'm enjoying greatly 12 years later!!!