Humbled

That is how I feel right now.

I just reread some thoughts I had written a few months ago about my journey from devastation, sadness with infertility to one where I faced the unknown future with hope and peace.  As I read it, I felt humbled and I was filled with love and gratitude for God and our Savior Jesus Christ.  In some ways it felt like I had gone back in a time machine.  As I read it I felt the sadness I had felt and then the renewed hope and joy that I also felt during that trying time in my life.  It also seemed so long ago.  I almost feel like I was a different person then.  Just trying to keep my head afloat and not let the despair of childlessness drown me took a lot of effort.  It was so difficult.  I have a small knot of dread and nervousness in the pit of my stomach right now as I think about how I might fare this next time when we try to adopt another child.  I would be naive to think things would go as quickly and as well as they did this time.  But I guess I can still hope.

I will go into it as a completely different person though.  And as difficult as it might be, it really does help and bring comfort knowing that I have an amazing son that I love so very much.

Today was a great day.  I love watching my husband interact with our son.  He was such a proud papa today.  I took our little guy to meet him for lunch at a duck pond near his work.  As we pulled up to the site, my husband told our little guy, "your mom and I talked about bringing you hear a long time ago."  That is true, but I had completely forgotten about that.  It had been so long ago, back when we thought it was easy to get pregnant and have a baby.  My husband showed our son all of the ducks and it was so sweet to see him with him.  It was such a wonderful day.

So with that memory fresh in my mind and then with having read those words I wrote in the past, I couldn't help but feel filled with gratitude and humility for the wonderful son I have been blessed to have in my home.

Finding Joy in Life Talk

This was the talk I gave in church yesterday.  I think it went well.  You never know.  Everyone will always tell you that you did a good job, but I decided to believe that they were sincere.  I think it did go pretty well.  At the very least, I know I did my best.  And that is all I can do.  

One neat thing was when I stood up to give my talk, my friend who was holding my little guy said that as soon as he heard my voice over the microphone that he turned around and looked at me.  I remember seeing him look at me and that brought a smile to my face while I was trying to give my talk.  

side note, leaders in my church are often referred to as Elder or President, so that is what you will see written here.  

Finding Joy in Life

We are here on this earth for a divine purpose.  We came here to be tried and tested.  Not to be “endlessly entertained” or to be in constant “pursuit of pleasure”.  So, if, as the Book of Mormon prophet Lehi declared in 2 Nephi 2:25 “men are that they might have joy”.  How do we obtain that joy while dealing with the trials and difficulties that come our way?  Because although we are meant to have joy, we also know “it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things”  (2 Ne 2:11) 

In Elder Scott’s talk: Finding Joy in Life (ensign 1996), he said, “Sadness, disappointment, and severe challenge are events in life, not life itself.”  While these events or challenges in our lives are difficult and at times seemingly never ending, we cannot let them “become the confining center of everything [we] do”. 

What trials or challenges might any of us here currently be facing?  Difficulty in school or work?  Challenges in our marriage or family?  Illness?  Death of a loved one?  Could our patience be waning as we continue to wait for the righteous desires of our heart to be fulfilled?  Are any of us weighed down by sin? Could some of us here be questioning our faith in God or struggling to live, and accept the gospel of Jesus Christ?

With these trials we are facing, how in the world are we supposed to find joy in this life?   Do we wait until our trial is over?  No. We can experience joy now. 

Pres. Faust said, “Happiness is not given to us in a package that we can just open up and consume. Nobody is ever happy 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Rather than thinking in terms of a day, we perhaps need to snatch happiness in little pieces, learning to recognize the elements of happiness and then treasuring them while they last.”  (Our Search for Happiness", Ensign, Oct. 2000)

Elder Scott said that our joy in life depends upon the faith we exercise in our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ, and in our level of faith in the ability of God’s plan of happiness to bring us joy. 

It doesn’t depend on whether or not life is going on as we had planned.  Because if you don’t know already, you will soon discover that life does not usually go as planned.

As the scripture states: “men are that they might have joy”.  From this we learn that our joy is conditional upon our actions.  We must choose obedience and we must choose faith in God if we are to experience the fullness of joy the Lord has in store for us. 

Elder Scott compared our trials to a pebble.   If we hold a pebble close to our eye, it seems like a huge, insurmountable obstacle.  But, if we cast the pebble on the ground we can see it in its proper perspective.  In this  perspective we can prevent this pebble or  trial from “overtak[ing] our vision, absorb[ing] our energy, [or] depriv[ing] us of the joy and beauty the Lord intends us to receive here on earth.” Are we like “rocks” or “corks” when thrown into a sea of problems?  Do we sink like a rock and drown?  Or do we fight to be free and bob up like a cork, determined to overcome our challenges? 

Elder Scott also said, “The Lord is intent on your personal growth and development.  That progress is accelerated when you willingly allow Him to lead you through every growth experience you encounter, whether initially it be to your individual liking or not.”

We can also find joy in life as we pray in faith, search the scriptures, and as we learn from others who “have made peace with their challenges and live with joy amid adversity”. 

Learning from the people of Alma in the Book of Mormon, has given me strength and has taught me to have patience and faith in my trials.  The people of Alma were a righteous people who had made a covenant with the Lord to follow Him.  Yet, in Mosiah 23: 21 we learn that the Lord saw fit to try “their patience and their faith”.  While they were in bondage to Lamanites the people of Alma cried to the Lord for help.  As they did so, the Lord promised them, “I will also ease the burdens…that even you cannot feel them upon your backs… and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions…And…the burdens…were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord”  (Mosiah 24:13-15). 

The people of Alma did not “concentrate on what [they] didn’t have or [had] lost”.   Counting the blessings we have rather than the ones we don’t have will bring us joy.  Elder Scott reminds us that the Lord has promised to share all he possesses with those that love and obey Him.  Elder Scott also encourages us to seek out the “compensatory blessings in our life when, in the wisdom of the Lord He deprives you of something you very much want.”  This might be added patience and strength much like the people of Alma received.  Or it could be a strengthening of testimony as when we see that the Lord does visit us in our afflictions.

We can also find joy in this life as we give willing service and focus on others allowing ourselves to forget our own problems.  

Being creative also brings satisfaction and happiness.  President Uchdorf teaches us, “We were created with the express purpose and potential of experiencing a fulness of joy.  Our birthright—and the purpose of our great voyage on this earth—is to seek and experience eternal happiness. One of the ways we find this is by creating things.” Our creativity does not need to be limited to playing a piano or painting a picture.  We can create family memories or happy homes.  (Happiness Our Heritage talk)

In the women’s conference I attended yesterday, (Saturday), the theme was “living after the manner of happiness”.  President Riding counseled us to trust in God, because as the scripture in Proverbs 16:20 states, “whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.” 

“God’s love brings peace and joy” (Elder. Scott).  When we trust in God we will feel of His love, and will feel joy.  With my most recent seemingly never ending trial of my faith—waiting for a child to come to my family, I found that the times when I placed my trust in God, I was happy and felt joy.  God does visit us in our afflictions.  He does love us and wants us to be happy. 

Finding Joy in Life

I was asked to speak in church this week, and guess what my topic is?  Yep, it is Finding Joy in Life.  When I was told what I was supposed to speak about I laughed inside.  How appropriate for of all the topics I could've been asked to speak on, that this would be the one.

I am trying to gather all of my thoughts and condense them into 7 min worth of material.  A scripture and talk I was asked to reference are ones that I already wrote about in my blog here and here.  So I have been reviewing those items as well.

As you can see, I am procrastinating.

Ok, back to work.  Baby's sleeping, I need to take advantage of the little pocket of time that I have to pull this together.

Maybe you can all help me brainstorm:  How have you found joy in your life despite the challenges you face?

It's that time of the month again.

Yes it's time for ICLW.

And yes, Aunt Flo is visiting as well.  I think the thing that bothers me most about her is how she gets me irritated and moody.  I have come to terms with the realization that her arrival means no baby, but I wish I could just not get bugged with my closest friends and family when she comes by.  I am working on that.  I think I did a better job this month.  I'll have to ask my hubby.

I haven't done a welcome ICLW letter for awhile, so I thought I would do one this time.  You can see the info on the side bar of my blog.  But here it is quick and dirty.  I spent a lot of time, money, and energy doing infertility treatments and dealing with insurance companies.  None of which turned out well.  I spent some more time, money, and energy devoted towards adoption, and have reaped the benefits of it.  I have a beautiful baby boy who is a joy to be with.  He has such a pleasant, happy personality and is always smiling and laughing except for when he's not.  :D  Which isn't too often.  :D

As you can see from my header, my blog is about finding joy now, today, not later, and not tomorrow.  In the throes of life and the ups and downs it brings, I have found that if I can keep my perspective and focus on being happy, then I can get through anything--even infertility treatments and the stress of adoption.

I still write about infertility and adoption.  But now I also write about being a mom.  I also write about ordinary things like exercise, crafts, and whatever else I feel like at the moment.  I enjoy photography, reading, being outside, and learning most anything.  I am working on my cooking skills and am hoping to find pockets of time in between naps to learn how to garden, work on some crafts, and edit and digitally scrapbook my photos.  I hope you will stick around and join me in finding joy in life.

Merry Christmas: Christmas Spirit Video

I hope all of you have a Merry Christmas.

A little sock was hung by the chimney with care

For at least the past three years I have hung this little sock up next to ours in hopes that by the time the next Christmas rolled around we would be celebrating it with our first child.  Every year I looked at it longingly and hoped and prayed that this little sock would not have to remain empty and lonely for too much longer.  At times my emotional and spiritual resilience waned, but in the end, things worked out as they always do.

You cannot imagine the joy I felt as I hung up this little sock this year.   As I was unloading some of the boxes of Christmas decorations and began putting the ornaments on the tree I remembered this little sock.  I immediately set everything else aside and with a smile on my face and happiness in my heart I hung up all of our stockings.  That was a sweet moment.    

this was a picture I took of his sock last year

As I thought about the phrase: "the stockings were hung by the chimney with care", from the poem, "Twas the Night before Christmas", this wrote my own little poem about my baby's Christmas sock 

The Christmas Sock
Twas the Christmas season, when all through the house

only sadness and longing hung like a blouse
a little sock was hung by the chimney with care,

in hopes that a child soon would be there

I thought and I prayed and I pled

that someday soon I could stroke my child’s head.

He would sit in my lap,
and take a few naps.
At times my heart stirred a bit
As I wondered how much longer I could take it.
Then all of a sudden, quick as a flash

My baby was in my arms and I was kissing his nose and eyelash

I now walk around with a glow

and love telling my little baby, “hello”.

Smiling Session

My baby is smiling.  He has been off and on for a few weeks now, but it is really hard to catch it on camera.  He will stop as soon as I bring the camera out, and then start up again once I put it away.  And then it often seems that he decides to have a "smiling session" as my husband calls it during his 3 am feeding.  But right now we are having a smiling session and it is lots of fun.

I continue to get comments from friends about how happy I am now that I have a baby. And they are right, I am so happy.  I am having a smiling session.  I have been told that I haven't stopped smiling.  I was also told by one friend that she didn't realize how unhappy I was, because I am so happy now.  That seemed a little strange, I think it was a poor worded comment, but I am over it.  I have also been told by a friend that she did not realize how badly I wanted a baby, but now she can how much I wanted one because of how much joy and happiness my little guy has brought into my life.

It's true.  I haven't stopped smiling.  And having my little guy has brought so much joy into my life.  I am enjoying my smiling session.  I smile when I am sleep deprived or changing a stinky diaper, which I need to do right now.  :D

ooh eeh, that was a stinky and big one.  An outfit changing one.  He didn't last but 5 min in the outfit I put him in for the day.  Good thing he has more clothes than me.  :D

A Christmas Miracle

During December, whenever something good, (big or small), happens, my husband always says, "It's a Christmas miracle."  It always makes me laugh, but it is fun to call the little joys in life, "Christmas miracles".

Well, today I woke up to a Christmas miracle.  My boy had slept through the night.  A whole 7 hrs of uninterrupted sleep.  I heard him stirring and starting to cry so I pulled myself out of bed thinking it was 3 am.  I looked at the clock and to my surprise it was 5 am.  There was a spring in my step as I went to the fridge to get my little guy's bottle out.  He slept like this once last week, but we hadn't been able to replicate it until now.  And the first time it happened we had really been wondering if we had just been so exhausted that we hadn't heard him cry for us.  So, this time when I looked at him, I was happy to see that he was still bundled up and was just waking up.

A Christmas miracle indeed.  Thanks for the early Christmas present little guy!

October

Of all the months of the year, for me, this one seems to always revolve around infertility and children.   I spent many an October crossing my fingers and holding onto hope only to find myself in tears wondering when the hole and ache in my heart would heal.  So, the fact that my hubby and I were hoping to adopt our child in October filled me with some fear and trepidation.

October is a month filled with family fun with the onset of fall and Halloween.  I have always loved seeing kids trick or treating and filled with excitement as they run around in their costumes.  I have fond memories myself of trick or treating and enjoying the smell of candles burning in jack-o-lanterns.

But with every IVF treatment ending in disaster in October, I came to hate and dread this lovely month.  Holidays are so much more fun when kids are involved.  They create the magic and excitement that comes with the holidays.

With a child in our home, October has become a happy and exciting time of year again.  We visited the pumpkin patch as a family and I reveled in the peace and happiness I felt to have a child to call my own.

For many of you, you are still waiting for the laughter of a child or even more children to come to your home.  And my heart aches for you and I hope it happens soon.

The irony was not lost on my husband and me when on our stressful adoption placement day as we were waiting for time to slowly tick by until papers would be signed that Tom Petty's song, "The waiting is the hardest part" came on.  We nervously laughed, then sighed, moaned, and groaned.  My husband said, "no kidding".  For all of those still waiting, I am thinking of you and I know how hard it is.

A whole lot of joy

I have reflected again and again about what to write today.  For those who may be visiting the first time for ICLW, welcome to a happy spot in blogland.  My hubby and I just adopted our first child, and he really is a dream come true.  He is so sweet and so cute.

And if that wasn't enough, he even sleeps during the night--only waking up to eat.  I have quickly found that is the number one question I am asked.  Are you sleeping?  Is he sleeping?  And I can see why, because even though he only wakes up to eat and then goes back to bed, I have never felt so sleep deprived in my life.  I can't imagine how it would be if I was recovering from a delivery, breast feeding, and he wasn't sleeping.  I have a whole new appreciation for the obsession that moms have about talking about their kids sleep patterns.

But enough about that.  I have much more to write about than sleep.  As you all know, the title of my blog is: Find Joy Now.  And the joy that our little guy has brought into my life is unbelievable.  And as the blurb on the side of my blog says, I plan on writing about the joyful things in my life.  I am sure we will pursue adoption again in the future.  And who knows, if I ever overcome my fear of stirrups, maybe I would face the hormonal and emotional nightmare of infertility treatments.  And I guess there is always the chance that now that I am so relaxed and have adopted, I should anticipate announcing my upcoming pregnancy any day now.  j/k.

I like how my hubby said it, "who knew 20 inches could change your life so much".  So, anyhow, I guess what I am saying, is that this is my new life.  And I love it.  And I plan on blogging about it and the other things going on in my life.  I hope many of you will stay and enjoy the journey with me.

Midnight Munchies

Our little guy is a good eater, maybe too good, especially at night.  My hubby says, "he has an insatiable appetite".  I have been up all night with him, and hopefully the feeding frenzy and the crazy amount of sucking on his pacifier b/c I wasn't going to feed him formula all night, is over for a few hours, rather than a few minutes.

Here he is after a midnight snack the other night.

It's all good though.

A friend of mine who has twins (I actually have quite a few of them), called me yesterday and asked me if I was surviving.  I quipped back, "We are not surviving, we are thriving".  And we are.  My life is truly amazing right now.  I cannot wait until the rest of you are toting around your little bundles of joy.

Baby Steps

We met up again with the birth parents this weekend.  We went out to dinner and had a nice time chatting and getting to know one another a bit more.  They are really great people.  I felt good about how everything was going.  I felt at peace, excited, and joyful.

I felt those same feelings this morning on my run.

Then I started to get nervous.  Nervous that things wouldn't work out.  Nervous that our meeting hadn't gone as well as I thought.  I talked with my hubby a bit and that helped.  He reminded me, "It's out of our hands."  At this point there is nothing we can do.  If things don't work out, then they don't work out.  While I realize that, that is one of the reasons it is scary and I feel nervous.  I want to be in control.  I want to make sure everything works out.  Aaaaah.   Deep breath.

I tried to keep myself busy by cleaning and going to the grocery store.  My sister called and it was nice to be able to talk to her a bit.  Then my friend told me she was home and I could come pick up a crib and her rocking chair.  So I went and picked that up.  And now I am feeling a bit better.  I am about to head out to go to my sister in law's house to pick up some more baby stuff--car seat, pack n play, etc.

I have been so amazed at the outpouring of love and baby stuff from people when we tell them we are adopting.  I am so grateful to everyone for their help.  Our baby is going to be so loved and we will be able to tell him about everyone who was so excited about his arrival and how they helped us stuff his room full of the things we needed to take care of him.

I can do this.  It is just a few more weeks until I will be holding my little bundle of joy.

Wordless Wednesday: My cute little niece

This little niece of mine is so funny.  I just love hanging out with her.  The last time I saw her she wanted to have a dance party in her room.  So we cranked up the music and danced like crazy.  We had a blast.  It is one of those memories that will stick with me forever.  I wish I had my video camera with me that day.

I called her on the phone this week to say hello.  At first she didn't know who it was, but once she figured it out, she just started chatting away about her life.  She is so cute and this picture of her always make me smile.

Another phone call

Last Thursday, I was at work and for awhile now I have been stressing about what to do if my adoption phone rang at work.  I work 12 hr shifts at a hospital and we aren’t supposed to have our cell phones out.   We all carry our phones in our pockets or have them available in case someone needs us or we need to use them on break.  Well, that is fine and all, but I was getting nervous that I would miss when the adoption phone rang and then, because obviously I would pick it up when it rang, who cares if I got in trouble.  But I figured it would be better just to tell my mgr so she would be ok with it if it did.  So, anyhow, my manager was fine with that.  So I put my normal cellphone in my locker and replaced it with the adoption phone.  (They are both Blackberry smartphones, so they are too big and bulky for me to be carrying both of them around along with all the other stuff I jam in my pockets so I can work during the day.)   With the adoption phone in my pocket I went on my merry way.  Well, not even 2 hrs later it rang.  And it was loud.  I was fumbling in my pocket, trying to grab it in time.  I answered and said, “Hello.”  There was no response.  I said “Hello” again.  Then, an automated telemarketing thing came on the phone.  I immediately hung up.  I was so mad.  I thought, “How did they get my number?”  It was crazy.  I just started laughing.  I also thought, “Are you kidding me?”  Some stupid telemarketers have my number, now I will have to run and answer this phone a million times only to have it be a telemarketer.  I wasn’t going to stand for that.  I immediately put the phone number on the “do not call” list, and so hopefully that should do the trick.   

Well, I went about my day, and no other phone calls came in on that line.  At the end of the day I went to my locker to grab my stuff to go home.  I looked at my normal cellphone and saw that I had received a call from our adoption social worker.  I thought: “Dang it, how did I miss this call?”  The voice mail he left was short, sweet, and boring.  Which didn’t help at all.  The office was closed, so I couldn’t call him back.  I just could not believe it.  I had carried the wrong phone all day.  

I got home, and decided to see if our social worker had left me an email that might give me a little more information about why he had called.   He did.  Want to know what it said?

Maybe I’ll tell you tomorrow. 

Just kidding!

Drum roll please...

He said our profile has been chosen! 

and

We will be adopting a baby boy in October!

Can you believe it?  It is so awesome.  We are so excited.  

I have been overcome with such happiness and joy.    

Now the disclaimer my husband requested I write, even though I told him you all know this.  He wants you to know it's not for sure.  The birthparents can change their mind at any time until papers are officially signed.  

I know the bottom can drop out at any moment in this process, but I am not going to let that spoil my excitement.  If it drops it drops.  And then I'll be sad.  My husband is also super happy too, I am not try to say he isn't.  This is can be scary and emotional process.   But I am going to throw caution to the wind and be happy and celebrate this exciting news.  

We haven't met the birthparents yet, but hopefully we will soon.  I am a little nervous about that.  I just went and got my hair cut and dyed so when we do I will look presentable.  

My mind has been racing a mile a minute since we heard the news.  There is so much I want to remember about these first few days of complete joy.  It has been so fun to call and tell people from close friends and family to random people like my hairdresser about our news.  And I am so glad I could share this exciting news with all of you as well.   

For those of you that are not in a happy place in this adoption/loss/infertility world, my heart goes out to you.  I know how difficult it can be to hear someone else's glowing report of how wonderful life is for them as they get ready to welcome a baby into their home.  Please know that I am aware of you and hope that you can find peace and that your hopes of bringing children into your home will be realized soon.  

A great day

That's what it was.

I will go to sleep smiling tonight.

Good Friends

Bring me Joy.

I am so grateful to have some dear friends in my life.  I will be forever grateful to those that have listened to me as I have related the highs and lows of my life and hep me feel good about who I am.  They make me want to be a better person and friend.  They bring laughter and joy into my life.  To those who are my dear friends, both online and off, thank you.

What to do when the Adoption Phone Rings?!?

Freak out?

Yes

Stress about it?

Yes

Use reverse phone number look up a million times trying to find out more information than what I just got?

Yes

The first time the phone rang is actually a pretty funny story.  It happened a few weeks ago at 2 in the morning.  But I didn't realize it had rung until that morning, or so I thought.  My hubby said when it rang in the middle of the night I was mad at him and kept saying, "What is that noise? and Make it stop".  I had no idea it happened.  My explanation was that the phone we have dedicated to our adoption info is one of his old phones and still has his ring on it.  So I must've thought his phone was ringing.  I live with my normal phone on silent, but obviously, I never turn our adoption phone off.  The morning I realized it had rung I of course did a white pages reverse phone number look up, and then stewed about whether or not I should call the number back.  I decided the person must've dialed the wrong number, and even if not I didn't want to call the number back, because who knows who might answer.  And then what would I say?  I had no good answer and decided if a birth parent wanted to talk to me they would call me, but I wouldn't call a back a random number if this person didn't care to leave a voice message.  And then I lectured my husband about the importance of answering the phone when it rings no matter what time it is.  LOL

The second time it rang I missed it too.  That time it was at 9 am.  I don't know how I missed it, but I did.   I have no idea what I was doing.  All I know is that I didn't hear it and I might've blown it again.  I followed my same pattern--obsessed over the reverse phone number feature on the internet and then wished and hoped and prayed this person would call me back.  No such luck.

I know this phone is not supposed to ring off the hook, but when it does ring, I wish I would be around to answer it.  I hope when a birth parent calls he or she will be brave enough to leave a voice message for us.

How does this post help me find joy?  Because I can laugh about these experiences even while wishing they had turned out differently.  And I am still trying to wait patiently for the phone to ring again.   And because it helps me know that the phone does work and that at least 2 people have called it.

Third time's the charm.

Dear adoption phone,

Please ring again, pretty please.  I promise I'll answer it next time. 

Yours truly,

jrs

Wordless Wednesday: My hubby

Here is one of my favorite pictures of my husband with my stuffed monkey Homer.  My hubby is such a good sport and easy going.  And he puts up with my obsession for my stuffed monkeys.  This picture was taken years ago at one of our niece's soccer games.  This is from when we lived in CA and I was into the baseball team: The Angels, mostly because they had rally monkeys like Homer.  My hubby is the best, he brings so much joy into my life.

Swimming in Joy

This weekend I had family in town.  One day we went to the pool and had a good ole time swimming, splashing, and playing games.  We played keep away with tennis balls and capture the flag (actually capture the pool noodle).  I narrowly saved my husband's iPhone from a watery grave when one of my little nephews casually picked it up off the table and started meandering his way into the pool.  You gotta watch him and his brothers like a hawk.  I relaxed by the pool reading mindless celebrity magazines.

I had a great time and it was fun to relax, eat yummy food, and laugh with people I love.

Finding Joy through Service

A few weeks ago I was asked by the ladies group at my church to be in charge of planning an activity at a children's center that serves emotionally disturbed children many of whom have been removed from their homes due to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.   I was asked to help a group of boys ages 5-8.

I decided to plan an obstacle course.  Something to keep them busy and have fun.  It has been a lot of work, but I am getting excited about it.

Here is a list of the things they will be doing:
--hop through hula hoops
--crawl under a table without letting the hanging balloons touch them
--trace their hand or foot
--do jumping jacks to the bean bag toss
--balance a tennis ball on a spoon to the kiddie pool
--dig through the balloons in the kiddie pool filled with balloons to find a prize  (the prize is a pair of funny plastic glasses)
--do the balloon waddle to a designated area
--hackey sack balloon
--waddle with the balloon to the finish line
--then sit and pop the balloon

Then if we still have extra time we will play "clear the room" with balloons where the kids are divided up and they try to get all of the balloons of their side and onto the other kids' side before time runs out.  And then we will just mess around with the balloons until time runs out.  Because I think I bought a few too many balloons.  But I guess it is always better to have too many than too few.

I think it will be fun.