bringing some meaning...

Andy and I are both known for our positivity in all situations and can usually always find the light at the end of the tunnel.  It can be super annoying to some people, but most people say it is their favorite thing about us.  Because of this positivity, we have many mantras that we live by including the following: 

"Everything happens for a reason"

"Team first"

"Do unto others as you would want done unto you"

"Life is short...travel"

I could go on and on with this list, but the one mantra that I really want to talk about is, "It's the little things!"

It truly is "the little things" that get me through each hour, each day, and each week.  It is these little things that drive my optimism and keep me thinking about the good in a situation.  Many times it is something small like an old student saying "hi" in the hallway, a good song playing on my pandora station, my lunch that I packed for the day, the smell of clean laundry...I think you get the picture.


Hence the name for my blog!


I want to share the little things that happen in our life that could give you inspiration, help you through a bad day,  help you feel like someone knows where you have been, and just bring a smile to your face.  I know that is a tall order for a little blog, but I think it can  happen (at least the smile part)!


Don't worry, I am not forgetting that sometimes it is the big things in life that make us crash and burn or give us superhero powers to jump over a life hurdle.  So, sometimes you will get to read about those "big things" for the Groettums as all of us have plenty that are noteworthy.


So, I challenge you to look each day to find one thing that will help you make it through even if it is the worst day on the planet.  If it is such a bad day that you need something every hour, find that little thing that will get you to the next one.  Even if you are having a good day, look for the little thing that can make it that much better.


Ready...GO!

ringing in 2012 country style...

We are so thankful that we are in the teaching profession and get so much time to be with family.  We were having so much fun in the land of turkeys that we decided to stay a couple extra days than we had planned.  This found us in Frazee, MN for New Year's eve.


We decided to go out for dinner the evening before New Year's so that it wouldn't be as busy.  My mom and Howie took us to a fabulous gem in Vergas, MN (a small town right outside of Frazee) called Spanky's.  I wasn't too sure what to expect, but we were both blown away when we stepped inside.  It was rustic inside and the menu made the decision on what to order very difficult.  We had a fabulous dinner celebrating one of our last nights in rural Minnesota, and the company didn't hurt either!  

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New Year's eve brought new adventures for the Groettums...we shot guns!  For those of you that know me, know that this is a pretty big deal for me.  I really HATE guns and think they are really scary.  I still feel that same way, but now I can say that I actually have held them and shot them, which makes me feel like a bad ass!  I shot a 22-caliber handgun and a 9-millimeter pistol.  

The 22 seemed like no problem and I was enjoying how small it was and that it didn't kick back too much, but it was still loud and scary.  Next up was the 9-millimeter and this was a whole different story.  It is an extremely old gun (dating back to WWII) and was my grandfather's.  I wasn't quite prepared for how different it would be from the gun I just shot.  To say it was loud doesn't even begin to describe the sound.  It also kicked back so far that I felt like I was shooting at the sky.  

Needless to say, I decided I was done with shooting after that and left it for the boys.  Howie and Andy continued to shoot two different rifles.  This was Andy's first time using a rifle and he really enjoyed the high-tech scopes and shots he hit on the target!  


Getting out of my comfort zone is the little thing that I will always remember about this special New Year's eve.  May that thought stay in the front of my mind as I move into 2012 and continue to learn new things and have new adventures.