Making Me Happy Monday!

I really need to start writing these posts on Sundays because here it is 9:36PM on Monday evening, and I am just now getting a chance to sit down at my computer! If I want others to hop on the "happiness" bandwagon, I need to get this post up early in the day!

Anyways, I am very glad that I made the commitment to do this post every week.

Last week was a pretty rough one for me. At some point I may choose to write about it, but for now my thoughts are a big jumbled emotional mess.

We'll suffice it to say that this morning, when I pondered what I was going to write about, there wasn't much in the happy column.

After brief pause, I realized that no matter what, if you think hard enough there is always something in your life that you can smile about. So, without further ado, here's my list (yes, there is a list):

1) This past Saturday was the next to the last one for which I'll be a tax widow! AND (fingers and toes crossed), there is a slight possibility that DH might not have to work this . Saturday. Regardless, this means that very soon, we will have normal family weekends again. TWO FULL DAYS at a time! If that's not something to smile about, I don't know what is!

2) The Mad Hatter and I had an action-packed Saturday. A birthday party at the Children's Museum, where she had so much fun! Every time we go there, she experiences things differently and I adore watching her soak it all in. Then, a visit with family from hubby's side who sadly, we don't see very often. It was wonderful to watch MH, the only girl, among all the "big boy" cousins and to have some time to really catch up.

3) My brother, Uncle D (MH's idol) came home to RI after a week of business travel. He was picking up his dog, Shay (also known as ShayShay and Shaybee by the MH) from my parents, and of course wanted to come by to see his favorite girl. I'm not sure what MH was more excited about - spending more time with the dog (who was ours until 2 years ago, which is another story for another day), or Uncle D. Either way, she was over the moon. We got the unexpected surprise of having dinner together (from my favorite Chinese restaurant that we grew up eating at but I haven't had in years) and a chance to hang out and catch up for a while. Even though my brother only lives an hour away, his job is extremely demanding and we don't get to hang out nearly as much as I wish we could. D - we all loved having you here!

4) Yesterday, we celebrated my great-aunt's 80th birthday, again with family we don't see all the time. The get-together was supposed to be last month, and unfortunately she became ill, so her good health and birthday were cause for double the celebration. It was very cool to have four generations of family in the room, catching up on life, celebrating life, and toasting my wonderful aunt. The fabulous cupcakes from a little cupcake bakery in Plymouth, MA didn't hurt either! I love watching my grandmother and her sister together - seeing how similar they are and yet so different. I also love watching MH with her 14 month old cousin C - he adores her and she not only adores him right back, but loves being the "big" cousin and "taking care of" him. Family is so important to us, and again, I was reminded this weekend of how blessed we are to have the kind of family we do.

6) My other grandma (MH's GiGi) is coming home from Florida tomorrow to celebrate Passover. She'll only be here for a short time, but we can't wait to spend some special time with her! Although she spends her summers in RI, we so look forward to these visits because there's so much to catch up on! It also makes me so happy to watch her with her great-granddaughter - I know how much she misses her during the time she's in Florida, and how much she adores being with her and seeing how much she has changed and matured in between visits.

6) The MH LOVES the brand new Disney Princess big-girl bicycle we surprised her with! It's so cute (and pretty tricked-out, if you ask me!). Granted, we had to purchase the smallest one, and adjust it so her little legs can reach the pedals. And, she doesn't quite get the concept that every time she tries to pedal in reverse (which she does on her tricycle to gain momentum) she engages the brakes, but she loves it. Such a rite of passage. So perfect to watch her in our driveway as she took her first spin. So humorous that her Sesame Street helmet finally fits her correctly, and I don't know if I'm going to be able to find a princess one that is small enough (have I mentioned that she's extremely petite? I realize most kids these days have a bike well before they turn 4, but we were excited this summer when her legs finally reached the pedals on her tricycle!).

Suffice it to say that despite the week I had and the things in my life I'd rather forget, it's safe to say that family is the main thing making me happy today.

And isn't that what it's all about?

What are you happy about today?