My attempt at LITTLE HAPPIES Vol. I!

Happy Tuesday All!

I am turning my focus to my very own version of LITTLE HAPPIES! I have so enjoyed everyone else's take on this great idea from Stephanie @ Blessed To Be (P.S. If you haven't checked out her blog, you should...it's amazing!), and I'm excited to share my own! Most of these are old pictures, by the way, but when scanning through my photo archives...each and every one made me smile. And that's worth something :)

1. My amazing husband, of course!

This is a shot from our engagement session, taken by my lovely sister-in-law, on the street where I grew up. It was so special for me to revisit sites and scenes from my childhood, and to share those memories with my (then) soon-to-be-husband. I used to be someone that placed an over-emphasis on the past...but, with my husband by my side, I truly look forward to the future. And check out those dance moves...what a stud. ;)

2. My Family!

Ohhhhh how I love love love my siblings. This is a shot from Christmas Eve, all cozy in our Christmas PJ's, which has been a traditional gift since we were little. I am the oldest of five, and with that I have always felt a sibling-AND-maternal love for my brothers and sisters. I held each one of them as babies, for gosh sake! And look how big they are now! This picture is of the two youngest, Claire and Matthew--and Matthew, the baby, will be 17 TOMORROW! Man, how time flies. And how I adore them!

3. The New Year

2013 was a tough one for me. As I was celebrating this New Year's Eve, I really did imagine myself 'letting go' of all of the troubles and fears and worries I had felt that year. Easier said than done, right?! Still, I am thankful for each new year, each new chance to love God more fully, and each new moment spent with loved ones. And my parent's met on NYE, so, it will always be special to me for that reason too! P.S. That is a mask on my husband's head...it was Masquerade-themed!

4. Magnificat

I am so, so thankful that this publication exists. It has seen me through some of my darkest days, and continues to pick me up when I fall (which is a lot). How lucky we are in this modern day to have God's Word literally at our fingertips! This day's evening prayer was especially meaningful for me, as I wrote about here.

5. Adirondack Chairs, of course.

Ha well, this one is from this weekend. I was THIS close to picking up a stack of these babies for $17.98/piece when I remembered that it was our town's SPRING CLEANING DAY, when everyone puts old/used things on the curb for others to take. Guess who has a new FREE set of lawn furniture?! (Hint: it's me).

6. My adorable/hysterical younger sister, Molly.

She only gets her own post (because I love ALL of my sibs, after all) because this is such a great shot. This was before her first date with a nice Catholic boy (doesn't she look so cute?!), and she paused to take a 'saint selfie' (That's St. Therese of Liseux on the plaque). I just love it. Her faith is inspiring and she challenges me daily. I wouldn't have it any other way!

7. My terrific parents!

After a busy weekend doing 'house projects' before our big house-warming party, mom and dad took me out for a burger and a beer. I feel so blessed to have parents that not only love me, but also like hanging out with me. And the feeling is mutual. They're just the best....and the burger, well, that was good too.

8. Laughing (or inner-laughter as this photo implies, ha!)

My husband is such a goof, but he keeps me laughing, and I need that. I have the soul of a 500-year-old dinosaur...he has the soul of a 3-year-old toddler. We keep each other grounded, and in this way we also compliment each other. This screenshot was taken during a FaceTime where he would not stop moving the camera. Pay-back is sweet. 

9. My NEW HOME!

This one is kinda hard to explain, but I'll give it a shot. See the tiny white light to the left of the highest orange light? Well, that's the front porch of my new house. Since I moved in, I've been really comforted by my porch light. Weird right? But my house sits smack in the middle of a street that t-bones to a dead end on one side and a forest preserve on the other. If you kept driving down the cross street and didn't stop, you would drive directly into my house. And so, when you're driving toward it, the light is directly at the end of your path...seemingly welcoming me home. Leave it to a former English Major to try and turn her porch light into poetry, ha. And the shot is nothing to write home about, either. But, still, this is a 'little happy' if there ever was one.

10. My new journey!

My book finally came! I just started it this morning, but wow, I can already tell it's exactly what I need. I am hoping and praying that I have the strength to finish the entire consecration...I am tentatively hoping that I can finish on May 13, the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima! Like Magnificat, I am so thankful that these resources exist. We are so lucky that we have so many chances to draw closer to God...even when it is difficult, there is always a chance to start again.

So that's a wrap, and I feel happier already! Thanks again to Stephanie for the idea, and many prayers for all of you today, that you feel happy, even in 'little' ways!

xoxo,