52 Weeks of Happiness Week 19

It's Friday and I'm here for week 19!!

I love summer. I love reading. I love summer reading...you know, those fluffy books -- beach reads. Let me tell you--they are home-reads to me. Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer reads to me. And there is no reason I shouldn't read them whenever I want!

I love getting in bed, hubby's usually already there, and we both sit in silence for half an hour or an hour, reading. Totally different books. We're in different worlds. The other day, I was in Nora Roberts Wedding World. Hubby was in an Administering a School for Learning Disabilities world. And yet, we were really close.

He thought I was a little crazy to take a picture, but I knew this week had to be about these intimate moments, even in different worlds.



Bliss!

52 Weeks of Happiness Week 18

This post should have been made last Thurs, or Fri, or even Saturday. But no, summer has gotten the best of me. Here we go, you'll get a dose of happiness today and another dose by FRIDAY of this week. Setting a goal, here!

During week 18, I took a trip to Hardy, AR with my family. My MIL and I (and son) went Thursday, met friends up there on Friday, and were joined by hubby that day too.

I hadn't been up to my MIL's Hardy house since Labor Day, so it was way overdue! Poor little guy had a horrible night's sleep that first night, but once he figured out where he was and who he was with, he did fine.

I love all parts of trips there. We cook out, cook in, eat out, eat in, hop on a kayak to go very close to a place by the falls. You can have a beer at noon if you really want, because it's vacation.

I love the water. The mountains are fine, but I feel better with the water. And it was hot, but the river is very cool. I loved watching my son discover the river and was very grateful for all the help I had with my toddler. And I could stop for a moment, and just enjoy this, and listen to the falls.



A very happy few days.

52 Weeks of Happiness Week 17

I am a little late this week because I went on a weekend trip, but that's for this current week, not Week 17. For week 17, my birthday.

I have spent five birthdays with hubby busy doing something else, (grad school away for four years, conference this year). We celebrated Father's Day and my birthday this past Saturday, and I had friends to take me out on my actual birthday (Tuesday). We went to a restaurant that hubby doesn't like but I LOVE, so that was great! My MIL made me dinner at my house on Monday night, and Tuesday I arranged for a babysitter in the late morning so I could go poolside solo.

This WOULD be the day it rained. I came back home, changed out of my swimsuit, and since I had a sitter, I decided to make the best of it. Pedicure.

And of course, I must go to the place around the corner from my house that offers wine. There are a few places around here that offer it, but don't charge. No need for a liquor license if you don't charge, and I'm quite sure it helps business. So I headed there to get a spontaneous, much needed, first-time this year pedicure.



Maybe next year I'll have my hubby with me for my birthday, but I certainly can make it work going (almost) solo!

Happiness and Heartbreak

Almost a week ago, I heard of a friend's passing. She was 48. Lost her 5 year battle with cancer. Used to model in Paris, married for 15 years. Had four children, rising 9th, 7th, 5th, and 3rd graders. Model, but also model parent, wife, and friend. She was tremendously amazing.

She is someone I will remember for years to come. I cried when I heard of her passing. Cried a few hours later again. Then again at her memorial service on Saturday. I think what breaks my heart the most is knowing her children as well as I do. I have, in my 5 years, taught three of them, and my husband has taught the eldest. I taught one for one year, another child for 2, and the youngest for FOUR years. So I know this family well, and fell in love with them like so many at my school had.

Paula was nothing short of a beautiful woman. I am SO happy I knew her. I choose to see this as a time for mourning, but a time of pensive thanksgiving. I truly reflect on how grateful I am to have known her, and to have watched her interact with so many people. She blessed so many lives.

There aren't many people I can say who are simply, truly, beautifully GOOD. She was.

In the midst of heartbreak, happiness for being graced with her presence.

Paula was tremendous, and she did a 3-day 60 mile walk for breast cancer awareness (although she herself had another form, her mother had lost her battle with breast cancer many years ago) a year and a half ago. Here is her depiction of her experience, if you are so inclined. I wish I could point our friend out to you, but she is one who has little hair, and is very tall! Often in this video, she is wearing shades and a cowboy hat. Anyway...just a small part of her legacy.

52 Weeks of Happiness Week 16

This week, it's a Girls' Night Out.

I have had many wonderful friends, I consider myself very lucky. I have never really been a part of a GROUP, though. Sure, there was the theatre group in high school, and the sorority girls in college, but I seem to be the type that does best with just one person by my side. But I've always longed to know just what that was like, to be a part of a group. Where everyone calls everyone to hang out, and no one is left out.

I have a small group starting, and I think this could be the start of something wonderful...

Two friends of mine from school (fellow teachers) and I have somehow or another formed a bond. We live within about 5 minutes of each other, and have carpooled places together, and gone out together, and shared our stories of motherhood and wife-hood together too.

We are all theatre people. And being teachers, we have no money and want to see all things fabulous, so we journeyed to downtown Memphis for teacher's night at the grand theatre, The Orpheum. We took our 20 dollar nosebleed seats and enjoyed a showing of Beauty and the Beast, which appeased the little girls inside us who love fairy tales. We had a great dinner before, and as we left, I snapped this picture:



It's nights like this that you remember always. Plain girl fun, with the flair of a trip downtown.

52 Weeks of Happiness Week 15

I've been completely immersed in being a mom since school has gotten out for the summer that I've fallen behind with blogging, but I'm completely determined to not miss a week of happiness! :)

Because I'm so happy being immersed in my little guy, I have a plethora of things to choose from for this week. Rigby went to his first concert, and I think the special-ness of this event deserves the honor of being the subject of this week's happiness post.

The Levitt Shell in Memphis has quite a history. It's the place of Elvis' first paid concert, and, funny enough, all the concerts now there are free.

Mom, little guy, and several friends came out to hear Bob Dorough of Schoolhouse Rock fame. It was wonderful. Plain and simple!

This week's picture? Not tremendously memorable, but the event sure was.

52 Weeks of Happiness Week 14

A lot of joy this past week:

The END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR!!! Major time with my baby!!! New Orleans trip!!

For this week, it's a simple entry into the 52 Weeks project. I enjoyed my time in New Orleans, but I was sick with a cold and tremendously exhausted from the last week of school. The best part about this trip? I really got to play with pictures and photography like I never have before in this city. And they weren't too complicated. Just Hipstamatic and a good eye. That city is just screaming for its picture to be made, so I obliged.

On day 2, good girl friend Shannon and I went into the famous St. Louis Cathedral. I think it's completely wonderful. Serene. Often a nice cool place to go when walking in the Quarter. It was great to take a moment while our boys were at Pat O'Briens yet again.

This was my favorite pic of my "artsy" ones. THIS made me happy!



It just brings such happiness to find great things that need their picture taken, and boy did I have fun!