Ten Things That Make Me Really Happy

I found another post on the list of this blogger's challenge that I wanted to do. At this point in the school year after getting home from a 3-hour night class after a long day of teaching after a long two weeks of standardized tests, I'd say it's high time to stop and be thankful for some stuff. Many things make me happy (I'm easily amused), but here are ten of those many things.

1. My Kids' Big Brown Eyes. This sounds so tacky. It sounds like Karen Kingsbury or some other terribly smarmy author should have written that, but I must say that it is true. (For those of you who don't know me, I mean my students and not my actual children. Not that my students are not actual children. What I'm trying to say here is that I do not have biological kids.) They have wonderful brown eyes that give the most hilarious expressions. Granted, many of them are disrespectful expressions (my room is the eye rolling capital of the world), but my particular second graders have a way of making you forget those offenses from time to time and melting your heart for a moment. And then they cuss you out and that moment of bliss goes away, but it was there for a moment nonetheless. 

2. Snapchat. The quasi-inappropriate, funny, and friendly snaps alike all bring joy to my otherwise routine-driven day.

3. Church. Have I showed you pictures of my church before? Well now I have. The place is beautiful. And I know that it's not all about the place looking beautiful or whatever, that technically those elements of church are superficial, but I don't care. There is something about walking into my church that puts my whole self at ease. For that hour and fifteen minutes a week I would want to be nowhere else on earth than in that beautiful place.

4. Pilsen. I've talked about my corner of Chicago before and I'm sure you're bored of the infomercial for Pilsen that I often pitch to people who ask about it. But on sunny days like today, it looks heavenly to me. The uneven roads and sidewalks, the big huge shade trees, the families bustling around town, the brightly-colored buildings, it all was magic.

More pictures of bachelorette goodness are soon to follow! 

5. Weddings. Lord knows I've had my fair share of weddings this past year or so. Lord knows I've been caught complaining from time to time about the money, routines, runaround, and all that goes with them. But I'm going to let you in on a secret and tell you that no matter what, I love 'em. So much love and joy and happiness all together at once in one day and place. Karley's is next weekend and it seems to me that it's absolutely impossible for me to be more happy that a wedding is happening than I am for this one. Well maybe I'd be as excited for my own wedding someday. But maybe not even then. That's how happy I am for her. Oh my goodness I'm smiling as I'm typing.

6. Trader Joe's. Because it makes me feel like a healthy yuppy young adult and I like to feel that way sometimes.

7. Bonfires. I would be perfectly happy to have a bonfire every single night of my summer. Preferably under a clear sky in Wisconsin, but I am happy to be staring at a fire for hours in any old place.

8. Seinfeld. It has never failed to bring me joy for lo these 23 years and I'm still confused on how this one slipped past the radar of my otherwise-strict parents. They allowed me to watch new episodes each week, every one riddled with innuendo and inappropriate viewing all through the 1990's, but I'm glad they had several moments of parental mishap and let me watch the comedic genius unfold.

This might be my favorite place in the world. 

9. Spain. I miss it. I love talking about it. I love looking at pictures. I love laughing at how fat I got when I was there. I love remembering it. Anything that has to do with it makes me really, really happy.

10. Barefoot Moscato That Costs $6.00. 'Nuf said.