It’s once again that time of the week to reflect back over the last seven days and consider three happinesses–moments that brought joy to my week. This week’s happinesses came courtesy of Spring Break. Thankfully Spring appears to be in full bloom, which made the fact that we stayed in Northern Indiana instead of traveling to a warm destination a bit more bearable. I’m not always a big planner and prefer to schedule our days on a whim, so leading into the week, I didn’t know what our staycation would look like. It has turned out to be a great week of swimming (a lot), visiting the zoo for the first time this season, meeting up with friends and hanging out with grandparents. Looking back, it seems like we’ve done a lot, but it has been a fun-filled, yet laid back week. The perfect balance.
I have to admit that I am cheating this week. I couldn’t narrow it down to just three. Instead, I bring you three, plus one happinesses. And, I included more pictures than normal. I just couldn’t narrow them down! Enjoy and be sure to comment below with your three (or more) highlights of your week.
Swimming
Our week began when, on the spur of the moment, we decided to become members of our local Kroc Center. We hear it has a full gym, but all we’ve seen is the amazing aquatics center complete with a toddler splash pool, lazy river, hot tub, lap pool and large, twisting water slide. I believe we’ve made five trips there over the last six days. The kids have had a blast and have all been proud of their ever-growing confidence in the water and swimming capabilities. They are ready for summer.
The Zoo
I have always been an animal lover. Two of my three kids have followed my lead. I do admit that I’ve always had mixed feelings about zoos. While I love getting to see exotic animals that I wouldn’t be able to view in their natural habitats, I know that those small cages are not ideal living quarters for them. But, during our inaugural zoo trip for this season, I was reminded of one important benefit of zoos: education. The placard at each exhibit lists where the species is on the endangered list. The kids found this information fascinating. When we reached the snow leopard, my son was truly saddened to see that they are critical–the final step before extinction. The concern he had amazed me. He has never been an animal lover. Whenever I talk about getting another animal (we already have a dog and two cats), he is quick to say, “No! We already have enough!” Seeing his heart break for snow leopards surprised me. (Perhaps I should’ve used that moment to suggest getting a kitten….)
While seeing that the snow leopard’s critical classification was sad, we also discovered some happinesses at the zoo: the otters were out and looking as cute as ever, one of the peacocks showed us his tail in all its glory, and the lions didn’t attempt to spray us…as has happened in the past.
Office away from Office
Thanks to awesome grandparents, I have been able to take two days this week to focus on my work and dig into writing the Unexpectant book. On one of those days, I had to find a place to work outside of my home office. That’s where The Eatery at Granger Commons came in handy. This has become my office away from home over the last month. Not only is it a peaceful place with great food (try the soup!), but on two occasions now, my coffee has been prepaid thanks to the generosity of a stranger who delights in paying it forward.
Chasing Sunsets
Last night, we took the the kids to a sleepover at my parents’ house on a rainy, overcast evening. On the way home, the clouds began to break on the horizon, just as the sun was setting. In moments, the sky went from gray and dull to vibrant pinks, reds, oranges, purples and blues. And so we chased the sunset. We detoured off our route to catch a good view. Once we found it, we pulled to the side of the road and I jumped out to snap this picture. It was a good reminder to me that though I’d rather have been watching it on a warm, sandy beach, even a cornfield can still be beautiful.
Now it’s your turn. What are your three happinesses from the week? If you’re a blogger, join in the fun and leave your link below. I’d love to see what has brought a smile to your face this week.
As I mentioned above, I am in the midst of writing the Unexpectant book that will be full of real mom’s stories of pregnancy, birth, babies, breastfeeding and beyond. If you would like to take part and share your own story, then visit our submissions page or contact me. By sharing your own story, we can help prepare more women for their journeys to and through motherhood.
Have you followed me on Pinterest yet? Connect with me over there! And find me on Instagram where my stream is flooded with happinesses each day.
