Very little is needed

"Very Little is needed to make a happy life;
it is all within yourself,

in your way of thinking."

-Marcus Aurelius

This is the quote on my calendar this month. It's one of those happy thoughts that keeps appearing in sneaky little ways all over my life. I must need to hear it. So here are a few of the things that make my life happy:

-Brooks. That baby of mine is such a joy. I can't think of anything that makes me happier. Except maybe his two bottom teeth. I love them.
-Cold sheets. Is there anything better?
-Pumpkins. In any form. Today it happened to be in the form of pumpkin bread from Kneaders. We ate the entire loaf in about an hour. It was delish.
-Naps. I have been sneaking them in all week. Just a few minutes here or there. It feels so indulgent and I always have the urge to clean the kitchen when I wake up.
-The big, squishy leather chair in my bedroom. It is the most comfortable chair known to man. Really.
-My new curtains. After 5 years we finally have curtains in our two front rooms. My mom made them this summer. The fabric is perfection and every time I look at them they remind me of her.
-Praying with my boys in the morning. We just started this. Just before they walk out the door I say a quick prayer that they will be safe, protected. That they will make good decisions, be good examples, that they will learn. How did we ever get by without this?
-Spin. I do not like waking up at 5:27 a.m. I resist with all my might. And then I go. And I feel so good when I am done that it should be illegal. If only that high lasted all day...
-Watching Paige in her dance class. It is quite possibly the cutest thing I have ever seen.
-Sunday evenings. I love cooking a big dinner and having my family gathered around the table together. I love having my brother there. I love watching Big Bang Theory after the kids go to bed. I love how hard we all laugh.
-Thursdays. Thursdays are my new favorite. Next to Sunday evenings. Because I know once I walk out of my classroom on Thursday night that I don't have to worry about school again until Tuesday. So nice.
-Getting my Fall decorations out. I love the change. I love how my house looks covered in orange and black. I especially love the anticipation of a new season.
-Mail. Going to the box and sorting through all of the letters and magazines on my living room floor makes me happy. Making a pile of all the paper that needs to be recycled makes me even happier.
-Stripes. I love stripes. I have too many striped shirts to count. And then I see myself in a picture wearing those striped shirts and I realize that stripes do not love me. But I love them so much that I do not care.
-Going to the movies. The movie is secondary. The popcorn is not. I have a love affair with popcorn. It can make even the worst movie pleasant.
-But I do love a good movie. We saw Nanny McPhee Returns last night. I had no expectations and it was perfectly lovely. I laughed, I cried, I kissed Paige on the cheek at least ten times during that hour and a half. And it made me terribly disappointed that I do not have an English accent.
-A clean house.
-Mindy Gledhill's new CD. Owen and I are a little obsessed. We sing along in the car. Owen hums the tune as he eats his lunch. It is not radio Disney or Camp Rock or the Jonas Brothers. She is my new best friend. And this is the song that sums this whole post up.

All the Pennies by Mindy Gledhill