Happy Moments

I had a great day yesterday, spent with my family from near and far, old and young. My two sisters came from Denver and Washington to join my sister and her husband as they blessed their darling baby boy, the youngest member of my extended family. We were also joined with close family friends and aunts, uncles and Great-Grandparents. Just so I can remember, I wanted to share a few of my happy moments. 1. Sitting next to my Grandpa Loya, who is 84 years old, but has not been in the best health lately. Though his skin is easily bruised, his gate and speech are slow, he is still absolutely in love with my cute grandma. He said to me, "Your grandma is a beautiful woman . . . she is a good person, and not just because she's my wife . . . she is the best nurse." What a happy moment to share this sweet moment with my grandpa. I am grateful to have such great examples of happy marriages in my family. 2. My brother-in-law giving his baby son a father's blessing. Though my sister and her husband do not attend church, they chose to have a family gathering and bless their son. All of the father's in the room joined in, with hands resting on shoulders around that precious baby. There are some in my religion who might look down upon an "unofficial" blessing from a man without the priesthood, but it was a very special moment for me and my family. They also asked those gathered, to share their hopes and dreams for baby James, and my cute grandfather broke down in tears again. I am ever grateful for a wonderful, loving family who care and support one another. 3. My darling niece, named after my grandmother, is a precious little 2 year old. I find pure joy in watching her little antics of playing and interacting. As I was talking to my sister, I put two and two together and realized that the little girl we are in hopes of adopting from Haiti is a few days younger than my darling niece. It's hard to explain how that made me feel, recognizing that my little girl (I hope), who sits in an orphanage, is the same age as my beautiful, funny, sassy little niece. I felt even more connected to her, and yet, also sad that I may never have her in my home when she is that age. It was a happy moment for me to realize that she would have a cousin just her age. I remain ever hopeful that she will be ours, or that we will understand and love whoever we are supposed to have in our home, if it's not her. 4. Another happy moment was attending Zumba with my sister this morning. Simple pleasures. I am happy to recognize and appreciate the simple things in life, to value family and friendships, and to enjoy the moment. That's all!