Because I love Lists... #1

The Things that Make Me Happy

-the smell of rotting leaves
-complete silence during a snow storm
-carmel-dipped apples
-violins
-the music of The Beatles
-the Salt Lake Temple
-the smell of plants and flowers heated by the sun in May mornings
-gutting a pumpkin in october
-the smell of burnt pumpkin November 1st
-the calm on Christmas Eve
-fresh daisies in a vase
-birds of any kind
-the wide expanse of the ocean, seeming it never ends.
-the dip your stomach feels when your plane leaves the ground and ascends into the sky
-when someone I love brushed the hair out of my eyes
-losing track of myself when I read a book
-poems that are in themselves, paintings
-the smell of trees in Yellowstone
-the music of Coldplay
-haunted houses
-cemetaries
-oak, maple, aspen and willow trees
-the first sip of Vegan Hot Chocolate from the Hatch Family Chocolate Co.
-the last bite of an ice cream cone
-cellos
-intense opera scenes with all charaters singing at once
-making pies on thanksgiving day
-ghost peeps
-Scary movies
-summer night drives
-laughing through tears
-reading to out loud to children or adults
-long coats of jackets
-children singing in cathedrals
-running saturday mornings with good music
-piano music
-listening to my own heart beat
-reading old journal entries
-watching Christmas lights in December
-being kissed slow
-the color red
-writing a poem
-singing opera
-watching slapstick humor
-the smell of squash in the oven
-warm socks from the dryer
-listening to someone else's heart beat
-when one college class studies something another class studies at the same time (but from a different perspective)
-thunder and lightning
-Ray Bradbury's writing
-my dad's grin when he is talking about books
-the smell of libraries
-my mom's voice
-pretty skirts
-falling asleep in May with the window open
-marshmallows
-my brother when he knows I need to laugh
-dark chocolate
-the painting "Fishermen at Sea" by Joseph Turner
-pastels to draw with
-the pain in my stomach when I laugh too hard
-touching the face of someone I love
-basil
-long talks that give perspective
-going to the Farmer's market
-walking through Hamilton Gardens in New Zealand
-the truth I have about Jesus Christ

ok, this is not everything that has ever made me happy but, I really felt like I needed to take a moment and write down what I could. I have learned so much lately about perspective and true joy. I am naturally a happy person but in my darkest times, these are the things that I've been blessed to experience that soothe anything that aches. Happiness is real and I feel it.