Simple Joys of the Week, February 15th Edition

This week was hard. It started with my uncle's visitation + funeral--which was beyond heartbreaking and emotionally exhausting--included a nausea/throwing-up incident on my trip back to the airport after the funeral (first puke of the pregnancy, though!), and was topped-off by another intense family issue that's been taking up a lot of emotional energy.

Buuuut, as is normal in this life, there was a lot of good, too. And that's what #SJOTW is all about--celebrating the joys of this experience even when life is not so easy. I say this all the time, but it feels especially pertinent right now.

So here goes: my favorite simple, sensory pleasures from the past 7 days. What brought you joy over the past week?

HEAR: "Learning to Fly" by Tom Petty
I haven't heard this song in a really long time, but it was one of my uncle's favorites. Because of this, it was played a lot at his visitation and quoted in the eulogy that my dad gave at the funeral, so it was in my head this week. It's a beautiful song and I loved hearing it when memorializing my uncle, despite how sad it made me, too. Listen below.

​SEE: Our baby!!!
There's nothing like watching the baby in your belly move around, put his hand in his mouth, drink his amniotic fluid, and kick his little legs. During our 18-week ultrasound we not only found out that we're having a little boy (who, at this point, already looks exactly like Ben, haha!), but we also got some peace of mind that he's healthy, developing correctly, and loves to do plow pose ;) It was really special and uplifting. 

TASTE: Morning tea in my new Yeti Rambler Mug
My dear friend + Starr Struck Design Studio partner-in-crime, Sara, recently gifted me with this mug and I am obsessed. It truly does keep my tea hot for the entirety of the time I'm drinking it (game-changer!), the top ensures it doesn't get spilled when I'm enjoying it on the floor while playing with CM, and it's dishwasher safe! I love it so much. 

[Also, wishing Sara a very happy birthday! She's home with a sick kiddo today so we need to send her extra special wishes for a relaxing, enjoyable day...]

SMELL: Homemade chocolate chip cookies 
Melissa, the talented gal who runs Charlie Mae's daycare (and thus = MVP of our family!), is also an incredible chef and baker. She made homemade chocolate chip cookies with the kids yesterday and sent one home for each of us as a special Vday treat. It was the perfect little nightcap after a long evening of teaching and it was delicious. Was I annoyed that Ben confessed that he *almost* ate mine while I was gone despite me telling him not to? Of course I was. But he didn't, so all is well around here. Thanks, Melissa!

TOUCH: Snowmen
It snowed a bit here on Tuesday and it was just enough for me and Charlie Mae to make about 800 snowmen, which is her dream these days. We've done a lot of talking about snowmen since Christmas, but haven't had enough snow/the right kind of snow to make them until now. It was so sweet watching how much joy our miniature snowmen brought her, and I loved romping around outside together. She was very sad when the snow (and thus, all of our little snowmen) melted. 

And there you have it: joy amidst sadness, life and death, sickness and health--the duality of our experience, the ups-and-downs, the reality of our shared existence.  

​I hope you can find some time to reflect on your week today, too.

Have a simple-joy-filled weekend!