Family, Favorite Things, Friends, Life, Photography

happy moments

Kari

i started this post, as i often do, with just a title and a few words, but then it sat untouched for over a month. life happened, and i wasn’t sure how to dive in.

then i found this post by cup of jo:

9 Readers Share Their Happy Moments | Cup of Jo

i felt inspired to try again.

happy moments are needed right now, more than ever.

i’ve been feeling overwhelmed by everything i’ve been reading and hearing in the news and on social media. it hit me hard on saturday night—i found myself sobbing in the dark to my husband after just 30 minutes of scrolling through tiktok. the weight of it all was too much.

deep down, i know i need to step back, to give myself a break from the noise. yesterday, i did just that. i unplugged and turned to something that has always felt like a safe space for me—blogs. reading them was exactly what I needed; they felt like a balm for my mind.

a few years ago, i learned that blogs are technically considered social media, but to me, they’re the good kind—the kind that soothes rather than overwhelms. while reading a post, i came across this quote from mary oliver:

“every day has something in it whose name is forever.”

i hope these happy moments i’m about to share bring a little light to your day—maybe even something that lingers, something that feels like a little bit of “forever.” they’ve brightened my world, and i hope they do the same for you.

growing my first vegetable
biscuits finding zen
my dad and i having a water fight at epcot center
my mom’s excitement over getting engaged
kicking ass at a john hughes trivia night
speaking of… the time our friends indulged us in recreating a scene from ferris bueller at the high school where that scene was filmed.
anna after finishing her last ever college course
little gifts left by our friends during lockdown
happiness over a doggie bone
my husband playing with the kids at a friend’s birthday party
ella talking to the neighbors at mamie and papa’s house
my husband, along with our wonderful neighbors, organized the most heartfelt birthday drive-by surprise for my 50th during the lockdown. police cars, sirens, friends, and family—all of it, even though it was pouring rain. i will never forget the kindness and love that went into this special gesture.
speaking of birthdays, this one was outside of lockdown. i love celebrating my birthday. and dandelions. 💜
ella showing the horses her first-ever horse show ribbon
riding a rollercoaster at six flags with my dad on fathers day
my dad getting to watch the chicago bears practice

tell me about your happy moments.

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44 thoughts on “happy moments”

  2. Kari, what lovely, delightful happy moments! I love them all. We definitely need to savor all the happy moments we can right now, so thank you for sharing these. The doggie feet up in the air is priceless! I’ve been happily reading blogs for an hour this morning and it’s been wonderful.

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  3. This past weekend my husband’s brother and his family came to visit us and it was so full of happy moments. My nephew explaining the rules of basketball to me as if I were very slow (and maybe he’s right). My sister-in-law and I exploding with glee when we found a place selling bubble waffle cones. My husband dressed in a jumpsuit. So much fun!

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  4. Seeing the first fireflies of the season. The distant rumbling of thunder from an approaching storm. A blazing fire in the wood stove on a cold evening. Slipping beneath the sheets to read in bed after a long day. A hot shower after a day of yard work. The sky two minutes before the first snowflakes fall.

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  6. I’m sad that TikTok was stressing you out. I like to think of us being on at the same time, laughing out asses off! I was enjoying the live stream of Doug’s Winter Party on Saturday night. We need to work on your algorithm.

    Growing that pepper must have felt so good. It was a beauty! I feel that way when my orchid blooms. I have 5 buds right now. The best part is that the blooms last about 3 months.

    You and your Dad at Epcot is epic! What a great shot. What year was that?

    We need more information about this recreating of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. I would have been SO down for that! How fun! Also, is that high school the same location as The Breakfast Club? I can never get enough of that ending in the school parking lot.

    My grandkids make me the most happy. They say and do the most amazing things and bring so much joy to me and my husband.

    I hope you have a beautiful week, Kari. XO

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    1. I missed Doug’s winter party—dammit.

      My daughters already miss me on TikTok, so Ella has taken it upon herself to fix my FYP—no politics, just cats, food, travel, and pure nonsense. 🤣 In the meantime, at least I’m getting more done at home!

      Ooh, orchids are tough to grow! I’m seriously impressed, my friend.

      Isn’t that a great shot? Let’s see… Anna was in middle school, so that must have been around 2013.

      Oh, you’re going to love this—Mike and I actually put together a John Hughes movie location tour in 2021 for a group of our friends. We rented a minivan and took them all over the suburbs to visit filming locations, complete with a soundtrack playing at each stop. It was so much fun! If you’re ever in town, we’d totally take you (and your husband, if he’s up for it). And the Breakfast Club high school is actually a different one—it’s also on the tour!

      I can only imagine how much joy your grandkids bring you. I have a grandkitty, and I love him more than is probably normal.

      Wishing you a beautiful week as well, my friend. 😘💜

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  7. I’ll take any happy moment I can — sometimes it takes work to break away and see them, but I am willing to put in the work! It’s just a lot of work lately!

    – My partner just brought me lunch after hearing me in meetings all morning and into the afternoon.

    – I got new shoes last week and the pain I’ve been feeling in my left foot has quickly faded into memory (Let’s hope it lasts!)

    – Opening a package with a set of sticker sheets that I designed (a bucket list item to create, and took much back and forth with production but they were so very patient with me)

    – Shoveled snow yesterday by pretty much bulldozing it in stead of the ol’ heave-ho!

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    1. It really is SO much work!

      I love the thoughtfulness behind that gesture. 🩷

      The last time I got new shoes, I had no pain either—I was so grateful for that!

      Omg, that is so cool, Chris!

      That’s a smart choice—definitely better for the heart.

      Thank you for sharing your happy moments with me. 💜

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  8. I loved every single happy moment! JOHN HUGHES TRIVIA NIGHT! That is very Kari-coded! Love that! Love all of this!

    Funny story: my husband deleted his FB and IG and in a twist no one saw coming, it was WORSE for his mental health! He likes to read his phone in the morning (idk when, I’m always walking Rex when he wakes up) for like 1/2 hour, and in the absence of FB and IG, he was reading the goddamn news. After two days of absolute doom around here, he realized that his entire IG feed is basically dog/ cute animal reels, travel destinations, and sports. He had to put FB and IG back on his phone for his mental health and I think he’s maybe the only person in the entire world for whom that is true.

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    1. Yes, it is! That was such a fun night!

      Now that is funny—I totally get it! The news is so depressing. My daughters already miss me on TikTok, so Ella is on a mission to fix my For You Page with nothing but humor, cats, food, and travel. I love my kids. 💜

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  9. Oh these happy moments absolutely brought joy to my day! Thank you so much for sharing. I LOVE that photo of you and your dad having a water fight at EPCOT.

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  11. Thank you for sharing these happy snippets from your life. They put a big smile on my face today, which was sorely needed. I’ve been feeling bummed lately…the extreme cold and being cooped up, Tim not being able to find a job, the “disruption” of having him live here again (even though it’s also a good thing!), an upcoming dentist appt (Wed…you know my fear of going there & what I have to go through for just a cleaning), an upcoming cardiologist appt (next week), and I just came down with either blepharitis or a chalazion on my eye. It’s painful and I look like a Cyclops. I have an eye dr appt tomorrow afternoon.

    xoxo

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    1. Oh, friend, you definitely deserve some happy moments too. I know I get so caught up in my own head, life, and thoughts that I sometimes forget others are navigating their own struggles as well. Sending you so much goodness, reiki, and love.

      Winter makes it even harder—it’s tough when we can’t just step outside to clear our minds. Moving from one indoor space to another just isn’t the same.

      Let’s plan a time to meet for lunch or coffee. I’ll message you. 😘

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  12. Good for you, Kari! I find myself having to do the same thing with social media; particularly at this time. One day last week when I was on Instagram, it was one after the other reels that were nothing but car crashes, people getting hit by a truck, people falling off balconies. I’m like, why do people feel the need to post stuff like that?!? I finally had to stop myself from using social media for several days because everything I’ve seen lately is horrendous. And it’s like a cancer that keeps spreading. I’ve been spending more time in our city parks, closer to nature, and sharing sometimes TWO short Reiki sessions on myself each day. I find it truly helps me.

    The happy moments that you share here today made me HAPPY! Congrats on your first veggie! LOVED that photo of you and DAD. And also the one of your MOM!

    One of my happy moments last week was when I was at work and spotted a father holding his new born baby and gentle kissing its head. So sweet!

    Sending you postive vibes, my friend!

    ((((((((((XXXXXX)))))))))))

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    1. I couldn’t agree more—it spreads, and unfortunately, that algorithm isn’t working in our favor.

      Aren’t they all great? Now, whenever I look at pictures, I find myself searching for those little happy moments.

      Ohh, I love your happy moment too!

      Thank you, my friend—I’ll take all the good I can get. 😊

      😘💕

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  13. Well these are all adorable Kari…beautiful moments. I really need to sit down and bring forth happy moments to share because unhappy moments take up way too much space in my noggin 🫤

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  14. This really resonates with me.. I love that you were able to put this into words and find inspiration despite how you’ve been feeling. I’m hoping some of that comes to me too.. & sticks!! Thank you for sharing your happy moments ♥️

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    1. I’m so glad this resonated with you. Finding those little moments of joy has been important for me, even when everything feels heavy. I hope you find some that stick too. Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to comment. 💜

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  15. Soooo many happy moments and they all made me smile too! Anna is almost done with college—-welp that escalated quickly! Congrats.

    I’ve had lots of happiness lately, but perhaps the best was spending several house with Lindsay on Saturday. We laughed and laughed and that always fills my soul.

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  16. Kari, I hear ya my friend. I’m stressed and full of anxiety. This world is nuts right now. I love all your pictures so thank you for sharing. I actually smiled at all of them! (especially Ferris Bueller’s school-fantastic!) My happy moment today was getting my hair cut/colored and talking to my stylist about the fantastic art we saw in Italy. It was great going back there in my mind. (sigh)

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  17. Thanks for sticking with it and finishing the post, Kari. It’s lovely.

    The world is a lot right now, and shows no sign of letting up. Humans have been here before, but nowadays with 24/7 news cycles and connectivity, the news is a constant assault on the senses and high-sensitive people must take special care not to drown in it. I feel one must make a deliberate choice to back away from the “noise,” as you call it. That’s a wise choice and what I’m doing.

    A moment of joy? Last Thursday was our weekly day of caring for our three-year-old grandson (who’s going to be a big brother in six months!), and during one of his daily rituals – jumping on the bed in the guest room – he and I had a lot of fun and laughs wrestling. His innocent playfulness is a beacon of hope and joy in a very troubled world. I am in awe of his lovely and loving personality, and hope he inherits a world that’s better, safer and more inclusive than what we’ve gotten to in the present…

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    1. Thank you for reading. 💜

      That’s what I’m doing too. I haven’t been back to TikTok since that evening, and I’m not reading the news. I feel like a different person.

      OMG! Congratulations to you and Sweety! Another grandchild! What a lovely thing to look forward to! I hope for that too, my friend.

      I’m so happy for you and your family. 😊

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  18. You know your title before you write your post! I’m impressed. I never know what I’m going to be saying until I sit down to write so I title posts at the end. Love learning about everyone’s process.

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  19. well dang it. I tried to comment from my phone when you posted this and it kept deleting the whole thing if I backspaced at all , so I decided to use my laptop. You wouldn’t think I could lose my focus that quickly but alas. I came back just now and could not believe my comment wasn’t here. In my mind it worked.

    love the water gun fight with your dad. The backyard, leaning over the fence photo. . . Dang- that feels like summer and youth all intertwined.

    maybe the key to commenting from a phone is to not make a typo. No backspacing and it doesn’t disappear!

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    1. I’ve been having the same problem! Gah.

      I love that picture with my dad too—it’s one of my all-time favorites of us. And that picture of Ella just feels like summer, doesn’t it?

      My issue is only on a laptop… turns out it’s a keyboard problem, and I guess a lot of people are dealing with the same thing. Control + Z should bring back the deleted words—fingers crossed! 🤞

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      1. Control Z? I’ll have to remember that. Everyone said, Get an iPhone. You’ll love it. (hee hee). It was wonky as shit and I was getting off the exercise bike, thinking I’ll just hop on my laptop . . . and then the tots start showing up, and it’s all diapers and bottles and sharing from there. ;)

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