little happies {two}

So glad to join in Stephanie's new link up, albeit a day late...!

{happy #1}

This Scripture verse, from yesterday's morning prayer in Magnificat, makes me happy. Actually I think it makes a great "motto" for the little happies link-up...! It spoke to my heart when I read it.

They are happy, whose strength is in you,
in whose hearts are the road to Zion.
As they go through the Bitter Valley
they make it a place of springs,
the autumn rain covers it with blessings.
- Psalm 84

Beautiful!

{happy #2}

Good smelling soaps!


 Mr. M and I did some retail therapy after a particularly stressful day last week. Okay, it was just me buying things...and I know retail therapy is a bad idea for the budget! But to my credit, all I bought were two luscious-smelling soaps - on sale! - from Crabtree & Evelyn. Totally a worthwhile splurge! (Backstory: last year, we bought a huge quantity of Irish Spring soap that was on sale. Huge as in eternal - this soap supply is never-ending! We've both been using it, and honestly I was just getting a little sick of smelling kind of like a man...! Hence the soap splurge =))

{happy #3}

We have eight nieces and nephews (big happy!) and the oldest, who is a junior in high school, just made it to the state wrestling tournament. Woo hoo!!! It's this upcoming weekend so please say a prayer for him! He's getting some interest from colleges - even D1 - and he could really, really use a sport scholarship. We're so proud of him already. He even fought through a broken knuckle - ouch! - to make it to States!

{happy #4}

Sewing this:

It's a bib for our goddaughter, so she can eat in style! It's reversible too:

I still have to add the buttonhole and sew on the button. (Never made a buttonhole before...) and then I'll mail it to her. Related happy: having a baby to sew for, even if she's not "mine" (but godchildren come pretty close, I think!)

{happy #5}

our fig tree:

This beauty is in our living room, where it delights us with its greenery and figs and fills our home with oxygen =) It's a direct cutting from Mr. M's Italian grandfather (who I wrote about here) and we're amazed that it's growing in the dead of winter! Well, maybe not that amazed...it is in the direct aim of the heating vent...mmmm, hopefully we'll have ripe figs before the month is out!

{happy #6}

simply this: meeting our financial goals the last two months, yay for us! We're really trying to be good about saving money and living simply, especially in these pre-child days (hopeful thinking...) So, notwithstanding happy #2 above, we've been trying to limit unnecessary travel, eating out, buying stuff we really don't need, etc., and it's been very gratifying to see our savings account grow little by little! For both of us, we feel like this is the most concrete thing we can do right now toward growing our family, so it makes us feel like we're not "just" waiting. Plus if we end up conceiving, then we'll have the cash to go on a fantastic babymoon cruise! Ha ha, just kidding...maybe =)

Thanks, Stephanie, for hosting such a lovely event!!

+Ecce Fiat+