This has been a rough year. With the death of a friend and then the death of my grandma, I have been surrounded by grief.
However, with death comes an awareness of life. This beautiful gift of living, experiencing, and loving suddenly is something I don’t take lightly. With that being said, when I saw that there is a #100happydays challenge circling through the social media sites, I decided to join in. Even on the roughest of days, there is always a happy moment. If I could capture some of them in a photograph I would have a visual reminder of all these happy blessings in my life.
However, there are moments I haven’t been able to capture in a photograph… like belting out Scooter’s version of Moves Like Jagger while driving with my girls in the car. Yes, I’m THAT mom who you see at a red light. I shake my shoulders and belt out the tunes. Moves Like Jagger is no exception… that tune gets me moving.
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Then there was the day that I decided to sit on the deck during my girls’ rest time and I listened to the chorus of birds singing in the trees overhead. There were moments when I realized that someone had emptied the dishwasher or did the laundry. There was also a moment when someone had bought my family’s entire Tim Horton’s order while in the drive-thru (yes, this happens frequently to us). There were moments when I was caught off guard by the unbelievable beauty of spring and moments when I had recognized that prayers had been answered.
Fortunately, I have been able to capture some of these happy occurrences with a photograph. The goal is to photograph one happy moment every day for 100 days. I think this is a challenge I can take on. All of my moments can be found on Instagram. You can follow along HERE.
So without further ado, here are some of my happy moments since I started #100happydays two weeks ago.
Gardening and new growth
Sunshine after much rain
Working it out
Morning moments
A creativity break
If you were to look around at your days, where would you find the happy? Wherever your happy may be… enjoy it, savour it, and let it fill your heart with love.
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What a sweet idea to focus on the positive! This year has been so hard, and so full of evil – but if I take a step back, so full of love and positive things too! So glad you are deciding to focus on those things! xoxo
Thanks my friend! There is so much to be thankful for and so many things that are uplifting. I’m enjoying the task of seeking them out!
Wishing you a lovely day Caroline!
xoxo
Beautiful photos! We can always find the joy if we just look for it <3
Yes Misty… joy is everywhere. Sometimes I struggle to decide on which happy moment to share because there are just so many!
Thanks for stopping by. Wishing you a lovely day!
Oh, Jennifer, I’m sorry for the loss you’ve been experiencing. You have a wonderful view of where it can be a position of inspiration, though, and I think that is such an important thing.
Thank you for an inspiring post and it really has me thinking I should join into the #100happydays, as well.
It’s been a rough beginning to the year but I’m thankful for how the loss has shifted my perspective. I would love to follow your journey of #100happydays as well. Make sure to let me know if you join. I think it’s a lovely starting point… to build that thankfulness for all the little treasures of happiness in our days. I’m finding by bringing my attention to it, there are some days that I just can’t decide WHICH happy moment to share because there are so many!
I think I should do this project too…it might help me focus on all the good that is out there! I’ve had a lot of rough days lately too.
It’s a wonderful project Michelle. If you join up, let me know! I would love to follow your happy moments.
Wishing you a lovely day.
Jennifer! First off, your blog looks WONDERFUL!!! What a great transition! I love it! I hope it went smoothly for ya :)
And I love this. I noticed you were doing these photos on Instagram and I just love it. I should probably join. It’s such a blessing to find a bit of good amongst all of the bad!
Thank Kelli! I am so very happy with the blog transfer. It went so smoothly… it had to be all my praying buddies that helped it along because I was told several times that because of the size of my blog I would probably lose something (posts, pictures, comments…). NOTHING was lost!
I’m really enjoying the #100happydays project. If you join in, let me know. I would love to follow your adventures. Make sure to sign up on their main site too (it sounds like at the end of your 100 days they compile it for you)!
Wishing you a blessed day.
I thought I would revisit their site to look at the collection they assemble for you. It’s a gift if you back the project for $15. Still cool to have those 100 moments that you can look back on.
So cool! Thanks for sharing that info! And I’m so happy that you didn’t lose any of your blog :) Makes me so happy that it went so well!
This is such a positive post and I love the photos! I’m also loving your new look! So fresh, clean and fun!
Thanks Sanz! I’m loving my new “home” too.
This #100happydays project is great! I love looking for the happy in my days.
Wishing you a lovely day my friend.
This is a great idea Jennifer . I love the happy moments you captured. They made me happy. Just followed you on Instagram so I could catch more happy moments.
Thanks Jen! I’m thrilled you’ll be following along. Let me know if you decide to participate. If you do, make sure to sign up at the 100 Happy Days web site. Apparently they do a collection of your moments for you once you’ve achieved the 100 in 100 days.
Wishing you a lovely day.
I thought I would revisit their site to look at the collection they assemble for you. It’s a gift if you back the project for $15. Still cool to have those 100 moments that you can look back on.
Love this post Jennifer. You are such an all around positive person, and to be able to focus on those happy moments even though you’ve had quite a rough year is a true testament to your character.
I can totally picture you singing in your car to Moves Like Jagger. We love car dancing!
Have a happy Monday!
xoxo
Glad you enjoyed this post Tiffany! Yes, I try to be a positive person… sometimes it takes a little more effort that other times.
I could imagine you would also be a car dancing “sis-tah”! What if we were stopped beside each other at a red light… would it be a dance-off?!
Happy Monday to you too my friend!
xoxo
I do Jillian Michaels’ DVD’s, too! (Just thought you’d want to know.) ;)
Of course you do… we’re “cross-border sisters”!
I would find a lot of happy, for sure. I do.
And oh this “Moves like Jagger” song is so catchy. I may even prefer it to the original!
And I just love the new design here!
You certainly would. A lot of your photos show happy!
Moves Like Jagger is TOTALLY catchy. My girls sing it all the time… (so do I).
Glad you like the new design. I’m thrilled with it.
Have a great week Tamara!
Oh, Jennifer. I absolutely LOVE posts like these that encourage us to acknowledge all the good that is, quite literally, right smack-dab in front of us…
Today I am thankful for my son’s potty training successes; that I had a wonderful morning walk with both of my kiddos; that my husband made me laugh today without even having to try.
I’m happy and grateful for A LOT.
Wonderful post!
xo
Thank you Courtney. I love looking for the happy moments. Just like you alluded to, there are so many moments of happy in the day, sometimes it’s hard to choose just one to share! What a wonderful dilemma to face. I think I’m more aware of them because I’m looking for them.
Thanks for visiting. Wishing you a lovely day.
xoxo
Love this! I also started that challenge (but stopped somewhere around the 20th day because we all got sick and I never got back on track!). Beautiful photos, there really is so much to be happy about, all the little things in our days that we too often don’t notice. And I’m loving your new blog!! It’s looks great! How are you liking WordPress?
I’m really enjoying this challenge. There is so much happy in the day to choose from when you’re actually looking for it!
I’m loving my new blog too! Within a couple hours of using WordPress, I fell in love and was thinking, why didn’t I switch sooner?! There is so much flexibility and the plugins… oh my goodness! From the commenting plugin I’m using, to the YOAST SEO plugin (which is a dream by the way), to the nRelate (related posts plugin) I can really see how switching to WordPress could help a blog grow.
Aw! It makes me happy that you’re happy! And someone buying your order in the driv-thru? That is an instant happy moment! I’m that wild singing mom too. I cant help it! Dylan dances then I dance and before you know it, DANCE PARTY!
Thanks friend! We have had generosity happen to us a number of times! I’ve encountered our order being paid for us at the drive-thru several times but I always pass it on. However, this last time I bought coffees, a breakfast “meal”, extra hash browns and timbits… someone paid for the whole thing! I said I would pay for the order of the person behind me and they only ordered an extra large coffee. Another time the teller said that people had been paying the first good deed forward for about an hour! So awesome. Also, on my husband’s birthday, I took him and the girls out for breakfast and someone paid our entire tab! I think there’s a lot of generosity here in Alberta.
I would have guessed you would be a car dancer like me… you are so bubbly and energetic (at least that’s what I glean from our exchanges).
Wishing you a lovely day my friend!
GEEZ! Alberta is where it’s at!! A full hour of generosity?! The good vibes in your city are so evident! I love it. The best is the birthday tab because birthdays are just so much funner when you an unexpected gift from a stranger.
You know, I’ve been called bubbly and energetic my whole life and I haven’t identified with it at all. I’ve always associated bubbly with ditzy and I’ve always wanted to be taken seriously. But you know what? I’m not going to deny it anymore! Today I’m open! Thank you!
I’ve never associated bubbly with ditzy. I consider myself bubbly and I would never say I’m ditzy… far from it. So that being said, we can be bubbly together!
I’m a little sensitive because I’m blonde, smile a lot, and my last name is “Dietz” which has been mispronounced by whole life…including as “ditzy” so you’re right. Bubbly is NOT ditzy! WE ARE BUBBLY! lol
This is great Jennifer. It is far too easy to crash through the day and miss the multitudes of blessings. I’ve done this too with the 1,000 Gifts app. I like writing down things I’m thankful for, but really love attaching a photo – I’m visual and it really cements it in my mind better.
Congratulations on your successful transfer! Everything looks great. I’m happy for you.
I used to keep a joy journal and write down one joyful moment a day but I, like you, enjoy the visual of pictures. I’ll have to check out the 1000 Gifts app. I’ve been meaning to read the book too.
I’m glad you like the site. The transfer went so well. I’m thankful for all the prayers and support throughout the process.
Wishing you a blessed day.
I had not heard about #100happydays. I am going to do this, too!
We’ve had a rough 2 years: death of a MIL, black mold in our home & we had to move out a while, unable to pursue my dream job due to a child’s health problem (double whammie!) and my mom suffering from some pretty serious mental health issues.
All in all, it stinks! But it’s why I started my site and I write a blog that focuses a lot on happiness. I’ve learned it will not come knocking on my door….I’m going to have to seek it out. :)
Thanks for introducing me to this #100happydays. I am SO in! ;)
So sorry about your Grandma…..grief is the worst. If I can give any advice: time heals more than I thought. Dealing with the emotions in a healthy way and just the passage of time helps a LOT! <3
I’m sorry to hear that things have been so rough for you. I love this #100happydays project. It’s wonderful to focus on the delights in the day.
Thank you for your kind words and condolences. I already feel as time passes, her loss isn’t as painful.
Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day.
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I agree with death comes the awareness of life!
How is the #30dayshred?
Also, what about the transition to wordpress? Is it better?
I love the 30 Day Shred! It’s hard but the whole workout is less than 27 minutes… now THAT’S something I can incorporate into our schedule!
I am loving WordPress. I’ll be sharing a post shortly about the transition.
Thanks for stopping by Z!