It is going to be hard to narrow this down to 10 because a lot of things make me happy but I am going to focus on those things that give me that natural high, that feeling that makes your heart a puddle, it makes you say "can it get any better than this?"  So in no particular order...

1.  Sunset Beach, NC with the Kelly's is one of the two highlights of my year b/c I know at least for some portion of the week, we will all be together and it is wonderful.
2.  Thanksgiving in Raleigh (2nd highlight).  For the past 6 years we've been spending Thanksgiving in Raleigh as a family it's become one of my new favorite traditions.  The Northern Kelly's make they way down and we all have a wonderful dinner at Brian & Laurie's and it's awesome.
3.  Mass with Kyle and Declan, this makes my heart skip.a.beat.
4.  Delcan's smile and giggle-AMAZING.
5. Maria and Julie.
6.  Reminiscing.
7. Christmas Eve- there is a peace that blankets the night and it makes my heart swell.
8. Raising the American flag each morning at work while singing a patriotic song.  I love America.
9.  My Dad signing "I Really Love You" whenever we part ways.
10.  Friday nights with a glass of wine and Kyle.

 
I miss my childhood.  Don't get me wrong, life right now is awesome, and I am loving every single bit of it but I think a part of me will always miss my childhood.  I guess that is a big attribute to my parents for making it so wonderful.  I loved the Fall back home, leaves changing, playing outside with my brothers in the crisp Autumn air, and Trick or Treating around the neighborhood.  I hope one day my kids will miss their childhood b/c then I know I did a good job as a Mom, when you yearn for something you so loved because it was so wonderful.
 
Loyal
Devout
Kind
Empathetic
Compassionate
Thoughtful
Determined
Positive
Loving
Hard-Working
 
Today was my first day back to work since Declan was born & it went very well! It was wonderful to be back with my students and colleagues again. Kyle kept me updated all day which was super helpful/comforting and sent pictures all the time. 1 down...20 to go!!
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This photo was sent to me and captioned "WE MISS YOU MOM"...Kyle = BEST EVER.
 
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Just goofing around on my last day home.  Tomorrow I return to work so today I am making.this.moment.last.

 
Here are a few pieces of advice:

Be kind to everyone you meet.
.
Be the most positive person you know.

Don’t judge people.

Stay close to God.

Nothing good happens after midnight-George C Kelly Jr

 
I think like anyone I am most afraid of losing someone close to me,.  I know death is eminent for all of us and hard whenever it happens, whether out of the blue or after months of battling a disease.  I take comfort in knowing that with my faith I can get through it but I don’t want to ever have to face that.

 
I have an incredible job, well 2 now I guess, first I am MOM became one in January & that is the best job ever and I wish it was my only job but right now, it’s not.  So…job #2: I teach students that are Deaf and Hard of Hearing.  This job is challenging, rewarding, frustrating, inspiring, and awesome all rolled up into one.  Each day brings a new opportunity to enrich and touch the lives of so many wonderful kids and I savor that.  I have to the power to affect someone’s life forever and I work hard to make sure those students know they can do anything they want.
"Kindness is a language the deaf can hear and the blind can see"- Mark Twain
 
This hands down goes to Sarah Markle over at Saturday's Story as she was part of the reason why I started this blog.  Sarah eloquently writes about her journey through life but more recently motherhood.  Since our children are a month a part I turn to her blog for guidance, support, and laughter.  She is able to put into words and be honest about her journey through motherhood.  Sarah is supportive and insightful and I highly suggest you add her to your favorites.
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Photo borrowed from Sarah's blog :-)
 
This was hard to narrow down because I love quotes and have collected them my whole life so I picked two that I love.  Here is the first:

“Perhaps the most important accomplishments of your life may go unnoticed but that’s all right.  You didn’t do them to be appreciated.  You did them for God from the goodness of your heart, to brighten other people’s lives or to make the world a better place to live in.” –Joshua in the Holy Land


That quote was from a rip of calendar my Mom or Dad owned.  I got it in high school a very pivotal time in my life where I was starting to stand out for my athletic ability and I was a part of some really good teams with talented young ladies.  This quote helped put things in perspective for me.  My athletic ability was a gift and I had to treasure that gift and use it to my best ability to help out my team.  This quote now pertains to many aspects of my life and I carry it with me daily.

The second one is from my girl Mother Theresa who was an astonishing person and is one of my role models.  The quote goes like this:

“Let no one come to you without leaving happier or better.”


Imagine if we all took that quote to heart how much better the world would be?  We would think twice about what we say to people and how we treat them.  It always goes back to the golden rule “treat others the way you would want to be treated.”