What's not to be happy about? 

Actually, there have been a few challenges this week that have caused us a bit of stress and worry.  Of course there have!  Noone can maintain a permanently happy state because life throws curveballs.

What's important is how you handle the challenges (mentally and practically) and to keep perspective.

It's the end of the week, the sun is shining and I have time for a glass of wine in the garden before the kids come home.  So, what's not to be happy about?  Simple pleasures!

Mornings in our house are chaotic, ear bleedingly noisy and exhausting.  The day begins with an attack on the kitchen debris, a round of washing and the feeding of the animals.

Three smalls will then either awake with far too much energy accompanied by far too much whining (the younger) or need dragging out of bed amid much attitude (the elder). 

Smalls must then be cajoled into appropriate clothing.  When cajoling doesn't work, screeching is employed.  Breakfast is whatever there is time for and usually ends up on clothes, in hair (theirs and mine) and on the cats. 

My getting ready for the working day varies from a quick shower to a hasty wet wipe wash and liberal squirting of perfume, depending on the success or otherwise of wrangling the smalls into a state of readiness.  The entire process is accompanied by a relentless chorus of 'I want', 'where's my', 'can you just' and 'its not fair'.  Moods are erratic, patience is tested beyond reasonable limits and something is always forgotten.

But these moments of cute makes it all worthwhile.  Smalls in PJs melt my heart.

My first cup of tea in 8 hours; sometimes it's the little things. 

I love tea.  Spending all day in the office, head down at computer, not leaving seat to even make a drink - not good!

Making the perfect cup of tea (builders tea but without the sugar) and sitting down to drink it without distraction - very good!

A week in to the happiness challenge and so far success!  Today, a lunchtime 6.5k run gave my day perspective and reminded me (after a morning of concentration at work) to appreciate the happy in my life.

Fresh air, blue sky and sunshine fighting off rain clouds, snow drops, crocus, bird song and the buzz of a bumble bee cheered my soul.

Thank you feet.

Just the fact that at 40 I still have 2 grandparents makes me happy.  That they have just celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary is awesome!

Called The Greats because they are Great Grandparents to mine and my siblings children, and because they are bloody great, I love spending time with them. 

Rather than their names on the cake, it says 'Dar & Dar', short for darling and what they have always called each other.  They are an inspiration and I love them to the ends
of the earth!

Mother nature again!  Kicking through fallen leaves, climbing trees and running wild in the forest.  The very beautiful Westonbirt Arboretum is right on our doorstep and is perfect for setting the small people loose on a sunny winter's day to burn off some energy.

A picnic, some flasks of hot chocolate, time and space to play. 

After catching up on some work emails, I spent a happy couple of hours redesigning my blog.  I've been meaning to for months and finally I found the inspiration I needed and it's coming together.

Time is my greatest enemy, never enough of it, so I find getting around to something I've been wanting to do for a while extremely satisfying.

I have that post holiday euphoria that comes from feeding my wanderlust!  Travel and adventure is food for my soul.  In the pre-dawn quiet before the family awakes, my first cup of tea (after a week of drinking coffee) was delicious.  Just being home, waking up in my own bed after a full night’s sleep (as opposed to staying awake until 2am each night watching the skies), sitting on my sofa in my PJs, stepping out into the garden to sunshine, birdsong and green shoots hinting at spring, these simple pleasures have made me happy. 

But mostly, sorting through the photos from our trip, sharing them with friends and family (yes, via social media) and reliving the memories from our holiday made me happy to the core.  The day is not over yet and there are still a couple more simple pleasures to look forward to: collecting the small people from child care (I’ve missed them today after a week together); a supper of red meat and fresh vegetables (sorely lacking this past week) and then settling down on the sofa with hubby, a bottle of Marlborough Sauvignon and a movie.  Happy Happy Happy!

Mother Nature never fails to make me happy.  For as long as I can remember, Mother Nature has been a great leveler for me.  Nature's wonders are awe inspiring, energising, meditative, unpredictable but at the same time reliable.  Even when things aren’t so great, one thing is certain, Mother Nature is always there.

At 3.30am on our last day in Norway, driving through the night back to Tromso, the aurora lit up the sky in a beautiful display of waves, arches and dancing curtains.  I am almost beside myself with happiness.  It is the most incredible sight.  We've had an amazing week in Norway and this was just the cherry on top!

Then, as we flew from Tromso to Oslo we were treated to a beautiful cloud top sunrise.

After a long, often stressful, and not especially brilliant 2013 we are having our first family holiday in 16 months.  We have traveled to Nord Lenangen (via Oslo and Tromso) in Norway and are staying in a cosy fisherman's cabin at 70 degrees North (just 20 degrees south of the North Pole), overlooking the Lyngen Alps.  It took trains, planes, automobiles and a ferry to get here.  We have skated on frozen rivers, played in the snow, fished off the deck in the fjord, hot tubbed under the stars, beach combed and sky watched.  We have seen star fish, sea urchins, wolverines and a moose.  This precious family time, completely away from it all, soaking up the great outdoors and enjoying simple pleasures is absolute bliss!