Years ago, when I journaled with a spiral-bound notebook and a blue pen, lying sprawled across my bed with some good “writing music” on (think angst rock, or chick power music….Heart, anyone?), I kept what I called the “Happy List” in the back of my journal. It was a few pages of random things that made me smile. Things like “the way my new shampoo smells”, and “the sound of my baby sister laughing out loud”. It would serve as a much-needed antithesis to the drama of my dating days, and I would refer back to it every time I needed a pick-me-up. If I had that list scrawled across the back of this journal, I might add some of the moments that we had this past week. Aunt Katie came to visit, and this girl is WISE. And KIND. And FUNNY. And so poised, and resilient, and beautiful. And DAMN she takes the most amazing photos. She captured Max in all of his “I’m exploring the world and it’s my very own Happy List moment” way….
And she helped us to chronicle our adventures….because Mommy isn’t usually on this side of the camera…



