Happiness Abounds

I’m so happy that it’s oozing out of my pores. It’s a bit uncomfortable actually.

Now that we’re past the Great Destruction of 2011, we are settling into the new house nicely and really enjoying it. This is the very first detached/with a yard/attached two-car garage house that I’ve ever lived in. And I love it! I love having a yard. I love having space and privacy. And I really love that the neighbors can’t hear me yelling at the kids. (Or maybe they can?! Eeks!) 

Nico is happy with his yard. 

Sienna is happy with her pink room.

Grant is happy with his “blue-ish” room. 

Ok, we did a little PR spin on that one…it’s not quite blue, not quite purple. Let’s settle on azure. But, how do you explain that to a three-year-old boy? And not have to repaint his room because – oh no! – it’s a girl color. So, we say blue-ish, and to compensate I agreed to put up scary-looking (I think) superhero and villain stickers on the wall. Everyone is happy, and that’s quite an accomplishment for this family.

As for El Paso, we...LIKE it! Why is everyone so surprised by that?! People are super friendly, we have lots of retail and restaurant options nearby, awesome salsa, and the weather is bearable. And, oh, the sunrises and sunsets are breathtakingly beautiful. I feel like a little kid when I stare into the great, big, bright blue (sometimes even blue-ish) sky here. The patterns of the clouds amaze me, too. I’ve officially decided this is Mother Nature’s reward to us for enduring the heat of the day.  

With those clouds comes some intense rain, thunder and lightening. We’ve been wowed on several occasions. This SoCal girl is still getting used to actual weather.

Here are a few photos I snapped on the way to Sienna’s school in the morning. I wish I had a fancy camera to capture these sky-scapes. My phone camera will have to do. 

Speaking of, I also really enjoy walking to school with Sienna. It’s cool enough in the morning to walk, and we’re close enough to the school to make it worth it, and the bit of fresh air is the perfect start to our day.

Who would have thought we’d find so much happiness in such an unlikely place? Yet, that’s another one of those funny contradictions called life.