1. Morning walks, especially when we all get to go together.

2. The colors of fall, even when they are spilled all over the front step, (squirrels love to eat our pumpkins). I also am totally in love with my dog Buddha a friend got me a few years ago.

3. Flowers in the bathroom, even though they are from the grocery store now.

4. Get together time. Hanging out telling stories with friends, Wild Writing, yoga class, video chatting, texting, going out for a meal, taking a walk together — I have really good people in my life and I love spending time with them.

5. My tiny family. Talking a walk or a nap or hanging out in the backyard together are some of my most favorite things.

Playin’

His happy place

I either need a bigger couch or a smaller dog

Bonus joy: a new supply of dog poop bags, a whole weekend where I don’t have to do anything if I don’t want to, good books, good tv, good podcasts, falling asleep on the couch, black bean and sweet potato quesadillas, sleeping dogs, massages, starting a new notebook, my favorite pen, computer glasses, donuts, a clean glass of cold water, a warm shower, clean sheets, birds singing, a soft blanket, being done with the laundry, slippers.

1. Practice. It keeps me sane, and as a teacher, it feels like something worthwhile I can share.

2. Fall color. Even when it’s competing in my backyard with an early trace of winter.

3. Kitchen counter love notes. It’s the best thing about coming home from work, that and how excited the dogs get. Oh, and being able to take off my bra.

4. Texting. Even when it means getting a picture of your boys, happy after a hike, when you are sitting at your desk working.

5. My tiny family. They saved me this morning — I was scheduled to sub a yoga class at 7 am, but somehow I got the dates mixed up in my head and thought it was next Friday, so I slept in this morning, but Eric came back from walking the dogs at 6:30 and woke me up, which gave me enough time to get to the gym and get set up, and I don’t think anyone even realized that I taught a class I planned right there on the spot. That last part is something to be grateful for too — to have taught yoga long enough and enough times that I can just show up and teach, no worries.

Waiting for the dad to come home

The look he gives me when I won’t share my lunch

When it’s too crappy to play outside

My date at Chelsey and Jon’s wedding (Jon dancing with his mom in the background)

Bonus joy: Wild Writing, texting with friends, laughing with Eric, sweet potato and black bean quesadillas, sunshine, our new fence, no more yellow jackets or mice in our house, saying “no,” sleeping in, napping, clean sheets, our new bed, snuggling with the dogs, how worried Sam gets when I run the washing machine, how Ringo thinks he needs to yell at anyone he can see from our front window no matter what they are doing or who they are, a thin soft wool sweater, computer glasses, my Kindle, aqua aerobics.