If you're happy and you know it...

I have a few friends who knit and blog and we've decided to embark on a blog project that has nothing to do with knitting. We're going to take turns coming up with a topic every Thursday and we each have to blog about it by the end of that day and post links to each other's blogs so that people can see our different perspectives on the same topic.
-Thanks to Merryland Girl for this explanation of the Thursday Blog Project.

This week's topic, "What is the happiest moment that you can remember in your life?!", is courtesy of Shara @ Desperate Madness

Other contributors to the Thursday Blog Project are:
Merryland Girl
Froggie Knits Like Crazy

Does it have to be just one!? I can't imagine what "THE" happiest moment in my life is. When I think about momentous occasions, it's hard to measure the amount of happiness each moment contained.

It's easy to say "Oh my God! It was the happiest day of my life!" in the moment, but when you look back and compare it to other happiest days/ moments, it sometimes doesn't stack up.

So, I am going to squeeze my mind grapes and present to you the juices, in the form of a list!

*When I was very young (let's say, I was six) I got a metallic royal blue bike with a glittery blue banana seat. It had blue streamers that were stuck into the ends of the glittery blue hand grips for my birthday. My dad taught me how to ride it and I can still remember how awesome that bike looked, all sparkly in the sun.

*In 1991 my older sister Cheri was pregnant with her first baby, my niece Janey. This was back before you could have an ultrasound to find out the sex of the baby, and I remember sitting on the couch next to her and asking questions about whether she thought it was a boy or a girl. I remember my sister's sister in law took her wedding band and ran a length of string through it and would dangle it over her belly. The way the ring swung would tell you whether it was a boy or a girl. We never got a definitive answer from the ring. It swung differently every pass.

Anyways, the baby was kicking, and Cheri asked if I wanted to feel it. It was the coolest thing I have ever felt. It felt like someone taking their thumb and sliding it across the palm of my hand. It was probably Janey's little heel or elbow, it was so real. It was no longer just my sister's protruding belly - it was really a baby in there. When my other sister, Stacey was pregnant with my niece Grace, she did that thing where she would set a cup on her belly and when Grace kicked, it would wiggle the cup. I think that was really fascinating. I can't wait to someday feel that for myself, from the inside.

*January 23, 1996 - the day I got my driver's license. I really don't think much explanation is required there!

*February 17, 2008 - Assembly Hall, University of IL - watching my nephew wrestle for the 2nd to last time as a high school student. Luckily, I was actively blogging at that time! Here is the blog post about that. And if you would like, you can watch the match here. There is some cheesy music up until about 7 mins, you could mute it if you wanted. But listen @ 8:38 to hear us chanting "JORDAN! JORDAN!!"

--> Fast forward to March 20, 2010 - Jordan is now a sophomore in college, placed 5th in the NCAA Wrestling Championships in Omaha, NE. He is now an NCAA All American. He wrestles on a full scholarship for the University of Illinois.

*May 16, 2009 - the day Kosta and I got married. I barely slept at all the night before, I think I fell asleep at 5am and woke up at 9am.

My BFF & Maid Of Honor, Christy and I had to go to Jewel and schlepp a trunk full of bagged ice back to the wedding location so we could get the beverages chilled, we ended up buying every bag of ice they had. The cashier looked at me, then at the ice and back at me. I looked at Christy and nonchalantly said "It is so hard to keep a body frozen in this weather!!" haha!

All day long, I had this feeling. It was like nothing I had ever felt before. After my hair was done and my dress was on, my sisters and brothers all streamed through the house to take pictures before the ceremony and the look on all of their faces was so priceless. Right before the ceremony started, my step-mom, Julie, came in and asked how I was feeling. I said I felt so good, I didn't even know the word for it. She adjusted my veil and looked me in the eyes and said "Joyful?". Yes. That was exactly how I felt. Joyful.

There have been so many happy moments in my life so far, and I think there are a lot more to be had.