Award: Happiness Today, Hope Tomorrow

Miss Ruby was kind enough to pass along an award to me recently... here are the rules, just as she posted them:

all you have to do is

put that picture
yup that one up there
on your blog

and

blog about one thing you're happy about
right now
and
one thing that you're hoping for in the future

you acknowledge something that's making you smile right now
and
also putting out there that you have hope for thing
one amazing thing
to happen in the future for you
to bring you even more happiness!

oh
and
then
you have to pass this award on
to
anyone who you believe would benefit from
looking at their surroundings, their life now
and
finding happiness in it!

One thing I'm happy about right now: Dh & I are going on vacation soon! & it will be the first vacation of more than three or four days that we've taken in a very long time where we haven't stayed at home, gone "home" (out west) to visit my family, or travelled somewhere with my family.

I know some people think that's weird... but for the first several years we were first married, we only had two or three weeks of vacation each. A week at Christmas, a week or two in the summer, maybe my mom would come here to visit for a week, & there goes the vacation time. Most of his immediate & extended family all live in this area so we don't have to travel to see them; all of mine are back west. (I don't think people who live within an easy drive from their families and get to see them often really understand or appreciate the implications that living far away from your family has for your vacation time.)

When you come from a large(r) family, siblings can take turns spending time with Mom & Dad. I am one of only two children (& neither of us has kids). There's not a lot of us to share the guilt, lol. So I feel sort of obligated to spend time with my parents.

But it's not just a matter of obligation. I LIKE my parents. I WANT to spend time with my parents. I like spending time at "home" (even though it's not a house or town that I grew up in, it's Mom & Dad and many of the old familiar things).

In a few more years, I will probably HAVE to spend more time with my parents, as they get older & need more assistance.

But believe me -- as much as I enjoy spending time with my family, I am VERY much looking forward to spending some time just with dh, exploring new places. I've always wanted to travel more -- here in Canada & elsewhere -- & for a variety of reasons, we haven't. We're at the point in our careers where we've both built up lots of vacation entitlement -- we have some money. I'm so glad we are finally starting to do it!

I promise to tell you more about it when we get back!

One thing I'm hoping for in the future: (Besides good weather on our vacation, lol.) More of the same, once we are finally able to retire (& time is not so much of an issue). Just lots of time to travel to some of the places we've always wanted to go, & see & experience new things together.

I'm passing this award along to: anyone who reads this. Who among us couldn't benefit from taking a good look at our life right now & finding happiness in it?