Happiness

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Last week was really special for me.

I’ve been With The Band for more than a year now but I’ve never gotten a chance to meet any of my Bandmates in real life. That changed last week when I got to meet Fallah, one of my fellow Team Leads, while she was in town for work.

 

We had such a good time!

We went to the Riverwalk and ate at a British pub that actually had a vegetarian menu, and discovered the joy that is curry mayo. I was nervous about meeting her, but we got on like a house on fire.

I hope that sometime this year I’ll get to meet more of my Bandmates because I just know we’ll have fun together too. I also hope I can figure out how to make that curry mayo because it was a happy all on its own.

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What's your Happy?

Don't think you have one? Look harder. Something will make you smile today. 

We want to know! 

Share it with the world on your blog and then link up below, tweet it out (hashtag #DOHMonday #WithTheBand) or share it on Facebook. Whatever you want to do, do it. Just find a bit of happy in this Monday! 

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April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and we here at Band Back Together are celebrating survivors who are taking back the power in their lives.

Why is this my happy?

Because I am also a survivor. And through my work with The Band, I've met fellow survivors who share their strength with me each and every day. Alone? I may just be one person. Together? We're a force to be reckoned with.

One survivor speaking out is a powerful, glorious thing. 

All of us speaking together? 

We're turning heads. Changing the world. Saving lives.

And what could be happier than that?

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What's your Happy?

Don't think you have one? Look harder. Something will make you smile today. 

We want to know! 

Share it with the world on your blog and then link up below, tweet it out (hashtag #DOHMonday #WithTheBand) or share it on Facebook. Whatever you want to do, do it. Just find a bit of happy in this Monday! 

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He's all moved in.

For the last month or so, my fiance and I have been working hard to find a new Assisted Living Facility for his father. His dad has MS and as the disease progresses, his level of care needs continues to increase.

Late in February, he was transported to a local hospital after a fall. It was quickly made clear that his current home would no longer be able to meet his medical needs. Because of insurance red tape, finding him a new home was not as simple as one might hope.

Last week, that all changed. A new facility was found within a short drive from our own home. The new facility will be able to meet my future father-in-law's needs, even on the worst of days. Friday was spent clearing out his old room and moving him into his new one.

It was an enormous amount of work and I'm exhausted both physically and mentally.

But he's all moved in. He's in a safe place.

He'll be getting the care he needs. The care he DESERVES.

My heart is happy.

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What's your Happy?

Don't think you have one? Look harder. Something will make you smile today. 

We want to know! 

Share it with the world on your blog and then link up below, tweet it out (hashtag #DOHMonday #WithTheBand) or share it on Facebook. Whatever you want to do, do it. Just find a bit of happy in this Monday! 

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Last week I participated in a race called The Jailbreak.

Actually, it was more of an adventure. I just wasn't content to try a regular old 5K, I had to go for the one that included obstacles. Things like crawling through a drainage pipe, climbing a wet and muddy A-frame with a soaking wet rope, carrying concrete weights while weaving through barrels, and crawling through a mud pit to get to the finish line.

Climbing the cargo net was possibly the single scariest thing I've ever done in my life - especially when I had to go over the top - but I made it, shaky hands and all.

 

After an extremely long, thorough shower, I discovered some spectacular cuts and bruises under all that mud that I consider to be proof of my bravery. I also discovered one heck of a sunburn, thanks to running in Texas in the afternoon with no sunblock.

All in all, I'm pretty proud of myself.

A couple of months ago I couldn't even get behind the wheel of a car I was so scared, and now I'm an official Jailbreak Escapee.

You'd better believe I'm doing it again next year.

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What's your Happy?

Don't think you have one? Look harder. Something will make you smile today. 

We want to know! 

Share it with the world on your blog and then link up below, tweet it out (hashtag #DOHMonday #WithTheBand) or share it on Facebook. Whatever you want to do, do it. Just find a bit of happy in this Monday! 

One of the best feelings is knowing you can be sure of something.

Last August, my boyfriend and I moved into a tiny apartment in a new part of town. A few weeks later we got a dog.

Because we are young and our finances are still crazy, we accepted a lot of hand me down furniture and whatnot. We had one of those bed frames on wheels that collapses. My father picked it up for about $10. My boyfriend kept his clothes in a Rubbermaid storage container.

Although I was really happy to be living with someone I love completely, my whole life seemed ready to be picked up and moved at any given moment.

That feeling no longer exists.

After recovering from a couple of really big and unfortunate expenses, I finally went out and bought a real bed frame. No more wheels for us! I also got my boyfriend a dresser so he doesn't have to snap his clothes into a box anymore. It opened up a bunch of under the bed storage, so now we can free up some more space where we need it. Honestly, this took care of a lot of anxiety I had been feeling.

We don't live in the biggest or best apartment but it's ours for now, and I want it to feel that way. This was both a tiny and huge step forward for us. A bed frame and dresser doesn't seem like a huge deal, and in the grand scheme of things it's not. But it is a more permanent solution. It recognizes that we're here and we're happy. It even inspired my boyfriend to be more willing to put money into fixing up what we have.

I've never been one to believe that money fixed everything, but in this case it allowed me to feel secure and comfortable. It was a way for me to say that we're here to stay.

And this is all I've ever wanted.