Happiness Is Found In The Little Things

I started the journey of Christmas wrapping the other day. I take my time. I make presents look pretty, beautiful, to a point where some don’t want to open them to ruin the beauty, but they do in the end. (I used to wrap my one brother-n-laws presents to his wife because he knew of my wrapping talent and he wanted the gifts to look awesome – she never knew)

Anyhow, I came to the end of a roll of wrapping paper, and Nikita noticed. I think she was lurking behind the couch to watch for it, and would not put it past her. She walked over to me as if to ask “may I have that?” and of course I gave it to her because I know of her love for cardboard tubes. She drools over them, no really, she does. She has also been known to sit for a long time in front of the counter in the kitchen, just looking at the paper towel roll that’s almost empty. “Not yet” I tell her, and she walks away, but looks over her back just to make sure.

After Nikita got her wrapping paper tube, she runs to her bed, a safe place, to guard her new toy from Bella. She watches closely where Bella is.

She then grabs it and runs into the living room to have some fun. She definitely knows how to keep her toys balanced!

Here she is practicing to be a baton twirler!

Who said you can’t snuggle with your toys. Can you see Bella’s head in the photo? She is waiting for Nikita to drop her cardboard.

Bella Boo always wants to be the life of the party, time to strike a pose!

Hey, get the camera back on ME!

After some time rough housing with her new toy, happiness finds time to nap. It is the little things in life that matter the most…even a cardboard tube can bring out happiness. (but, I am sure that Nikita walked back over to the counter to check on the status of the paper towel roll!)

What is Happiness?

What is Happiness?

Happiness can be related to many things.  Happiness starts in your heart and grows.   Happiness keeps you young.  Happiness can be found in locating the last bag of your favorite candy on the shelf, finding that spare dollar in your coat pocket, finding a lost button, getting the best parking spot, picking out the cart at the grocery store that does not squeak, a clean car, your favorite song on the radio, finding lower gas prices, a winning lottery ticket (even if it’s for a buck), or finding that perfect person to spend your life with.  That is what I have done, found the perfect person for me.  He is a hard worker, the most generous person I have ever met, a great provider, loves animals, and above all, he loves me.  I am the luckiest person in the whole world to have found him because he means the world to me and I wish I could give him everything that he has ever wished for in life, because he deserves it, but all I can give him is my love and devotion and show it by all of the things that I do for him every day.  I am not one for material things, and I am a true believer that it’s the little things in life that makes us happy, like a new colored highlighter or sticky note pad, or waking up next to the one you love every day.  That is the best feeling in the whole world and I would be lost without him.  I just hope that he knows just how much I love him and think the world of him.

Happiness also comes from working on projects together.  For us, for example, by creating our new garden this year.  We have worked on this from the start together, and have done the research and know what we need, went out and bought all the material to make it happen, and now, we’re at the next phase of our project, the planting of our sprouts.  We got our dirt delivered and got it in our raised garden bed, and now we just have to wait out our weather for a little longer for the last frost, and everything can head out to the garden to find their spot of glory in the garden.  Ah, togetherness, there is nothing like it, whether it is a plant meeting Mother Nature in the garden, or being with the one you love & sharing life together.

So here’s to the one I love – the person who means the world to me, as he’s like the sugar in my coffee, and the peanut butter in my Reeces Cup, the person who I owe everything to, and the one who I could never live without.  Love you Sweetie!  Thanks for everything that you do for me! 

 

Happiness, pleasure, joy, exhilaration, bliss, contentedness, delight, enjoyment,  satisfaction. Happiness,  bliss,  contentment,  felicity  imply an active or passive state of pleasure or pleasurable satisfaction.  Happiness  results from the possession or attainment of what one considers good:  the happiness of visiting one’s family.  Bliss  is unalloyed happiness or supreme delight: the bliss of perfect companionship.  Contentment  is a peaceful kind of happiness in which one rests without desires, even though every wish may not have been gratified:  contentment in one’s surroundings. 

Letter to Santa

My Daddy keeps asking me what I want for Christmas, and it has got me thinking.  At this moment, I really can’t think of anything that I want or need because I already have a lot.  I am one fortunate puppy that has a great life already, as I was adopted into a wonderful home, I have all the toys in the world, good food to eat, a comfy place to snuggle every night (between Daddy & Mommy) and a never-ending treat jar, so what possibly could I ask Santa for? 

This is really a hard question to answer and I will have to think on this one.  I can, however, thank Santa for all the wonderful things that I do have and am thankful for.  I never ever want to be without my Daddy and Mommy, as they are my rock, they are who I go to when I get scared and they comfort me, they are the wonderful parents who take care of me every day and make sure I am safe, well fed, and have dry paws when I come in from outside.  I want for Santa to always have my Daddy & Mommy happy, as they are two lucky people who found each other in this crazy world of life, who deserve only the best that life has to offer, are thankful that Daddy has a good job and Mommy can stay home and take care of the homefront and me & the kitties.  We are thankful for the food we eat, Daddy’s favorite wine, a reliable car, a wonderful home, flowers that bloom in the Spring, fire pit nights, and the smell of a freshly brewed pot of coffee.

So, dear Santa, there is not really anything more that I could ask for than what I already have.  Material things are just things, but finding and receiving true love is priceless.  You can’t put a price tag on true love and happiness.  You make your own happiness, and finding that special someone to share your life with is priceless.  Make your own happiness today and be thankful for what you have as life is too short for regrets, life is too short to live in the past, live your life to the fullest and happiness will knock on your door! 

Thank you Santa (and Daddy & Mommy) for all that you do for me, as I appreciate it.  Love always, Nikita

Home Is Where the WOOF Is

One Happy Puppy

Ever wonder where YOUR happiness comes from?  Happiness starts at home.  It is the place where mostly everything happens, it’s your life, your castle, your shelter from the weather, where you “hang your hat“, where you share your life with, friends, family, and where you lay your head down to rest every night.  YOUR home is the foundation to your happiness. 

When you had a long exhausting day at the office, had a day filled with errands, got frustrated at the high gas prices (again), got hot & sweaty from doing yard work – all things that fill our days, but coming HOME is what makes your heart happy.  Seeing your loved ones greeting you at the door with a kiss, or having your puppy lick your face all over makes your entire day of frustrations fade away.  GONE.  What’s left?  Happiness, pure & simple joy of being surrounded with the ones you love. 

For us puppies, we love unconditionally, always wag our tails when we see you, or when you talk cutesie-wootsie to us, we love all the toys you purchase us and play with them every day, we love how well you take care of us & how you pamper us, we love that we can always find cold water to drink, get our meals on time every day, and we love how you brush us to keep us looking so well groomed.  We would not have any of this without YOU.  This is our happiness, having a home filled with love, affection, and always knowing that we can snuggle with you every night when we lay down to dream about chasing kitties.

How do you make HAPPINESS? 

Help Yourself to Happiness

I’ve come a long way Baby!

Happy Monday!  I hope everyone had a great weekend and got a chance to get outside a little before it rained…again.  I had the chance to do just that on Saturday with Daddy & Mommy and got to watch them make the yard look beautiful!  They even pulled the grill out of storage for the summer, and I remember this thing so well, because when I was “smaller”, I used to growl & bark at that thing!  I wasn’t sure what it was, so I growled like there was no tomorrow at that big thing.  (Mommy always laughed at me when I growled at the grill – she wondered what I was protecting her from, but she praised me anyways!)

When I look back at some of the silly things that I did, don’t do now, & still do, I chuckle at myself.  I “still” sniff in the fridge when Mommy or Daddy open up “that BIG white thing” because everything smells awesome to me, I “still” lick everything (and I mean everything) in the dishwasher when the door gets opened, I “don’t” accidentally pee in the house anymore (phew, Mommy says), I “do” bark out the front window when I hear another dog barking, I “still” bark at the towels hanging on our neighbors clothes line, I “will always” bark at garbage cans & the garbage man, I “still” love our UPS guy as he always gives me hugs and kisses when he stops by the house for pickups, I “have never” chewed up anything in the house that was not mine, (except I did take Mommy’s slippers a few times, until I was caught) I “still” love going bye bye in the car, I can do tricks “without” a treat (but would prefer them if you’re offering), I “still” love to be vacuumed, I “now” think that the BBQ container is out to get me, and I “always” have to sleep with my squeaky bone. 

Mommy and I created this really neat collage (above) of me from the first day I was adopted, to me now, and boy have I grown!  I got weighed over the weekend and I am now 52.2 lbs.  We did our weekly trip to PetSmart to see all of my friends (and to scam some treats at the register too) and Daddy is looking into getting me a neat new halter that will help me walk better on a leash.  You see, I have a lot of power in my legs and I am pulling when we take walks, so Daddy & Mommy are looking into this neat new item to help me walk better without “taking them for a walk” & pulling so much.  We had a nice long discussion with one of the trainers at PetSmart (her name was Amber) and she suggested this item.  We might be picking it up this week (because they were out of them), so I will have to let you know how it works later.  Daddy also got me a new Nylabone because I love these things!  (thanks Daddy!)  And, the coolest thing that happened while we were in PetSmart, was that Mommy noticed a lady carrying a little puppy in the aisle we were in AND…..IT LOOKED JUST LIKE ME WHEN I WAS A LITTLE PUPPY!  Holy cow, we could not believe that her puppy looked just like me when I was born.  She said that she just adopted her puppy that day but did not pick out a name yet.  The puppy was a Collie and Sheppard mix.  We asked her to email us a photo of the puppy so we can post it in my blog. (hope she does) 

Last, but not least, the APL emailed me this morning to remind me that this is THE LAST WEEK to collect donations for Doggy Dollars & Kitty Kash, as the online donations ends May 8th by 11:59pm.  No matter what denomination you would like to give, every little bit counts!  I am one of the results of what the APL can do for a puppy in need. (Thank you APL)

DOGGY DOLLARS & KITTY KASH – Donate today to help assist the Cleveland APL raise money!
http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/themesnthings/2011-doggy-dollars-kitty-kash

Hugs & APL Donation Smoochies to you,
Nikita