8 photos of happiness – what would yours be?

I discovered the 8 photos of happiness blog post on YouBabyMeMummy. I was really inspired by the simplicity of it and the sweetness of it. I’m not really over sentimental and I’m a bit cynical when things are over romanticised.

But, I wanted to write the post, to cheer myself up and spread the love. I’ve gone through my photos and picked out eight that make me smile or remind me of the good times. What would your eight memories be? Do you share any of mine?

1. Wedding Bells

I wouldn’t class our wedding day as the happiest day of my life. It was a great day and I did enjoy it, but it was also quite a stressful day, running around and being photographed and chatting to everyone and making sure everyone was having a good time. Not being able to have a drink to relax was probably a major reason why I found the day more stressful then himself (he had a hooley). When we left the church though, and it was just us in the car on our way to our beautiful venue, we took this selfie. This was the happiest moment of the day for me.

2. Writing

This year, I’ve rekindled (geddit) my love of writing again. It was always there, but I didn’t pay much attention to it. With the baby’s arrival, my work ethic has gone through the roof; time is too precious to waste, every moment is important. This photo was taken in the gorgeous Slane Bake cafe after I’d met and interviewed a historian and author related to a book I was working on. We’d just walked through scenic countryside, I had gained a wealth of research in just one hour and later that day, I started my first proper novel writing. Here, I’m scribbling notes, flicking through a book recommended by my local librarian and drinking tea and eating cake. Alone. Bliss.

3. Country Walk

I have blogged about my love for the country, about how I enjoy the peace and quiet, the scenery, the fresh air, the thoughts that our children will grow up in a simpler, perhaps more innocent environment. Recently we went blackberry picking with my friend Anne Marie and her two daughters. The kids ran free in the potato fields and I thought – how happy are we right now? Afterwards myself and Anne Marie had a great chat over a cuppa while the kids ran wild in her massive country house. I am now working on getting a massive country house. In the meantime, I will continue to gatecrash hers.

4. Dressing up

We’ve been to a few fancy dress events in our time. We had a 90s theme party for himself’s 30th, where I had two racks full of puff ball jackets for anyone who arrived to the house not dressed up. Above is a picture of me as Avatar at one of the fancy dress Halloween balls I sang at. When I walked through the door, a small crowd gathered to take pictures of me and I felt like a celeb greeting the paparazzi. A big blue, cat like celeb. I love the freedom that dressing up brings. You are not you – you can hide behind the mask and costume and with that brings a different atmosphere entirely. An atmosphere of YEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAAW!

5. Family day out

We don’t get to do it often, but when we do get to go on a road trip or on a family day out, we love packing up the car, buying the sweets, filling the petrol tank and praying the baby sleeps for most of the journey. Here we were on our way to Comic Con (a day out for weirdos. We fit in perfectly).

6. Music festival fun

We’ve been lucky enough to have attended the famous and most well known music festival in the world; Glastonbury. I did get tickets too for 2013 before we knew I’d be wearing a seven and half month baby bump, so obviously I did the decent thing and let himself go without me. (Wife of the year?) I love this picture taken in 2011; we had such a great time – we were carefree and all about the music and fun. We hope go again in 2016, but I’m not sure how I’ll feel about leaving the baby behind. (Probably even freer??)

7. Christmas

I love Christmas. I love the lights, the bustle, the shopping, the rush. I associate it with great nights out and parties and food and presents. It’s a time when old friends come home, when the pubs are heaving and when everyone is in good (alcohol induced) spirits. Now that we are married and have a baby, our Christmas’ are changing – the social aspect has dwindled a bit and instead we enjoy the comfort and Christmas cosiness of our own festive home. The photo is of a night out in Dublin we had in 2011, the end of a very exciting year when I had been unemployed and got to actually ‘live’ again. We look so happy here, dressed in our twinkling lights (yes, hand sewed by me). And I think we look like we’ve a healthy glow, with a twinkle in our eyes. (Nothing to do with 12 pubs of Christmas, nothing atall).

8. Our baby girl

The happiest I have ever, ever felt, in the whole of my third of a decade life, was on the day our daughter was born. People talk about it all the time and of course, it’s a bit of cliche, but until it happens, until you feel those hormones and happy zappers, flowing through your system, you can’t perhaps understand just how it feels. Amazing. Like a waterfall of smiles. An out of mammy body experience. And, we can’t wait to do it all over again.

I am tagging the following bloggers to challenge them to share their own 8 photos of happiness. I would love to see your happy pics too, so please tag me. You can also share to Twitter @ladynicci with the hashtag #8happyphotos and I will retweet.

Tattooed Lady With A Baby

Hey Ali

The Two Darlings

Life on Hushabye Farm

Janine’s Little World

My Little Babog

Bumbles of Rice

Office Mum

Four Walls Rainy Days

Life with Baby Kicks