Delightful!

Everyone goes through word phases, right?  You know, when your vocabulary suddenly shrinks to one word that becomes your "go to" adjective to describe everything.  Don't tell me that's just me!

When I was a kid, "cool" was the "go to" adjective.  Mom brought home fast food for dinner. Cool!  You aced the big test. Cool!  Your parents let you skip school on your birthday and took you to see a movie.  So cool!

It's kinda like guys and the word "dude".  So, did you get the tickets to the ball game? Dude, we're covered.  A strange smell wafts across the room.  Dude. Restroom's down the hall.  I made out with your sister at the party last night.  Do you think she'd go out with me? DUDE! Keep your tongue away from my sister or my fist will find your face!

Last spring, my "go to" adjective was awesome.  Everything around me was awesome.  Wanna go to a hockey game?  Awesome.  Wanna go to a baseball game?  Awesome.  Wanna go to Hershey Park after school gets out?  Awesome!  Everything in my world could be described by awesome, even if it was used sarcastically.  How was your day at work? Awesome, I had to write a referral and make three parent phone calls because of a fight at recess.  Everyone and everything was awesome to some degree.

Now, a new word has taken over as my "go to" adjective.  Life has become "delightful".  How was your day at work, babe? Delightful!  My class aced the big math test.  How did it go at the playoff game last night?  Delightful!  We hit a homerun in the 12th to win the game.  Want to go get pumpkins from the pumpkin patch later?  That would be delightful!  I don't know why this has become my new "go to" word, all I know is that everything about my life right now feels delightful.

Here's my list of twelve delightful things going on in my life right now.

1.  My mom and I are closer than ever.  We had a rough patch right after my honey moved in, but now she's back on Team Lainey.  She and my honey even went to dinner without me this week when I got held up at a work meeting.  They get along really well.  All those times we invited her over for dinner and my honey cooked really did the trick.  I am delighted!

2. I have a class of bright, polite, motivated students this year.  What a difference a year makes!  I get to spend six hours a day with children who love to learn and are excited to take on challenging new assignments.  It's delightful!

3. I got a really good review at work.  Apparently, my enthusiasm when working with my delightful young charges can be observed by others.  My principal had a ton of positives or "glows" to report after my last observation and very few "grows" or areas to improve.  Being told I'm doing a good job was delightful!

4. My honey took me to Hershey Park again last weekend.  Delightful fun for all!

5. I got to spend some quality time with my BFF recently.  Conflicting schedules and busy lives limited the amount of time I spent with my BFF over the summer.  The only times I got to see her were at friendamily events.  But, last week we got together for dinner and caught up on what's been going on in our lives.  Hanging out was delightful!

6. My baseball team made it to the post-season for the first time in fifteen years.  Up until an untimely defeat last night, watching them was delightful!

7. My honey has proclaimed that I never have to go to another haunted house.  So delightful!

8. My honey and I have been living together for six months now.  No problems, no arguments, no deal breakers in sight. Delightful!

9. I haven't broken any bones in almost a year.  Not to jinx myself, but I haven't wobbled or fallen since May.  (For those of you who are new to the crew, I broke my ankle last November and have had a few falls and sprains since then.) Not being on crutches, in an ankle brace, or wrapped in an ACE bandage is delightful!

10. My honey's family has adopted me as one of their own.  I call his parents Mom and Dad (or sometimes Papa Bear since he is such a rabid Chicago Bears fan).  His siblings are great to me and his niece and nephews already call me Aunt Lainey.  Being welcomed into the brood with open arms is delightful!

11. My honey and I took our first trip to the Pumpkin Patch together today, which leads me to the most delightful news of all...

12. My honey asked me to marry him at the pumpkin patch today.  I'm engaged!!! (which, of course, is absolutely, positively the most delightful thing that has ever happened to me)