Happiness is...

Waking up in a soft, warm bed and knowing you can sleep in today.

Laughing and talking with friends you love.

Eating a Godiva Chocolate Champagne ball.

Seeing the Cathedral of Christ our Savior - the sun shining through the windows and lighting up the cross at the top of the altar - the cross comes alive with molten and living energy - Moving in Love. The Great Dance.

Hearing the Cathedral choir sing the liturgy.

Seeing the Rembrandt pieces at the Pushkin Museum.

Seeing St. Bartholomew in the Getty.

Seeing the Faberge display window at the State Armory in the Kremlin.

Strolling through Vancouver, B.C.

Meditating by Lake Moraine.

Watching little children smile while they sleep.

Studying in the Biola Library.

Helping my sister answer a question.

Saying exactly what you wanted to say to the people whom you wanted to say it to and in exactly the right way.

Holding a newborn.

Staying at a certain Kedron Valley Inn in Virginia in the Fall.

Reading Dante.

A warm furry dog who loves you.

Listening to Miss Romero read Eliot.

Listening to Mr. Bartel talk about Mrs. Bartel. (And most any other subject)

Listening to/playing Bach.

Listening to/playing Rachmaninoff.

Sharing Rachmaninoff with one's friend and knowing that they know what it is to be "the music while the music lasts".

Listening to/reading Dr. Esolen talk about Dante.

Listening to Dr. Reynolds talk about the West.

Listening to a Friend's insight on the text at hand.

Reading C.S. Lewis.

Reading Charles Williams and Sayers talking about Dante.

Being a part of Torrey.

Seeing the Cathedral of the Spilled Blood for the first time.

Talking about the Love of God.

Getting a delightful and long Email.

Going to Boston in the Fall.

Drinking a really yummy and warm Latte.

Sitting by a waterfall.

Knowing that because of your hard work, you've pleased those you care about and have made them proud of what you've done.

Hiking with my family in Yosemite.

Knowing that death - what was once our greatest sorrow - is now the occasion of our greatest triumph through Christ. "He trampled death by death!"

Drinking a glass of Montrachet.

Sleeping under the Stars.

Going to Wheatstone.

Opening the mailbox and finding a package from Amazon.

Being able to Drive.

Coming to class excited.

Watching two people fall in love.

Catching a strain of the "Humoresque" and grinning to friends who know what it means.

Reading a really good poem.

Christmas.

Being able to relive the wonderful memories you've had, like carrying around your personal box of wonders.

Waking up and knowing you've got a wonderful day ahead of you.

Watching a surgeon save a life.

Watching a soul come to salvation.

Being pleasantly surprised - Divinely benevolent irony - the kind where you can both laugh at yourself and be grateful that God has a wonderful sense of humor.

Seeing new connections within Great Literature.

Drinking perfectly brewed Earl Grey.

Sitting by a fire with a good book and a good snack.

Walking in brisk, cold November air as golden leaves fall around you and the sun warms your face.

Going to bed after a day well spent.

3am Epiphanies about God, Dante, Love, Affirmation, Rejection, Redemption, etc.

Lying down in a sunny field with your eyes closed.

Making a film (it's even better with friends!).

Staying up all night for a worthy cause.

Reaching the turning point where a paper finally comes together or when a passage finally makes sense.

Watching the leaves fall around your friend - in the middle of Don Rags.

Eating a really tender and juicy steak.

Canoeing on a lake by yourself in the warm rain of Washington.

Seeing Beatrice.

Being in full health.

Reading the Letters of Paul.

Many more things, but summed up in this:

Happiness means knowing God - moving in Love - and realizing that if I died today, I would die a happy man.

Ebay...

An hour wasted
(Curse you Ebay search engine)
Car part wasn't there.

My dad found the car part in three minutes. =P

Promise Kept

This will not be a post reflecting on the beauty of Christmas (although you may read into the title of the post however you wish). My intent for this post is more of a housekeeping issue:

I made a promise a year ago (almost to the day!) to upload a crazy wipeout I had on my snowboard on Christmas Day. =]

Today I fulfill my promise.
If you can't do it right, then fail spectacularly!

And my awesome, cool, and amazingly tech-savvy sister made our 2008Choo Family Christmas Video.

The link directly above is High-Def. Here's the normal quality.

Merry (post) Christmas everyone!

18 years

Weeeeee! Happy 18th Anniversary Mom and Dad! =] =] =]

Isn't it lovely?

We went out for dinner and had a delightful evening talking about stuff.

Here are a few anecdotes:

Some time after they met, my parents went on a college camping trip together with some friends. It so happened that my mom was washing the dishes that evening while my dad was taking pictures. hehe. So my mom asked why my dad wasn't helping and he said that being the camp photographer was a heavy burden of responsibility that outweighed menial labor. Ooooooh boy did that get my mom going! =] She got so fed up with him that she said "I feel sorry for the person who marries you". Haha! She's been happily eating her own words since. (And just in case you were wondering my dad has been reformed. =] )

Most romantic thing Dad ever did for Mom?

12 days before valentines my Dad was overseas and so he wouldn't be around for valentines. So he started sending love cards over beginning with an eansy weensy card all the way to one that was about 4 feet tall (which was delivered on valentines). I'll be honest, I'm definitely using this haha. (when i'm older, of course)

We're going to watch the wedding video now. =]

Have a lovely evening.

Penance

=[ I've committed a horrible sin.

Yes my friends, I did not include my sister in my alphabet. (Gasp!)

So I've been condemned to write a whole post about her. haha.

10 Things I love about my sister:
(If I'm overdoing this list thing, just let me know)

1. Well, for starters she's my sister and I get to live in the same house with her. That's cool. =]

2. She's great fun to annoy. hehe.

3. It's nice to have someone to be silly with on a daily basis.

4. Joycelyn can be hilariously witty! =]

5. Having a sibling is probably a huge factor in the person I am. (I'm not sure it's been good or bad) Haha. Just kidding. =]

6. Joycelyn plays the violin. And although she chooses to torture my dog and I when she's practicing, when she really tries, she's an excellent violinist. (Always room for improvement though!)

7. Memories are not half as fun if you don't have someone to share them with!

8. Well, she's just herself and I wouldn't trade her for any other sister. =]

9. How long must I sing your praises!?

10. In short, I love my sister and I can't imagine life without her. =]

There, will you forgive your mean old brother?

=] Love you Joycelyn. =]