the experience of happiness

after a great trip to see friends and family, attending a concert that i've been waiting 16 years to see (belle and sebastian finally came to madison--more on that later), spending time with my family this weekend, and celebrating easter and the joyful renewal of the holiday, i can't help but feel a little happy. and sometimes, i get frustrated that my car has a rearview mirror that is literally glued and taped onto the side of my car, and i get frustrated that i have only one bathroom and we all have to stand in line every morning to use our single toilet, and sometimes i realize we don't have all the right toys in my house. but despite all that broken stuff and small stuff and seeming lack of stuff in my life, i'm still pretty happy. life is still full of little let-downs and disappointments and temper tantrums, and sore throats, and family stressors, and unplanned expenditures of too much money, and my job and david's job is sometimes unusually stressful and time consuming; but even with those normal negatives all mixed in, i'm still pretty happy.

i came across this article recently, and i like it. i agree with it. here--check out this passage:

"There's a very logical assumption that most people make when spending their money: that because a physical object will last longer, it will make us happier for a longer time than a one-off experience like a concert or vacation. According to recent research, it turns out that assumption is completely wrong."

so when people ask why we go to concerts, or go camping, or go on vacation, but still drive junky small cars and stand in line to pee every morning, i think i'll direct them to this article in the future. 

and speaking of happy, check out these photos from the kids' school photo shoot. unbelievable.