Every Monday, I start my week by highlighting what made me happy from the previous week, because gratitude is the first step in learning how to be happier.

I had a lot to be grateful for this week.

After five years, I saw my stepdad again. He looked sick, thin, and old – but he smiled and laughed just the same. I asked if he knew that I loved him, and he said that he did. He asked me the same thing, and I reassured him, too. It was so, so good to retie that knot.

On Wednesday, Jared and I got to meet my friend Jenness and her charming husband, Tom, for dinner at a Thai restaurant. The food was good, the company was even better, and the parting gifts were unexpected and thoughtful. (Seriously, I never think to bring presents when I meet someone. Why didn’t my mom teach me this?) I love finally meeting people who I’ve known online, and it was so cool that Jenness and Tom were willing to drive 45 minutes to meet us.

On Thursday, my brother-in-law and his wife had their fourth child, a beautiful baby girl.

There is nothing better than a newborn baby. I love them. In fact, I love holding them so much that when we got to the hospital and her mother asked if anyone wanted to hold her, I waited about two seconds before jumping in and grabbing her. It was only several minutes later that I found out she’d just finished having her once-over by the nurses and no one else (except her mom and dad) had gotten to hold her yet.

OOPS.

I’m only a little bit sorry.

And I’m totally trying to figure out how to get as much time as possible to hold her over the next month before we move.

Speaking of which, I bought a plane ticket to go to Pittsburgh in July and find an apartment. But more importantly:

We sold the RV.

That chapter is now, officially, closed. An archive page. A something we did instead of something we’re doing. It feels like just yesterday I was anxiously counting the days in my home office in Florida, eager to get on with it. Now I’m counting down the days in my in-laws’ guest room, just as eager to get on to the next it.

Waiting for new beginnings is always the hardest part for me. I suppose that’s one of the reasons I love babies so much; they signal the end of the waiting and the beginning of the next great thing.

Plus, they smell amazing.

What are you grateful for today?