Happy Things

The nature of a child is a happy thing. They truly live in the moment and turn everything into an adventure.

Watching Miles learn new tricks is a happy thing.

I was inspired by my friend Melissa D. to write a post about happy things in my life. I wish I recognized these more and feel selfish for my lack of appreciation for them.

Isaac's sense of style (or lack thereof) is a happy thing. He's a clothes horse. Look out J. Alexander, Isaac's extraordinary attire would make you proud.

I was able to take a few mission trips in college during my year's as an HFC (Hilltopper's for Christ). There's nothing more eye opening than a mission trip. For instance, armed guards at local fast food places, dirt roads with pot holes that could swallow a small car, brick fences with barbed wire, broken glass, metal and rock to deter intruders, sewage and water running through pipes at the same time, an overall fear for safety. I will never forget a Mexican girl name Flo and her mother. Dala Narramore and I spent the night with them in their home which wasn't any bigger than my garage now. They slept on the floor and small sofa so we could enjoy their cozy double bed. They bathed out of a large barrel which resembled a trash can. You dipped a cup in it and poured the water over your body. No paper waste could be thrown in the commode, and I'm not sure if they cleaned it by hand or not??? Dala and I had to brush our teeth with bottled water due to their contaminated water. This is how they lived each day. Flo's mother made us fresh squeezed orange juice in the morning, and they treated us as queens. I can't think of many things that have impacted me more and made me thankful for our United States luxuries than that trip to Mexico.

Some of my BIG happy things:

My bathtub. It's one of the few private places I have in my home. I look at the nasty ring-around-the-tub and think to myself..."I sure do take a lot of baths". I love nuclear hot baths and my lavendar vanilla Bath and Body sleep body wash.

My children's art work. Karson is BIG into authoring books. I wrote a post about it a while back, but she's since completed even more books. Isaac leaves NO white on any coloring sheet. He must use each crayon and color every square inch of his picture. He's also into fraying his pictures with scissors. I don't mind. He needs to learn how to cut for preschool next year =).

Matt's family. I love his mom and dad as much as my own. They have taught me a lot about the meaning of family and unconditional love. His parents are keeping our children during Spring Break so that we can go to Destin. They love our kids and frequently keep them and give Matt and I money to go out on a dates. Their son John takes Karson to Chuck E. Cheese's and WKU ballgames. Their son Andrew invites them to spend the night with him a couple times each month. Their son Ben babysits on occasion. My children are lucky having such a loving support system. Matt got a pricey golf shirt with Christmas money that he's been using to taunt Paul (our brother-in-law) about upcoming golf matches in Destin. Paul and Shannon are going to the beach with us. Matt even went as far as morphing our heads to his body wearing his new shirt.

My husband. I love Matt so much. He has such a witty sense of humor and is the kindest person I know. He spent his entire day off on Monday cleaning our house. When I got home that afternoon, I smelled Pine-Sol, Pledge and Windex. Everything was spic-n-span, if only for the day. Matt is my best friend. He takes such good care of our family.

Some SMALL happy things:

Lysol wipes. I have a canister of these in almost every room in the house. I have no idea how women survived without this necessity for so long.



I buy Bare Minerals make-up on eBay and also found Karson's Easter dress.

eBay and Amazon. I have done loads of shopping on eBay and Amazon. I buy make-up, children's clothes, Hallmark ornaments, DVD's, toys with the click of my mouse. I enjoy online shopping.

Movies. I have recently purchased two movies Dan in Real Life and I am Legend. I love watching movies. We recently upgraded our cable from basic to premium and got a DVR. I don't watch much TV but love watching movies. I've been able to record some oldie but goodie flicks.

Coffee. I was a regular at Bread and Bagels until we moved out to Plano. I love their Southern Pecan. I also like Panera Bread's Hazelnut coffee. Coffee is one of my indulgences. I wouldn't consider myself a HUGE coffee drinker, but I need at least 1 cup a day.