Things That Make Me Smile

Well, true to form, I have proven to be incapable of keeping with a weekly schedule, with this little blog, so i'm officially giving up.  I'll write when i can write - which isn't often, but at least it's something.

And now, some things that have made me smile lately:

I HAPPY that my house is really super duper clean. --I mean *really* clean.  Over the last couple weeks, we've been doing my first spring cleaning ever.  (we've never stayed in a house for more than two years.  Moving has always been my "spring cleaning" --but this house, we've been in for four years.  It was really needing some help).  My poor kids have been working like crazy with me, and aren't allowed to do anything but sit on the floor, for fear that they'll mess it up,  but at least the house is clean, doggone-it!

SMILING that i hear classical music coming from my boys' room.  As a result of our cleaning process, The boys got an old CD player in their room, along with a case of all our CD's.  I'm amused that their regular choice of music is classical.

 ENJOYED our much needed family vacation to Joshua Tree National Park.  our vacation was several days, but the day in Joshua Tree was the highlight for me.  I have to admit that I was not looking forward to spending my vacation in the desert... but it was full of all kinds of interestingness.  I took tons of pictures with my new camera & will hopefully post them some day, if I can ever finish edditing my latest wedding photos. 

Which brings me to how much I LOVE my new camera!!!  A few weeks back, I sold all of my Pentax camera gear (which was very hard to part with), and bought a new Canon camera & a few lenses.  I had 2 weeks to learn how to use the thing before my next wedding shoot.  eek!  I felt like I was cramming for a test.  But learn it I did, and I'm loving the results!  The pictures are beautiful.  So long, Pentax.  You'll always be my first love.  Here's one of my very first pictues from the new camera:

Along the lines of my new camera, I had lots of FUN being a wedding photographer for the third time.  This time, for Chris' business partner, Adam.  A sweet, simple wedding in a tiny little chapel up in the wine country.

You can see more of the pictures as I edit them on my facebook photo page.
In other news I'm PROUD of Evelyn for  learning how to ride her bike while we were on our vacation.  Yay Evelyn!!

Also, I can't tell you how THANKFUL I am to have Chris in my life, to help me deal with the tough stuff.  After the brutal death of one of our mice few weeks ago, and then amputating another one's tail last week, I've come to 2 conclusions:  1) I don't handle gore very well, and 2)  Chris really is my hero.  I don't know what I'd do without him.

And finally, I'm EXCITED that I was recently a finalist in a photo contest!  It was very fun & I won all kinds of great stuff.  --and to make it even better, it was one of my favorite pictures of my grandma, right before she died.

Things that make me smile #7 (and some things that don't)

It's that time of the week again.   I've been looking forward to the time when my kids were in school today, so I could sit down and write about all the lovely happy thoughts I've been having.  This morning, as I took Gideon to the doctor to get his stitches out, I thought about how I would share that exciting news with you later in the day.  But just as we were leaving, chloe and evelyn collided as they ran down the driveway to the car.  Evelyn did a faceplant and ended up with all kinds of scrapes on her hands and knees.  So I got her home,  finished placing the five bandaids in various places, and set my attentions on rebandaging gideon's thumb (because the doctor did a bad job).  Just as I was finishing with Gideon, chloe came into the room holding her mouse in her hands, and went into a big long story about how she accidentally cut the mouse with some scissors.  Then she opened her hands to show me her  mouse covered in blood.  After much discussion it was decided that the poor little thing should be put out of its misery, so we took it to Chris at work so he could do the Deed.  I'm sure it was pretty funny sight to see chris standing in the parking lot with his three girls all bawling as they hand him a paper bag.  I think I cried as much as chloe. I'm such a sap.  The big question of the moment was, "how is daddy going to kill it?"   We drove away with chloe yelling "bring it back in one piece!

After my very eventful morning (this all happened before 9:30 am), I've come to two conclusions.  1.   between the mouse and Gideon's thumb I've had my fill of blood and gore for the rest of the month -maybe even the year.  and 2.  It's a really good thing I never tried to be an ER nurse.  I never would've made it.

so...now that i've mostly recovered from all that trauma, I'm ready to get my mind off of it by sharing the things that have made me smile this recently:

I'm SMILING about the beautiful weather we've had this week, and all the time we've spent at the beach.  And i'm LOVING all the tidepools and rocks that have been uncovered on the beaches after our recent storms.  We've found so many great seashells and things.  There's so much seaglass all over the place that I've had to buy new  jars to hold our collection.  Plus, after finding a golf ball every time we're there, we've started a new collection.

Over the weekend, I ENJOYED going out to a local Japanese restaurant for chris's birthday.  We got to watch the chef prepare our dinner at our table, complete with some spatula percussion, egg juggling, and a giant fire.  We also had a GREAT TIME on sunday evening celebrating with friends. 

I've LOVED the girlfriend time i've had this week. lots of fun with good friends.

I LAUGH when I look in the refrigerator an see the bright green goo sitting in a tupperware container.  That's what's leftover from our very colorful St. Patrick's Day meal that we had last night which consisted of corned beef, cooked red cabbage, green mashed potatoes, green milk, and a salad.

I've been AMAZED every day when I look at Gideon's thumb and see his skin reattaching itself and growing back together.  I can't think of anything that man has made that could do something so miraculous.   What an amazing God we have!  I'm in such wonder, that gideon has begun to complain.  Every time I look at his thumb, I exclaim, "That's Amazing!!"  and he rolls his eyes and says, "you *always* say that!" :)

I'm CELEBRATING because Gideon got his stitches out today (as you've already heard)!   Our celebratory dinner will be breakfast burritos at Gideon's request.  And while i'm on the subject of getting the stitches out, you might be interested to know that I asked the doctor how often he sees this kind of cut.  His answer:  About 3 times a week (!!!!) often from experienced chefs who say, "i've never cut myself before!"

LOVE the fact that mice can be quickly & easily replaced with a quick trip to petco and a couple bucks.  I'm also GRATEFUL for the fact that my children learned a life lesson on experiencing the loss of a loved one.  Not fun, but a part of life that must be experienced.  --and also the life lesson of being careful with scissors...and pets.

and finally,

I've LOVED pondering what it means to be the apple of God's eye.  Trying to understand what that meant, I looked it up on Wikkipedia.  this is what they said: "The original Hebrew for this idiom was 'iyshown 'ayin (אישון עין), and can be literally translated as "Little Man of the Eye." This is a reference to the tiny reflection of yourself that you can see in other people's pupils."  This made me think about how that little reflection of yourself is only seen when someone is looking at you closely.  I love the idea that God's face is so close to mine that I can see my reflection in His eyes.  Just like lovers gazing into each other's eyes.

--
Update: I've just returned from picking the kids up from school where, I'm told, Zachary fell on his face. He's got a nice little scratch on his nose & several band aids to match Evelyn's. And now I must run to help Gideon who, I'm told,  has just stepped in the dog poop he was supposed to be cleaning up.  If next Thursday is anything like today or last week's, I might just start boycotting Thursdays --or maybe I'll just buy stock in Band-aids..

Things That Make Me Smile #6

I'm rushing around, getting ready to make the forever drive to Ikea, where we will be buying some supplies for our church.  But I thought I'd just check in super quick because i don't like leaving a depressing post as my most recent.   So... a couple things that made me smile recently:

LOVE having my mom in town!  She's been here for about a week and has a couple more to go.  We've enjoyed spending time at the beach and going out to birthday lunches, and just sitting around talking.  I just adore my mom, and am so thankful to have some time together.

LOVED Chloe's 9th birthday last week!  For her gift she wanted to go horseback riding, so we found a little place that would take us for an hour and a half.  The little kids stayed home & it was just me, chris, chloe, & gideon.  It was so cute watching the kids learn how to sit on a horse and steer.  we rode through the beautiful mountains, and had a wonderful time!  and a little less than a week later, my butt is still bruised. ;)

Things that make me sad

Last week, I was feeling a bit down, so I thought it would be the perfect time to start my first "Things-That-Make-Me-Smile" post of the new year, in an effort to cure my gloominess.  But I didn't get very far, because the busy-ness of life interrupted me.  And the next day, Chris and I recieved some bad news.  There's no need to go into the details of it, other than to say that it was really discouraging for me.  I was so down, that I couldn't even begin to think about writing a post about smiling.  I only wanted to cry and think about how I was hurt and angry and sad. 

 I didn't want to pout.  But those of you who have tried will understand how hard it was for me to convince my emotions to stop feeling the way they did.  Emotions by nature are irrational, and no amount of convincing, cajoling, or chocolate could persuade them to feel any other way.  And so I sat in my emotional darkness, waiting for those cruel little guys lose the battle to my sunnier (and ordinarily more victorious) emotions --or at least to show me a little mercy and take a break from their tireless nagging.  Well, I'm happy to say that after a week of moping, I had my very first day of good mood-ness. This is a great relief to me, because I hated being sad.  And  while battle still contiues, I'm glad that I'm seeing more sunshine than clouds lately.  And hopefully by next week, I'll be able to share my new  "Things That Make Me Smile" post.

Things That Make Me Smile #5

Last week, I came upon a local news site. While browsing their articles, I found this one, in which they discuss the how many of santa hats were worn at our local Christmas --oh, excuse me --- *Holiday* parade this year. I just LOVE that they considered this newsworthy. Also, not only do they count santa hats at Christmastime, but they also count dogs, horses, and drums, during some of our other many parades throughout the year. How fun is that??

I'm CELEBRATING because today, Chris & I finished the last of our 6 counseling sessions which were required for us to get through the homestudy for our adoption. Hooray!! We had a great meeting with our counselor today, and she gave us all sorts of wonderful advice in regards to raising teenagers. I'm now sufficiently freaked out. (next step in the adoption: finish take another class with the homestudy agency, and finish paperwork

SMILING because we had a lovely pre-Christmas celebration with the kids on Sunday. Because we go to Texas every year for Christmas, we always celebrate with Chris' family the weekend before we leave. But neither my family nor his family want to sit around & watch all our kids open their gifts from us. So we have an addional Christmas just for us & the little ones --which happened to be last night. They had lots of fun opening our gifts, and we even had some friends come by for a surprise visit, bearing many more gifts!

SMILING because we had a very fun ladies' brunch at my church. There were 10 tables, and each one was assigned a table leader who got to decorate her own table, all christmasy cute. I got to be one of the table leaders and had lots of fun decorating mine.

LAUGHING because i got to take part in a fun skit for the brunch. I'm reminded of why I feel I missed my calling as a melodrama actress.....maybe someday

THANKFUL that i'll be seeing my family for christmas again this year. I LOVE visiting family and friends every year

And, I'm EXCITED that we'll be driving, because I LOVE road trips!!!

I'm also HAPPY that i've finished 99% of my Christmas shopping! Yay me! Now on to the wrapping

And finally, i'm LOVING the holiday season. it's just so dang HAPPY!

Beautiful Words

Today I read Ephesians 1-4. I don't see how anyone can read those chapters and not smile. It's so full of beautiful descriptive phrases! Take a minute to read through these slowly. Let their words settle into your heart and echo through your mind as you go about your day.

Established in love
Love that surpasses knowledge
Fullness of God
In accordance with his pleasure and will
To the praise of his glorious grace
Freely given
Riches of God's grace
Lavished on us
Mystery of his will
Good pleasure
Praise of his glory
Riches of his glorious inheritance
Great love for us
Rich in mercy
Incomparable riches of his grace
Expressed in his kindness
Gift of God
We are God's workmanship
He himself is our peace
Unsearchable riches of Christ
Rooted and established in love
Immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine
Gifts to men

Things That Make Me Smile #4

I'm smiling *lots* this week, after a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!

THANKFUL that I have great inlaws who I love & get along with well.

LOVED Thanksgiving dinner, even if there were 30+ people, 1/2 of whom i didn't know. :)

HAPPY that Thanksgiving wasn't at my house, so I didn't have to deal with the mess! (sorry, Linda.)

LOVED having Chris home this last weekend. With all of the work he's been doing lately, we haven't seen much of him. This weekend was a *great* re-connect.

LOVE that we got our christmas tree up on Sunday, and LOVE the way the house feels when it's decorated for Christmas.

THANKFUL that we were able to get some much needed clothes for the kids and me.

SMILING because even though my last good pair of jeans got a hole in them, at least I have clothes to wear.

LOVED watching the (first) Star Wars trilogy with the kids this weekend. It was so fun watching them discover the story for the first time. The boys LOVED all of the fighting scenes, but all of the kids want to know why people kept cutting of each other's hands and arms instead of just killing each other. :)

HAPPY that Chloe & Gideon just finished two of their workbooks in school.

THANKFUL for Alexander Graham Bell for inventing the telephone, because i don't know how I would survive without my regular chats with my mom

which reminds me that I'm THANKFUL for Bill Gates for inventing the internet, which will helps me get lots of my last minute Christmas shopping done, *and* allows me to keep up with friends around the world. AMAZING!

oh! and of course, i can't forget that I'm THANKFUL for all those Black Friday deals! We got a great new computer that works nicely (though i'm still getting used to the new Windows program). I'm THRILLED that i'll finally be able to burn CD's again --and that the computer came with at "free" printer, so now I can print things again! Yay for technology! :)

and speaking of Black Friday, i actually really ENJOYED my crack-of-dawn shopping (or should I say sitting in line?) experience. it was quite an adventure (maybe i'll post the story sometime), and since i just love people-watching, i had a blast observing the mayhem that is Black Friday. Also, i got to have some nice conversations with the people who stood in line with me for an hour and a half.

There's so much more that i could write about, because is was just a week full of smiles for me. But i'll leave it at that, because I wouldn't want to bore my faithful readers.

Things That Make Me Smile (AKA Thankful Thursday)

As much as I was enjoying my cheesey alliterations, I've decided to rename my Thankful Thursdays. Those of you who know me well would understand how I hate having to fit into a box (unless, I suppose, it's an oddly shaped, multi-colored box that's tied with lots of funky ribbons and finished with a lovely smelling flower tucked on top). So the Thankful Thursday thing was just too restrictive. What if I don't want to say THANKFUL every time? What if I want to say that I'm HAPPY about something...or that LOVE something? So. I'm taking Thankful Thursdays out of its squishy little square box, and i'm re-wrapping it into a purple, oval-shaped box, tied with orange and brown ribbons, and I'm adding a little pink fresia for an extra touch . :)

So.. today, I am

THANKFUL for warm fuzzy socks

HAPPY that we'll be buying a new computer on Friday. This one's been on its way out for awhile, but we've been keeping it on life support until windows came out w/a new version. hooray! Can't wait to have everything working beautifully again. :)

LOVE chocolate ice cream drumsticks. What is it about chocolate that's so comforting to women? And why isn't it as effective on men? Someone needs to do a study!

THANKFUL for the beautiful weather we've had this week. Mid 70's!

SMILING about the time I got to spend with friends at the beach. :)

THANKFUL for the time I got to spend with my friend, Shelley, making salsa & hanging out at the beach.

LOVING the africam video. I mentioned this awhile ago, on the blog, but i stopped watching it & eventually forgot about it. But a friend mentioned it on facebook, & i've started checking it out again. It's so fun to watch live video feed all the way from africa! So far we've seen lots of birds, several sunsets, some wildabeasts, boars, deer things, and a cheetah. Right now, as I'm writing, we're watching a bird weave a nest, piece by piece. it's amazing!

THANKFUL that our church finished a *major* part of their construction project & will be able to move on to other things. And I'm EXCITED to watch it grow more beautiful as external touches are added.

SMILING about the movie that I was reading about. It was rated PG-13 for "Mayhem". How random is that?

LOVING the new songs I bought for my ipod over the last week --esp. Guy Davis' "Grandma is Dancing" --which I think i'll have to buy for my mom.

AMAZED at how faithfully God has cared for me & provided everything I've needed. In awe of His goodness.

Thankful Thursday #3 Preface

well, this being THE biggest Thankful Thursday of the year, let me wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!! We will be spending the day with Chris's family. I always enjoy visiting with them, but am especially looking forward to it today, because we've seen each other so seldom this year.

and now on with the Thankful Thursday post...

Thankful Thursday #2

Today, I am THANKFUL for the holidays. What a wonderful lovely spirit is in the air, thinking about family & thanksgiving, & christmas.

I've been listening to Christmas music this week, to help get me in the mood for a Christmas party I'm helping with. The music inspired me to hunt for more, on itunes. I'm so THANKFUL that I found the song, "Sleigh Ride" by Barenaked Ladies. LOVE it!!

i'm also THANKFUL for my camera. Photography is such a release for me. I just love exploring life through my lens, & dicsovering beauty in a different way.

I'm THANKFUL for foundmagazine.com, & the laugh I often get from exploring their site.

I'm THANKFUL for my friend, Shelley, who left a giant boquet of lillies (my favorite flower) on my car this week. And i'm THANKFUL that my house has been filled with their amazing aroma all week long!

I'm also THANKFUL for my friend Melissa who took a chunk of time out of her day to give me & Chloe haircuts...I just love getting my hair done! Which make me THANKFUL for my hair! bcause hair is just FUN! :)

I'm THANKFUL that my car's leaky windshield was fixed & it was all taken care of under warranty. And i'm THANKFUL that the warranty covered a rental car for us, so I had transportation the whole time it was in the shop. And the tiny car I drove made me especially THANKFUL for our great big roomy car. AND, i'm THANKFUL for the mechanic who changed my car radio's favorite button to play the Spanish station, because it gave me a good laugh.

Which reminds me that I'm always THANKFUL for a good laugh.

I've also been thinking about all the little things that i don't even notice in my life. I'm so THANKFUL for fingers. I can't imagine what life would be like without them. Take the time today, to think of all the things you use your fingers for. And thank God for his amazing creation!

I'm THANKFUL that I get to spend so much time with my amazing children, because i homeschool -- which makes me THANKFUL for the freedom I have in this country to do that. And i'm THANKFUL for all the amazing books we get to read together. We just finished reading Robin Hood. What a great story!!!

Which also reminds me that i'm THANKFUL for youtube, because when none of the video stores carried Robin Hood for me to watch with the kids, we were able to watch it on youtube (even though it *was* in 10 parts) :)

And as I sit here & ramble to you, eating my chocloate chips & marshmallows, I'm THANKFUL for tastebuds which make eating so very interesting. And i'm THANKFUL for computers and the internet. However did we survive before the internet??

editted 8:01pm: i forgot to add that i'm THANKFUL that I decided declare a school holiday on Monday & organize the house. We super-cleaned the playroom and both the kids' bedrooms. They were sparkly and roomy & pretty for a whole afternoon!!

The Attitude of Gratitude

After my first Thankful Thursday post last week, I discovered a little thing going around facebook, where people were posting one thing each day that they're thankful for, until thanksgiving. What a great idea! Between the two projects, I've come to feel much more appreciation for the little things in life. So as I was pondering how thankful I am for the many things in my life, I went to church on Sunday, and you'll never guess what the pastor's sermon was about..... Thankfulness! haha! :) it was a really great sermon. I had planned to post a link to the podcast, but i guess they haven't uploaded it yet, so you're out of luck. shoulda been there! ;) One thing that interested me were the many studies that my pastor read that stated the health benefits of living a life of gratitude. amazing! Anyway, I've obviously been working on my own thankful heart already, but as a result of the sermon, I was inspired to do the same thing with my kids. So now, every day, before we start school, we each take a minute to write in our journals, about the things we're thankful for. I love it! and according to all those studies that were referenced, my kids should live more happy healthy lives as a result. :)

Because I couldn't post a link to the sermon, I went ahead & googled "thankfulness research," and found some interesting things... here are a few highlights:

*In an experimental comparison, those who kept gratitude journals on a weekly basis exercised more regularly, reported fewer physical symptoms, felt better about their lives as a whole, and were more optimistic about the upcoming week compared to those who recorded hassles or neutral life events (Emmons & McCullough, 2003).

*In a sample of adults with neuromuscular disease, a 21-day gratitude intervention resulted in greater amounts of high energy positive moods, a greater sense of feeling connected to others, more optimistic ratings of one’s life, and better sleep duration and sleep quality, relative to a control group.

*Prosociality: People with a strong disposition toward gratitude have the capacity to be empathic and to take the perspective of others. They are rated as more generous and more helpful by people in their social networks (McCullough, Emmons, & Tsang, 2002).

*Spirituality: Those who regularly attend religious services and engage in religious activities such as prayer reading religious material score are more likely to be grateful. Grateful people are more likely to acknowledge a belief in the interconnectedness of all life and a commitment to and responsibility to others (McCullough et. al., 2002). Gratitude does not require religious faith, but faith enhances the ability to be grateful.

Thankful Thursdays

a friend of mine is starting a gratitude journal. It sounded like such a great idea that i was inspired to do the same. Because it's so hard to resist a good alliteration, i've decided to post mine on Thursdays. :)

To start the theme off, i'll post the lyrics to one of my favorite songs, by the persuasions:

I’m so glad that I’ve got knees
‘cause I can climb up and hang in the trees
I’m so glad that I’ve got hair
It would feel mighty funny with nothing up there
I’m so glad that I’ve got skin
‘cause that’s what keeps my insides in
I’m so glad that I’ve got a nose
Even though it looks like one of my toes
I’m so glad that I’ve got arms
Cause that’s what holds my hands on
I’m so glad that I’ve got feet
I can run and jump and skip down the street
I’m so glad that I’ve got teeth
‘cause there’s so many good things to eat
I’m so glad that I’ve got eyes
‘cause when I get sad I can always cry
I’m so glad that I’ve got a head
I can lay it on my pillow when I’m lyin’ in bed
I’m so glad that I’ve got a face
‘cause I am a member of the human race

So aside from all of those wonderful things, this week, i'm thankful for:

1. Chocolate! (need I say more?)
2. shopping carts (can you imagine trying to shop without them!?)
3. toilets (one visit to port-a-potty takes me back to the old days and makes me thankful for this little luxery)
4. tampons (sorry guys, but it's true!)
5. warranties (i just love not having to worry about how much i have to pay to have something fixed!)
6. health! (i'm so thankful that no one in my family has any serious medical conditions that we have to deal with)
7. books (I love getting lost in a good story)
8. freedom of worship (I never want to take for granted the fact that I can worship God without fear)
9. eyesight (to see the the smiles on my children's faces or a sunset...priceless)
10. my giant stove in my big kitchen in my beautiful home