Ten Smile Wednesday

Well, it's 5 am here and I can't sleep. Both girls have been up coughing so now I'm paranoid so I have to sit here listening for them. Ugh. I do believe there is a good chance for a doctor's office visit in our very near future.

So, I am a day late on my 10 smiles, but I figure as long as I'm up, I mine as well use the time to record some things before the time passes, and I forget the beauty of the moment and all my smiles to go along with it.

1. Potty trained at last! I keep forgetting to share this and holy cow, this is huge! A little over a month ago some of Lilla's friends were over to play and I had just decided that day we weren't doing the pull up thing anymore. She was playing and oops, pee pee ran down her leg. Oh, she was so embarrassed, but, guess what? No more diapers since! She's had two days of accidents in the last 5 weeks! Is that crazy?!?! Totally a smile worth sharing!
2. Summit. This past weekend our MOPS group hosted a leadership summit for our area. It was neat to meet other MOPS leaders and form some new friendships. Also, looking ahead to the new year in MOPS is always fun! Here is me wearing Ms. Anna at the summit!3. Sandbox. Last week it was finally time to fill the sandbox again! Lilla has been so happy about that sandbox you'd think she struck gold! Every day she practically begs me to go out there and play in it some more. Definitely a highlight for her!4. The weather. Oh my, the weather has been so nice here lately. Yesterday it did drop down again and rain, but hey, it's spring. And it was such a lovely weekend. We spent a bunch of time outside and I've been on a picture taking rampage now that I have natural light again, good stuff!
5. Popsicles. Along with the weather comes another of Lilla's very favorite things...popsicles. She would make a meal of those things if I would let her. Oh, she's been so happy that they have made an appearance again!
6. Daddy time. While Anna and I were at the conference all day Saturday, Michael and Lilla spent the day together. It was so sweet to hear how they got their haircut together (completely Michael's idea, I was impressed!), played the match game, colored and just spent time together. Nothing like a little daddy time!

7. My garden...at last! This is a week belated, but still so happy it makes me smile! My parents came last weekend to help Michael build a raised garden for me! Yeah! We actually have a HUGE garden area already but it sits on the bottom of a hill and tends to flood so I wanted something closer to the house and on top of the hill. I can't wait to start a planting!
8. Friends. Lilla just loves her good friend, Gracie. So when her mommy needed a little time last week and asked if she could come over, we were more than happy to oblige! The girls had so much fun playing in the sand, in the little house, on the trampoline, in the car, eating at McDonald's. Oh, so much fun to be had, so little time!
9. Flowers. God bless the woman who used to live in my house. She planted all these gorgeous perennials that make spring time so much fun! My crapapple, apple and cherry blossom trees have brought a beautiful fragrance to my yard that can only signal new life and sweetness. The bleeding hearts are beautiful, the hastas are huge and the irises are coming forth! Oh, and the creepers...beautiful!
10. Roll over. Monday night after bath, I put Anna on her belly to give her some tummy time when I noticed her leaning to her side. Suddenly she just rolled over! So fun to see yet another milestone with my little one!
11. Photoshoot. I love taking pictures of my girls. Here are some more I captured the other day when I took them outside for a spring "photoshoot"!

What are you smiling about today?

The Darkness too

The other day as the girls and I drove down the road I started singing the words to the song, Bring the Rain. Do you know that song by Mercy Me? The chorus goes:

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain

Well, the peanut really likes to learn any kind of music. She asks me just about every day to give her a new song to sing. Whatever I'm singing she asks me, "What are you singing Momma?"

So, I told her the song I was singing and started explaining to her how God gives us all kinds of different things. Sometimes we experience things in life that are really sad and sometimes we experience things in life that are really happy. I told her that this song was all about that and how sometimes it rains, even though that is not always fun.

I then heard a small voice from the back say, "God sometimes brings us sunshine?"

I replied, "Yes, he sometimes brings us sunshine."

A few second pause and then I hear, "And sometimes God brings us darkness too."

My breath was taken away.

"Yes, Lilla, sometimes darkness too."

10 Smile Tuesday

Have you ever heard that old wives tale about bad things coming in threes? Well, I think I was living that wives tale this week. First the washing machine started making a loud scraping noise that was definitely not good, then the brakes began making a horrible crunching sound, very soon after I had to laugh when the handle broke off the toilet. It was a laugh or cry kind of week, so I just chose, and I stress, chose, to laugh. It's just been that kind of week. But, in the midst of it, we had a lot of fun and a lot of smiles.

1. Easter egg hunts. Lilla went on three hunts this year. She was one busy bunny I tell you! She is very methodical and kind of takes her time just looking around, getting excited with one egg while the other kids are tearing from one place to another. I love that she is like that, what a good way to enjoy life. I find myself trying to rush her to catch her up with the other kids, but I'm going to be mindful of that, because, she doesn't care, so why should I? 2. Baby blue eyes. Oh, this baby has the blue eyes! I know every mother thinks their own children are the most gorgeous, but these blue eyes are just melting me by the day!
3. Friends. Everytime I put Anna down, this is what I find next to her in a hurry. Lilla likes to climb up to wherever she is at and just hang out with her sister. How great is that?

4. Growing up. Can you believe Anna will be 4 months on Thursday? Too true, too true. She is getting two bottom teeth in, wanting to sit up all the time, aware of all of her surroundings, belly laughing at everyone and just as sweet as she wants to be!

5. Bathtime. For a while there bathtime with Anna was really no fun. She just was not happy to be put in that water. Oh, her scream can reach the rafters when she wants it to. But recently, she has begun to enjoy the bath. She just lays there and lets me wash her, kind of looking around and smiling. I'm so glad because this is a HUGE part of Lilla's day, she loves it and will spend an hour in there sometimes if we let her. It won't be too much longer and they will take baths together so I'm so happy when I see that happy bath smile coming through!

6. I don't know if you can really see it in this picture, but Anna has been doing this thing with lifting her legs all of the time. Wherever she's at, whatever she is doing, she just likes to lift her legs. I think it is so incredibly cute. I don't know why, I just want to eat her up she's so adorable, and that is just one adorable thing she does that I always want to remember!

7. More growing up. Lilla is really turning into a little girl. Gone is the toddler, we are on to little girl stage now. She's really developing into a beautiful young girl. She's smart, funny and thoughtful. I was talking to her about forgiveness the other day and when I asked her about Jesus dying on the cross for our sins she said, "He threw them away." I about cried. She is nothing short of beautiful.

8. A family picture. I am always the one behind the camera, which makes for very few pictures of our whole family together. So, when I do remember to ask someone to take a picture of us, I'm so glad to have one to look at!9. My girls. Easter morning we were rushing around and I just quickly snapped this picture of the girls before we went to church. The first of them smiling in a picture together and the only one of them together on Easter. So glad it turned out so cute!
10. Easter day. Is there a better day in the year? All the other days lead up to this for the Christian and to celebrate that he arose...well are there any words? Not from the likes of me! So I'll just leave you with a couple of smiles for the day...

Sunday's Coming

Even Me

I am crabby.

I am selfish.

I have a short temper.

I sometimes yell at the peanut.

I get frustrated that the baby is fussy.

I gripe about dog hair...ALL THE TIME!

I snap at my husband.

I am lazy.

My house is a disaster.

I have a short fuse.

I waste money.

I am arrogant.

I am proud.

I am rude.

I am unkind.

I am quick to judge.

I don't think before I speak.

And I am so glad that Jesus loves me.

Jesus loves EVEN ME.

Mr. Behr

So yesterday was April 1st. Did you know?

Me: Hey, you have a message. Mr. Behr called and he was really insisted on talking to you.

Michael: Mr. Behr? How do you spell that?

Me: Behr...like the faucet company.

Michael: How do you pronounce that?

Me: Bear...(I was going to say he was so pushy I felt like he was growling at me but I didn't want him to catch me!)

Michael: Uh, ok...(starts dialing and then a very strange expression on his face) Brookfield Zoo?

He, he! I crack myself up!!