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Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

Saturday smiles

The reasons I have laugh lines

November 12, 2011

My son, almost 2, says while riding in the car this week: “We need more snow.” That’s enough to ensure my face bears the joys I’ve experienced long after the experiences have passed.

When my husband asked him why, my son said, “Because, for the grass.” For his, sake, I hope we have more snow this winter.

Other smile-worthy events this week:

  • Coffee and conversation at Starbucks. (This was only the second time I’ve ever been to Starbucks. It’s a good thing I can’t afford $5 coffee too often.)
  • This conversation with my daughter: “Mommy, do you really like boys?” “Well, I like one boy in particular.” “Who?!” “Daddy. And I like Corban, too. Do you like boys?” (Please say no, please say no.) “Well, not if they’re mean.” I’m so not ready for this.
  • The end of antibiotics for my son.
  • Dinner as a family with another family of friends.
  • In a related matter, my husband having a night off of work when he doesn’t also have class.
  • Isabelle’s excitement to trace letters in a preschool activity book. “I’m getting ready for preschool,” she says.
  • Sunny, 60-degree days in November. (It was short-lived.)
  • Realizing there’s only 2 weeks till Thanksgiving, 3 weeks till my son’s birthday, a month till the end of the semester, all of which means we’ll be able to go home to Illinois soon.
  • Here’s one I should have added last week but forgot: Living up to my hair color. “Um, I think the copier is broken.” “Did you put money in it?” “No. I bet that would fix it.” Please note that I’ve used the same copier many times before. Brain. Dead.

Are you smiling about anything this week? Tell someone why. Lord knows, we could all use a little more to smile about.

Filed Under: Saturday smiles Tagged With: finding good in the tough times, happy list, joy in the everyday, kids say the darnedest things, reasons to laugh, things that make you smile

Upturned mouth syndrome

November 5, 2011

Some weeks, it’s the little things. Lately, it’s almost always the little things that are making me smile.

Like my daughter calling me “your majesty,” when she really wants something or is extra thankful for whatever it is I’m doing.

Or my son talking in his sleep. Or saying ridiculous things when he’s super tired. Like last night at the concert. It was past his bedtime and he asked, “Where’s the diaper bag?” I asked him why we needed the diaper bag. “There’s cookies in there.” There weren’t, but he was persistent. “There’s cookies in there.” I laughed. Not much later, he asked, “Where’s the butter?” Holding back more laughter, I asked what he needed butter for. “The cookies! Where’s the butter, Daddy?” Maybe you had to be there.

Other moments on my list this week:

Looking up from whatever I was doing to find this:

She’d seen a girl at library storytime whose face was decorated like a cat. She wanted to copy.

Seeing family

Making new friends who also are pastors’ wives

Reconnecting with friends who also happen to be musicians whose songs are on the radio

Watching my kids watch a live concert

 The coffee hasn’t totally kicked in this morning, so there may be others from the week, but those are what come to mind first.

Are you smiling about anything this week?

 

Filed Under: Saturday smiles Tagged With: live concerts, things that make you smile

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Hi. I’m Lisa, and I’m glad you’re here. If we were meeting in real life, I’d offer you something to eat or drink while we sat on the porch letting the conversation wander as it does. That’s a little bit what this space is like. We talk about books and family and travel and food and running, whatever I might encounter in world. I’m looking for the beauty in the midst of it all, even the tough stuff. (You’ll find a lot of that here, too.) Thanks for stopping by. Stay as long as you like.

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