Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

reasons to smile

Saturday smiles: vacation scrapbook edition

Looking at vacation pictures, reliving the memories, has been a delight for me this week, especially now, when at the end of the week, I’m ready for a solo vacation — me without my family — or a new life. (I’ll be okay, I promise. Just hit a rough patch of reality this week.)

So, to share the love, here are my favorite pics from our family vacation. Check back on  Monday for a “best of” vacation post.

Girl meets ocean. I couldn’t catch a moment like this on purpose, so I’ll just be grateful that the camera clicked at the exact right time.

Another Kodak moment, save for the guy on the picnic table in the background. Still, I’m lovin’ the look on my son’s and dad’s faces. Precious is an understatement.

Enter land of the princesses. Isabelle is eating her first course at Cinderella’s Table in THE castle at Magic Kingdom. The bliss is written all over her face, and she’d only met one princess up to this point.

What I love about this picture is Isabelle’s imitation of Princess Aurora, right down to the holding of the skirt. Little did I know, the princess magic rubbed off. The day after we got home from Florida, we were grocery shopping and Isabelle said this in a sweet, sing-songy voice:

Well, hello, olives. How are you today? I’m very well. Well, hello, pickles. So nice to meet you.

As if I didn’t already have a drama queen on my hands. Lord, help me.

Thank you, Disney, for allowing me a trip to the future. Twelve or so years into the future. I am NOT ready for my 4-year-old to be a 16-year-old driving anything resembling a car, much less a race car. But we had fun. I worked the pedal. Maybe by then, they’ll have invented a car like that, too.

And the smile moment at the end of EVERY day, not just the fun vacationy, ones.

Kids. Asleep.

Happy Saturday, friends. Hope you’ve found some smiles this week. If not, feel free to borrow some of mine.

Saturday smiles: friends in deed edition

Life got overwhelming this week. Kids sick off and on. Unexpected uncertainty. Fear. Gloom. Rainy days. Our last week of “freedom” before my husband starts his last semester of classes.

Once again, though, God came through, showing His faithfulness, giving me reasons to smile.

Sunday afternoon, my friend Dawn, whose husband is also in seminary, texted to ask if I could get out of the house that night. Her request made me chuckle because at times we feel like prisoners in our homes, slaves to our families, so getting out of the house for something as simple as ice cream and a trip to the grocery store without kids or husbands is like a mini-vacation. So refreshing. And I’m thankful that my husband didn’t hesitate when I told him about the text. He’s 100 percent supportive of me leaving the house when I need a break.

The next night, I got to talk with my best friend, Katrina, for what’s become a monthly phone date. She is so encouraging and uplifting, and I love that our friendship has spanned decades and life experiences and geographical distance.

Wednesday morning, I had breakfast with a fellow writer and pastor’s wife who has become a great friend. I was pretty low in spirit that day, but sitting with a bottomless mug of coffee and a breakfast sandwich at Panera with someone who’s “been there” was the cure for what ailed me.

Friendships don’t always come easily to me, so I’m grateful to have found a few kindred spirits in my life.

Other reasons to smile this week:

Seeing our nephew on Skype. He was sleeping, but still, it was more than a picture can show.

We had a financial scare this week but I spent a day worrying for nothing. God continues to take care of us.

During Bible study this week, we took time to encourage one another by telling of the positive qualities and spiritual gifts we see in each other. It was a fun and uplifting time, both in the giving and receiving.

Discovering that my husband was a recipient of $200 JCPenney gift card for being a veteran of Iraq. It’s an annual program for which he registered once before. Today we spent a family day helping him pick out some new clothes we wouldn’t have otherwise been able to afford.

Realizing I need to shop with my husband more often and/or pay more attention to the fashion trends of the day. Consider these comments while shopping:

Me: They make skinny jeans for guys?

Husband: Oh, yeah, you didn’t know that?

Me: “I need to get out more.”

And, me again, while noticing a pair of white jeans amongst the offerings: “You definitely should get a pair of those. What is this, 1985?”

Yet again, me: “Who would buy jeans with holes in them?” (Yes, it’s official. I’ve become old.)

Losing another pound and a half this week. That’s more than 9 pounds in almost a month!

Finishing our taxes.

Making snowmen out of the food offerings at Old Country Buffet. Check out the template here. And kids eating free? That’s ALWAYS a reason to smile.

Wishing you a week’s worth of smiles.