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Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

reasons to smile

Saturday Smiles, week 2

October 1, 2011

It’s Friday night and I’m home alone. Well, as “alone” as a person can be with two kids in the house. An hour ago I was hardly able to keep my eyes open while putting the kids in bed. The kids were overtired, resisting sleep, and I still had a batch of Rice Krispie treats to make ahead of an all-day marriage retreat/seminar on Saturday.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure I had it in me to write a post about what made me smile this week. Reviewing the list I’ve been compiling all week is already lifting my spirits.

Here are the things I’m smiling about this week.

  • Despicable Me. I laughed out loud. A lot.
  • A 6-year-old telling me she was soo stressed because of school.
  • Isabelle telling me, after she received a notebook from the potty prize box, “I could stay up all night writing.” Oh, do I know the feeling.
  • My husband reaching for my hand during singing in church.
  • Pretty much everything that comes out of Corban’s mouth right now. “Bye, kids” at the Y Kids Korner. “I like puddles” on a rainy day. “I’m just lookin’, Mommy” as he touches everything on the grocery store shelves.
  • Receiving two copies of the One Year Joy and Laughter Devotional in the mail and seeing my name on two of the entries.
  • Playing “ting-tong” (ping pong) with my kids at the seminary while visiting my husband on his lunch break between classes.
  • Making up after a fight.
  • Sandwich King Jeff Mauro. My new favorite Food Network show. Not only does he make sandwiches that sound DELICIOUS, he’s from Chicago and takes viewers on a weekly food tour of the city. I want to download the recipe for everything I’ve seen on the show so far.
  • Making other people smile when I wear my “Super Mom. Super Wife. Super Tired” shirt. This week, it could have been my uniform.
  • VeggieTales humor.
  • My kids’ imaginations. And their giggles.
  • Day trips with friends.
  • Being outside.
  • Flowers.
  • Co-op parenting.
  • Meeting new neighborhood kids.
  • Watching my kids play with their friends.
  • Fall weather. And jeans and sweatshirts.

What’s got you smiling this week?

Filed Under: Saturday smiles Tagged With: positive thinking, reasons to 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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