Sunday Smiles

This picture....BIG SMILES!
Such a beautiful day.
A few years ago Uncle Jake was here to visit.
When the twins were born early
he offered to help with them
when they came home from the hospital.
Priceless memories.
Mommy Jake was here for over three months,
thrown into nightly feedings
and sleepy days!
Seeing this picture brought a heart FULL of smiles!

I smiled when I awoke to the kitty scratching at the window. She does that every morning...but on this particular morning as I opened the curtain I was greeted not by Lucy alone...but by the most refreshing Sunrise. Wonderful Morning!



I smiled when I found Gavin napping with his nose deep in his book. He wasn't feeling well, yet was trying to keep up on his studies. Inspiring!

I smiled when she...
took this matter...

...into her own hand..writing!
Obviously the only person NOT allowed
in the boys room was Clarissa,
but she fixed THAT!!!

[to be continued...]

I smiled when Aunt Suzie posted these two pictures on her blog wishing

Sam a Happy Happy Birthday.
Such wonderful memories!!!

I smiled when I took a trip down memory lane.
As I was reading old journals and pondering my past I thought of these flowers [above].
I have kept them for almost 20 years now.
I was once in a Pageant. It was a good experience. I was asked to do it to represent a place I worked.
...my Aunts came and supported me; even knowing it wasn't my cup of tea.
I didn't win. ...runner-up of something and ended up doing some events afterwards for the city...but that night, my Aunt Leila gave me these...and I felt beautiful.

I have always kept them in sight, and whenever I see them I remember that feeling...feeling beautiful, and knowing someone believed in me and loved me....and still does. Thank you!

I am STILL smiling about finding these on my trip down memory lane.

above: Something I wrote while in school.
I had forgotten that I was once a kid. I get my kids homework and frequently SMILE about the things they write. I thought what I wrote here was really special.
My Mom helps me AND LOVES ME!!!
I had forgotten feeling that way. Smile.

WHY I'M IMPORTANT! I help with Jesse Ray Adamson.
OH... and I Tend the Baby most the time.

Pretty COOL!

Then I smiled because "Stacie is a hard worker...works well with others."
Compliments are wonderful. If only we got these kind of reports as adults. When did people stop looking for the good in others?
I think we should write each other reports...
...like so...
I found this, and SMILED.


My mom wrote an experience that I have often read, and never really understood till now.
Here she wrote: "At times I am short of patience with you and do not want to listen...you say I don't love you...you must really wonder...but I do love you. Please forgive me...I hope you will always love your children without reservation and tell them you do. I hope you will always have the time and patience..."

I understand. And I smiled from the inside out. It is nice to know that I am not alone in my feelings of inadequacy.

My feelings of "Maybe I am not good enough".
My hopes that my children will be a little better than I am.

Of course, I forgive you Mom.
We are one day further from yesterday, and all is well.

Next...I smiled...
when a wonderful neighbor brought me a plate of cookies,
and this sweet card...
for no reason.

People seldom do anything for no reason.
This came the day that I was feeling my utmost stress.
Wondering if I would even be able to find a smile this week.
I smiled, and the help I needed was already done
in her act of kindness...
for no reason...
to bring me a simple card...
and a plate of cookies.

We should do that kind of thing
for each other more often.
BIG SMILES!!!

I smiled when looking over Sam's homework this week.
Like I said before my kids homework generally brings me a lot of smiles and often some really BIG belly laughs.

Sam had filled in his crossword with "don't know...don't know how...don't care....doesn't matter...."

When I asked him about it he said "well, the teacher never really looks close anyhow...so I am just checking if she will notice."
I wonder how many things my kids get away with
knowing I wont check...hmmmm.

The following homework of Jeremy's made me LAUGH ...SMILE...

He has "seven issues."...
[WAY LESS THAN ME, LUCKY!!!]

We all have issues,
I didn't know he was keeping track.
LOL

No explanation necessary!
"When I yawn I know it is going to be a long day."

Really BIG smiles when I think of these four above,
and the party of FIVE below.

I hope my kids can grow up SMILING as much as we do together!

I smiled when I found this lone leaf next to a snowball.
Such a beautiful leaf lost mid-winter.
It needed some recognition...
hanging out in weather like so!

SUPER SIZED smiles when this kid got his HAIR CUT.
I can finally see his eyes....SMILING

[For comparison see his birthday DAY posts!]
Yeah for haircuts!!!

I smiled when Brian brought home this awesome fireman....oops...Gavin!
I love his yellow ski pants....The color reminds me of sunshine. BIG SMILES!

I smiled when I found him here [below]
after school this week.
Sometimes we must update our status
as soon as we get home
from school!
Just in case you wonder.

I smiled when we took Jeremy shopping for a new-used desk.

He has been wanting a Big Kid desk for so long.

He went from this above...
to this below!


Wonderful moment shopping with him!
Gotta love growing up!!!
[For the sheer sake of being able to use a desk properly.]
It's a wonder he could get anything done with his old desk!!!

Precious ♥

I smiled when this same kid said the most profound thing; which profound rhetoric caused me to ponder, which pondering caused me to desire to search within, which searching within now causes me to write....

Jeremy, upon waking Friday morning to the frigid falling of fresh flakes stated with absolute faith: Today is going to be GREAT!

Me: okay, I will play along, why???

Jeremy: Fresh new snow to shred!

To Shred is to cut a trail while Snowboarding.
The fresh snow came just in time
for his Snowboarding lessons day!

Me: Ummmm...

Jeremy: You don't get caught in someone elses trail,

you get to make your own!

Simple enough, and yet...profound!

Don't you think?

Really, are we suppose to get caught in someone elses trail.

Will we really be happy if we try to be just LIKE someone else??? ...wouldn't it be better if we blaze our own trail, shred fresh snow, make our own tracks, be individual???

...We were all created to be unique,
so ...why do we try to so hard to keep up with the "joneses"?

...life is FRESH...shred you own trail.
Happy Trails Everyone!!!
And Happy Happy Happy Smiles!