What Makes Me Smile #7

I tend to be a Negative Nelly about my life.  I'm great about putting a positive spin on things when friends vent to me about their bad days, but when it comes to my life, I only see the bad things.  In an attempt to change this aspect of my personality, I want to journal some things that make me smile each week.  Hoping that when I look back, I'll see just how many things I have to be grateful for and smile about in my life.

Sorry this is posting late this week.  We've had a busy weekend and I didn't get a chance to sit down to write.

Last week was a sad week.  Hearing that Robin Williams lost his battle with depression made it difficult to smile much.  Suffering from depression myself, hearing of his death really hit close to home.  I spent a lot of the week in denial and each morning a logged into my Facebook account, I was hit again with the news of his death.  This went on for several days.

Maybe it seems silly to be hit so hard by a celebrity's death.  Someone I've never met before.  One of my cousin's said it best:

"Losing Robin Williams is like everyone in the world just lost their crazy uncle at the same time." 

Thankfully, a busy weekend helped in keeping me from dwelling on it much longer and gave me a few things to smile about:

• Great friends.  We are truly blessed with wonderful friends.  Always here to lend a hand with the house, listen to our troubles, celebrate happy times, or just plain spoil Grace.  

• Family.  We had a family event over the weekend.  Life gets busy and everyone's work schedules get in the way, it's nice when we're all able to get together for some good food and conversation.  

• First Birthdays and cousins.  My youngest niece turned one over the weekend (see family event listed above).  She is so adorable...all babies are, I know!  Grace, who normally keeps a big distance from babies, really enjoyed playing with her cousin and we all loved seeing them interact with each other.  

• Twinkle Toes.  Last week, we hit the dollar kiddie movie again.  Six adults and one kid!  That alone made me laugh, but just trying to get all of us together and out the door so early was something out of a comedy movie!  During a slower part of the movie, Grace was a little bored and decided to tap her toes on the floor.  It was funny to see her Twinkle Toes sneakers lighting up the dark theater!  

Hoping you all had a happy week with lots of smiles!  I'd love for you to share by leaving a comment!  

What Makes Me Smile #6

I tend to be a Negative Nelly about my life.  I'm great about putting a positive spin on things when friends vent to me about their bad days, but when it comes to my life, I only see the bad things.  In an attempt to change this aspect of my personality, I want to journal some things that make me smile each week.  Hoping that when I look back, I'll see just how many things I have to be grateful for and smile about in my life.

This past week has been a rough one.  Lots of stress, lots of drama, lots of emotion.  Even still, as I sat down to type this post, I found I had a lot to smile about:

• Back to School Shopping.  When I was a kid, I LOVED back to school shopping.  I loved all the new notebooks, folders, crayons, etc.  It's fun seeing Grace have the same excitement over school supplies that I had as a student.  Of course, this year her school list is minimal since she's just starting Kindergarten, but it was still fun picking out a few things with her!  

• Baby Clothes.  Gosh!  How I miss shopping for baby clothes!  They were so much more fun to buy than the size that Grace is in now.  Grace is five, but takes a bigger girls size, so shopping sometimes becomes a challenge finding age-appropriate things in her size.  Baby shopping is just so sweet!  With my niece's first birthday coming up, I've really enjoyed picking out a few cute items!  

• Calling Doctor Grace.  After getting a shower, I looked around for Grace only to find her in her room tending to her patient.  Poor Remmy is such a good sport!  I really wish I had my camera handy, so you all could see Remmy with her little doggy leg extended so Dr. Grace could take her blood pressure!  I also had to laugh at myself when I felt the need to remind Grace to NEVER stick anything in Remmy's eyes, nose, ears, mouth or butt!  She got a giggle out of mommy saying "butt".  

• Date Night.  Since Grace was born, Joe and I rarely have time to ourselves.  I can count on both hands the number of times we've gone somewhere without Grace (this includes a funeral and getting our taxes done twice) and it's been over a year since we've gone to a movie or had dinner together. We've been wanting to give Movie Tavern a try and since Hercules just came out, I figured it was a perfect time to finally go.  We really enjoyed ourselves and each ordered a drink with our meal.  Definitely somewhere we'd like to go again.  

I'd love to know what makes you smile!  Share with us by leaving a comment!

What Makes Me Smile #5

I tend to be a Negative Nelly about my life.  I'm great about putting a positive spin on things when friends vent to me about their bad days, but when it comes to my life, I only see the bad things.  In an attempt to change this aspect of my personality, I want to journal some things that make me smile each week.  Hoping that when I look back, I'll see just how many things I have to be grateful for and smile about in my life.

Last week, I had a lot to smile about!

• Grace has always been fascinated by nature.  It started with leaves.  When she was outside as a toddler, she always seemed to have a leaf in her hand.  Now, the past two summers, she's been obsessed with picking "flowers" from our lawn.  She knows not to pick the very few flowers in my front garden bed, but knows that the lawn is hers for the picking.  She placed this little yellow blossom on my lap today and seeing her little hand, dirty nails and all, it just hit me that her hands aren't going to be this little for very long.  

• This week has been all about stepping out of our comfort zones.  At least for us girls.  Poor Joe has been out of his comfort zone since Grace was born!  Now he's in a house of all girls (the dog included)!  Remmy seems to be over her fear of car rides and now stands at the front door hoping for to go for a ride each night!  Grace has gotten over her thoughts that she can only go places with both of us because that's how we did things in the past.  Recently, she's been out a couple times with just Joe and seems to love it!  Last week, he ended up taking both Grace and Remmy to the carwash after work one night!  I used those few moments to myself to hand a shower curtain.  

• My comfort zone...driving.  Until Saturday, I haven't driven a car in almost 16 years!  I was late to get my license, I don't even thing Driver's Ed was offered at my high school and if it was, I never heard about it.  When I was 22 or 23 Joe forced me to get my license even if I didn't plan to use it.  A few years later bought me a car and I needed a refresher course.  When we moved into our apartment, we gave up the second vehicle since we only had 1 parking space and public transportation was close.  Even though I had my license, I never wanted to drive Joe's pick up truck.  So, I didn't.  Since we moved, it's been difficult without a car.  But after so long, I lost the confidence I needed to get back to driving again and I'm needing that refresher course again!  I'm determined to feel confident behind the wheel again!  Smiling at myself for trying and great friends that are helping with the lessons!  

• Grace also had a dentist appointment this week.  Her first.  She's always so unwilling to try new things and is very set in her ways, so we were not expecting a successful visit.  She did so well and did everything the dentist told her.  When I gave her a thumbs up while she was in the dentist chair, she winked at me!  I don't know where that came from but it was so cute!  

• This week is a lot about Grace, sorry...she's the major thing to make me smile especially on quiet weeks at home.  Grace loves to play dress up.  Most would think this means her dressing up in costumes and jewels.  Sometimes that is what dress up means in our house.  But more often than not, Grace's definition of dress up is putting new outfits on her stuffed animals.  This week, we noticed that she made Sky (Paw Patrol) and super hero cape out of a tissue.  She just twisted two of the corners together to make it stay.  Sorry for the blurry picture, I took this in her completely dark room while she was asleep!  Also, please ignore the crayon on her walls...that doesn't make me smile!  

I'd love to hear about what makes you smile!  Let me know in the comments!  

What Makes Me Smile #4

I tend to be a Negative Nelly about my life.  I'm great about putting a positive spin on things when friends vent to me about their bad days, but when it comes to my life, I only see the bad things.  In an attempt to change this aspect of my personality, I want to journal some things that make me smile each week.  Hoping that when I look back, I'll see just how many things I have to be grateful for and smile about in my life.  

Here's what made me smile last week:  

• My Princess.  Last week was a good week for Grace.  We signed her up for Princess Camp at a local dance school.  Mainly, this was a practice run for her going to school.  Though, now I'm not sure which one of us needed the trial run to work on separation anxiety.  Me or Grace.  Her past dance classes were only 45 minutes long, so I waited in what she calls the "blue room" for her to finish her class.  Princess Camp was a longer class, so no way I was waiting that entire time.  When we were discussing her camp, she was asking if I was going to wait.  I explained that I wasn't going to wait this time, but we'd be back to pick her up as soon as it was over.  We were really hoping it wasn't going to be an issue.  First night went well...the second night was even better.  By the end of the week, she was pushing me out the door.  She even broke through some "issues" she has with things.  That especially made me smile.  

• Weekends with Friends.  We had a chance to get away this weekend.  It's been too long since we've had an overnight away.  How long?  This was Grace's first night not sleeping in her own bed.  She's FIVE.  That's a long time to not take a trip!  We spent an overnight up the mountains and enjoyed a busy day exploring nature, splashing in the creek and having fun at an amusement park!  That's a lot of fun crammed into one day!  We were tired afterwards, but it was worth it!  

• Weight Loss Support.  For the past couple of months, I've been really wanting to lose some weight. Keeping on track hasn't been easy.  I've had some good weeks and bad weeks, but the support I've been receiving from friends via conversations, emails, and facebook support groups is constant and wonderful!  

• Mommy time.  While Grace had her Princess Camp last week, I got a taste of what it's going to be like when she starts school and I get some time to myself.  Having that hour and half break while she was at camp, really helped me feel more relaxed and I found myself being less grumpy about things.  

• A girl and her dog.  Grace and Remmy have been bonding more and more lately.  While Remmy has always ADORED Grace, our little girl really never cared one way or another about Remmy.  In the past year, Grace has been more playful with Remmy and just this week, I can see there is a huge bond forming between the two!  I just know one day soon, I am going to walk into Grace's room and find her playing dress up with the dog and Remmy will be loving every moment!   

I hope this week brings you all lots of smiles!

What Makes Me Smile #3

Last week was a rough week on my depression and anxiety, yet, I was still able to find some positive moments that brought a smile to my face.  

• Water balloons!  You can't beat the fun you can get out of a Dollar Store pack of water balloons! Lot's of cheap entertainment for the kids even if I am the one that gets stuck filling them all up!  We had a few days of laughs watching Grace and her friends playing with the water-filled balloons!  The dog even got in on the act when Joe filled a couple regular-sized balloons with water!  

• Visiting with old friends.  Grace and I enjoyed a nice visit from old friends last week.  It was great watching the kids play and splash in the pool and hearing them exclaim: "you are my best friend" to each other.  Meeting a sweet new baby was pretty awesome, too!  

• Laughing at myself.  We had a couple days that were a bit cooler last week.  One night after dinner, we decided to walk at a local park.  I'd like to say we were doing it to be outside and enjoy nature, but really we were being nosy and wanted to see how a local construction job was coming along.  On our way back to the car, I spotted this dead tree covered with turkey vultures.  Now, we always see the turkey vultures soaring above this park and even perched upon this very tree, but not quite so many at one time!  I had to chuckle at myself when I let out a scream when they started to get restless and flap their wings while we were looking up at them!  Apparently, they didn't want their picture taken!

• Family.  When my nieces were young, we'd have what we called "Girls' lunch" every time I visited.  I had the chance to host "Girls' Lunch" at my house.  Grace is really getting used to playing with babies and told baby N "you are my best baby cousin!"  I was trying to teach baby N to blow kisses and before she left I think she was getting the idea!  It was nice to see her so cheerful since usually she cries when I'm around!  A happy baby is a lot to smile about!  

• Morning Texts.  I woke up one morning to an incredibly beautiful, totally upbeat and positive text message from a dear old friend.  I don't know if she sensed that this is something I needed or just something she wanted to pass on to me at that moment, but it was well received when I read it before I even rubbed the sleep from my eyes.  

Have a happy week full of smiles!

Linking to:

• List it Tuesday

What Makes Me Smile #2

It was a little more challenging to find things that made me happy this week.  Some stress and depression tried to force it's way in a few times.  But I was determined to find some happy moments.  Here's what made me smile for week 2.

• Trips to the pet store.  It's been a while since our once-super-spoiled-puppy got a special treat from the pet store so one night last week we stopped at a local pet store to let Grace pick out something special for her.  While there, we couldn't help but take a peek in the windows to see what kinds of puppies were available.  I know, I know.  There's a huge controversy over pet store vs. rescue, but seeing those adorable little pups running around and playing just really made me feel all warm and fuzzy!  I wished I could bring them all home with us!  Especially one little sassy pup that would have run circles around our Remmy girl!  We were laughing so much at the sweet little thing that I forgot to snap a picture, but I did manage to take one of this cute dog pile!  

• New Friends.  Grace and I had a nice visit with some new friends this week.  I enjoyed talking to another grown up while Grace ran and played in the yard with her new friends!  

• Kite Flying.  Grace did a great job of getting her kite up in the air all on her own earlier this week!  Once she got it flying, I helped her with letting out some string to get it flying a little higher!  

• My daughter, the mini personal trainer.  Earlier this week, Grace and I set up the Wii and did some exercising together.  It was too warm to play outside (I don't do well in the heat) so the Wii is the perfect indoor activity for us, with the AC running at full blast!  Boy, this kid is tough.  She kept both of us going for a while until I showed her that she was able to do some of the things on her own.  After we were finished exercising, I was so happy to see her grab a box of raisins instead of cookies or chips for her after-workout snack!  

• Trips to the Thrift Shop.  I love when the three of us go to the thrift shop together and I love even more that Grace is usually the one that suggests the outing.  This time, we all found something we wanted to purchase and I was even lucky enough to find a couple of thing that had 1/2 price stickers!  

What makes you smile?  I'd love to hear the things that help you keep daily stress from ruining your day/week!  Please share in the comments!


Linking this post to:

• List It Tuesday

What Makes Me Smile #1

I tend to be a Negative Nelly about my life.  I'm great about putting a positive spin on things when friends vent to me about their bad days, but when it comes to my life, I only see the bad things.  In an attempt to change this aspect of my personality, I want to journal some things that make me smile each week.  Hoping that when I look back, I'll see just how many things I have to be grateful for and smile about in my life.

Last week, I had a lot to smile about!

• Visiting with old friends:  I've said this before and I'll probably say it many times more, I love Facebook!  It has connected me with so many people that I've lost touch with over the years.  Just a few months ago, I "found" a friend on Facebook that I haven't seen or heard from, in over 25 years! Her family moved away a year or two after we became friends.  We tried staying in touch via snail mail for a while, but that didn't last very long.  After a few emails back and forth, she told me she'd be visiting family in PA.  She and her mom stopped by for lunch and a nice visit earlier this week!  I loved seeing them and chatting while enjoying a picnic lunch!  

• Grace's Dance Class:  We signed Grace up for a summer dance program.  Six, 45 minute classes.  I was concerned that she wouldn't participate since we've attended 2 birthday parties this summer that included dancing as a group and both times she shyly stood there, frozen, while the other kids danced around her.  This week, was her third class.  I had the chance to peek into the room and saw that she was indeed participating with the rest of the class!  She has not shown Joe or myself any of her new dance moves!  

• Regal Summer Movie:  Can't beat $1 movie days!  Especially when they are spent with people we love!  In the past, we've attempted taking Grace to the movies before on full price days.  Both times, she was disruptive and we've left the theater soon after the movie started.  So, we've been reluctant to try again (at close to $50 for the three of us after tickets and snacks).  At a buck a ticket, I decided to give it another try.  She loved the experience and sat through the entire movie!  

• Family Fun Time:  We took Grace for her first game of mini golf.  I hadn't played since I was a kid and I'm guess it was just as long for Joe, too!  It was a fun time!  Grace had a blast!  She played not only her game, but "helped" Joe and I both finish our games.  We'll have to work on the rules with her so we can go with other kids that most likely won't want her "help"!  

• My Girly Girl:  Grace decided the other day that she wanted to wear a dress.  Just as we were about to walk out the door, she ran to her dress up box and put on a tiara over top of the hair bow she was already wearing!  She received lots of smiles and compliments while the little princess was out and about for the day!  

• Chatting online with old friends:  Grace was being unusually cooperative and mellow one afternoon, so I had a chance to chat online with a classmate from elementary school days.  Although, some of our topics were sad, it was so nice chatting with her about our lives.  

• Another Family Fun Day:  One of my girlfriends from high school and her kids came over for dinner, dessert and a campfire.  Her girls are older, but Grace just adores them!  I love that she saw them drinking water at dinner and she got up from her chair and went to the fridge to grab not a juice box, but a mini bottle of water for herself!  We enjoyed a delicious dinner (yes, I'm patting myself on the back) and a very decadent dessert!  Followed by S'more by the firepit.  Though, that didn't last long since the mosquitoes were pretty bad!  

Sorry, no photos this time around.  I'll try to make a point to take some happy photos during the weeks ahead.  

Hope you have lots to smile about this week!  

Linking this post to:

• List It Tuesday