Thankful Thursday

"It's the beauty of simplicity
that brings me down to my knees
I'll praise You for eternity
and lord I love You
Because You
You first loved me
It's the beauty of simplicity
that fills me with eternity
I've tasted Your divinity
and, Lord, I love You
Because You
You first loved me"
-Telecast Lyrics "Beauty of Simplicity"

I have been finding that lately I am most caught off guard and amazed by God's beauty and love when I notice the little things...

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” Robert Brault

These are the little things that make me thankful today..

1. Smiley faces... if you know me you know that I use this symbol :) in my writing all the time.. something about this little symbol that makes me smile so when you see it in my writings know that I am smiling along with it! :)

2. Caleb's laughter at the dinner tables that involves hitting the table when he gets going.. he will laugh and then that laughter creates a reaction that causes him to hit the table.. it's so funny that it makes me laugh even harder...

3. Faith's laughter that is inaudible.. she has the kind of laugh that when she gets going will become silent.. you know the laugh that is just so exuberant that it becomes silent.. it cracks me up!

4. Fortunes in fortune cookies.. it's kind of a family joke with us.. let's just say that I do a really good angry Chinese-American accent... probably not politically correct, but silly to my kids none the less...

5. The morning routine with Michael that when the alarm clock goes off we hit snooze and decide who's turn it is to snuggle.. I know you are probably gagging.. but it's something that has defined our morning routine for almost 14 years now... love it

6. the smell of Faith's room in the morning.. I love the fact that my girl is very girly.. she loves good smelling lotion and every morning her room smells so amazing when you walk by it, that smell lingers on during the day.. I know that someday she will be off on her own and I will miss this smell....

7. High-Low... it's this game we play at the dinner table that Elizabeth taught us.. You tell your high part of the day and your low part and then pick the person who will go next.. it's just a great way to get topics rolling at the dinner table and really see what impacted your kids' day...

8. Nacho Night.. I love Nachos.. :)

9. Changing seasons... I was in the car yesterday and noticed the start of leaves changing colors... how I love watching things turn to different shades and knowing that we are entering a new season..

10. pedicures... I had one yesterday with my sister-in-law Natalie and it was just so amazing to take some time out and be pampered... so relaxing..