Day 30--things I love

Things I love---

 

I'm sure we've all seen the "natural highs" email that has circulated over the years.  This website shows the list that most of us got in that email.  http://www.missico.com/personal/thoughts/natural_highs.htm  I love the list because it never fails to make me smile every time I get it.  Recognizing the "little things" that give you goosebumps in life is something I try to do on a regular basis, but often times I look right past the sunshine only to complain about the heat.  The circulating email itself asks you to add your own things to the list & send it onto a thousand friends who each in turn add onto the list & pass it forward.

 

Last week, a friend of mine posted her own list of things she loves on her blog.  I told her that I was inspired by seeing her sweet list and so I'd post my own.  It's been about a week since then & I've stayed busy and forgotten about it, but last night when I was going through the blogs I frequently check, I saw her list again & decided it was time to get to work on my own!  And so....here you have it.  My list of favorite things.  My very own "natural highs" if you will.

 

I love.......

Sitting in the passenger seat while Larry drives...just talking.  My very favorite memories of our dating years are filled with all the nights we stayed out for HOURS & HOURS talking.  Of course with gas prices what they are right now, our endless drives just to talk are minimal (actually, pretty much non-existent), but I love taking a drive to nowhere in particular just to get out of the house & talk.  Any time when we can be alone & totally focus on each other (read: no interruptions by phones or kids or whatever) is priceless!

 

 

I love......

the way that my husband makes me laugh.  After all these years together, he is still the funniest person I know.  Sometimes he pushes the limits a little & makes me blush...or totally shocks me, but honestly, he is a hoot & it's rare that everyone he meets doesn't think the same thing.

 

I love......

when he takes care of me or one of the kids when we're sick.  While he has the medical training (he's an ex-paramedic), he can also just be a nurturing, loving, gentle nurse who holds hands, wipes brows & hugs us when we're feeling bad.

 

I love.....

his awesome grilled cheese sandwiches!

 

I love.......

hearing Savannah talk about her love of Neopets, books, writing.....and her disinterest in boys.  She'll be 12 in August and I know this time of her life is fleeting.  Before I blink, she'll be lost in a world of boys & hairstyles & make up and all of that nonsense that got me in so much trouble as a young teenager.  I'm glad we're not "there" yet.  Of course, I love seeing glimpses of "girlyness" in her, but I admire the fact that she is her own person & doesn't really care if other people her age think she's 'less than'.  She is proud to be herself.  I was never that brave at her age.  Go Savannah!

 

I love.......

watching Samuel's chest puff up when I encourage him and tell him how big & strong he is.  I never lived my life as a little boy, but I'm quickly learning how precious little men can be.  He likes to roll in the mud & chase bugs & make noises 24 hours a day, but he's also the most loving, gentle, compassionate, snuggly little thing.  He likes to burp & make armpit noises, but he also loves to write songs & poems for his friends & family.  It's so much fun to watch him move from testosterone to tender in 5 minutes' time.

 

I love.......

how tender & gentle Sarah's heart is.  Seeing her so deeply convicted of the most minor infractions is awesome!  To know that her little heart is so in tune with the breath of Jesus...to watch her raise her hands in worship to Him....to feel her tears on my shoulder when she thinks she has disappointed Him or me......to have her remind us all that we should pray before eating (at *every* meal!).  Oh, the heart of a little one so in love with God.  I'm amazed by her sweet childlike faith.

 

I love.......

going to weddings and seeing the groom's face as his bride comes down the aisle toward him.

 

I love.......

when our pastor announces that someone who came forward has accepted Christ & will spend eternity in Heaven with me!  (Can you hear the angels singing, too?)

 

I love.......

seeing the baptism of an elderly person.

 

I love.......

going grocery shopping by myself and having time to sort through clearance racks of books, clothes, toys; inspecting & smelling the fruits and veggies before picking just the right one.

 

I love.......

the boneless BBQ chicken wings at KFC.

 

I love.......

taking pictures of my family.

 

I love.......

laughing until I cry.

 

I love.......

laying in bed for those last few moments after the alarm goes off, praying & stretching, listening to the silence for just a little bit longer.

 

I love.......

when my kids crawl into bed to snuggle with me in those early morning hours, only to doze off & snore beside me.

 

I love.......

soaking in a tub of hot bubbles while reading a good book or People magazine.

 

I love.......

hearing my husband talking about me before I enter the room, hearing him compliment me or talk sweetly about me; hearing from the Sunday School class that he talked about me on a Sunday I wasn't there & left them all feeling all mushy & sweet because of whatever he said.

 

I love.......

eggnog at Christmas time.

 

I love.......

watching my children sleep.

 

I love.......

watching a good stand up comedian with my husband, laughing til our cheeks hurt and then reliving all the funny parts later on when we repeat them & laugh all over again.

 

I love.......

the scent of Deep Woods Off (the bug repellant).  I can't smell it without being transported back to all my summers at Timberline Baptist Camp in Lindale, TX.  I think that was the only brand/scent of bug repellant they had back then.  The same goes for Love's Baby Soft perfume--all of the girls at camp wore it one summer & I've never smelled it since without thinking of G.A. camp at Timberline!

 

I love.......

looking through picture albums...my own or those of friends/family.  I'm a picture fanatic.  I also love shopping for picture frames.

 

I love.......

writing out my menu & grocery list.  I get some sort of crazy thrill from the organization of it all.

 

I love.......

looking through old Bible study workbooks.  It reminds me of where I was at that time of my life & shows me how far I've come since that time.

 

I love.......

uncovering a new thing in Scripture that makes me say "ah-ha!".

 

I love......

women's retreats & Women of Faith conferences.

 

I love......

to worship.

 

 

I love.......

that I have found a lot of fun graphics to use for this list!  :)

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