things that make me smile

Here are a few things that have been making me smile recently

First day of school pictures

AnnaKate with neighbors who are also best friends. 

How do you like AnnaKate's fancy little dress? She really loves black and white.

She has so many outfits that are black and white.

Luke with neighbor best friends. 

Emmaline with her cousin! I would have loved to have a cousin start 7th grade with me. 

Aren't they darling!

If you are looking to move, you should move into my neighborhood. 

You'll be surrounded by the truest of true friends and so will your kids.

I've mentioned how dearly I love my new washer and dryer.

Well, my kids love them too. The washer has a glass top. I had to snap a picture of 4 out of 5 of my kids watching our clothes get clean. Even my oldest Emmaline is mesmerized.

 I admit I watch sometimes too. Plus I love sniffing down the sent of the soap. 

Tonight I threw in a huge load and to my utter horror when I opened up the lid there were little slimy jelly particles. I know you mothers out there know that can only mean one thing.

A pull-up got thrown in with the dirty clothes!!!

Oh dread. 

I laid my hands on that washer and started blessing it and prayed for it not to be ruined. 

I still don't know. I started the wash cycle over so we shall see. It seems to be OK. 

Bless you my washer! You can make it through! You must, I didn't buy the warranty! Would this even be covered on the warranty? 

4 huge buck in my backyard. 

They were slurping up the fallen apricots. 

They were so pretty. 

The way Sarah Likes to organize things. I mean really, look at those crayons.

All my girls have loved bugs and animals. The twins are very into snails and grasshoppers. They spend hours catching them, making houses for them with leaves and flowers. It is so cute. 

Except when they set them loose in the house. 

Snails are pretty cute. 

Grasshoppers give me the heebidejeebs but they hold those jumpy unpredictable things with love in their eyes.

Luke's missing teeth. His lisp is very endearing. 

He is trying his darndest to say his r's. I think I'm going to have to get him into speech therapy.

 Sad.

 I don't want him to learn to talk right.  

Emmaline's face

Her face is so beautiful to me. 

Clearly I don't want to be a bragger. I didn't magically formulate the DNA combination that is her beautiful face. That just happened somehow within my womb.  I can't take credit and so I think I'm not bragging when I say she is so pretty.

The fact that she is usually smiling and kind makes her face that much more lovely.

I love you my sweet girl.

OK one more.

Sarah made this one Sunday morning.

Maybe I'm the only one that thinks these pictures are precious because I'm their mother.

That's fine. This is my blog so, you know, I'm going to do what I want.

The last thing I will mention that has been keeping a smile on my face is

The Weepies

I'm serious. Click this link. 

I can't get enough of the Weepies. They make me smile, laugh, think and yes, weep. 

Their lyrics are whimsical, pure, sweet, simple yet genius. 

I love the story of how they met and fell in love. 

She is Deb and he is Steve. 

Dear Deb, I hope you love your voice as much as I do. 

When I listen to you sing I sing along and without realizing it I make my voice sound as much like yours as I can. I start to say my r's like you. I love the way you say your r's. It's not that I don't like the sound of my own voice, I do. 

Love Kristen

Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I loved making it. 

I hope I have time to blog again soon.

I've had lots on my mind and lots has happened.  I know I must get busy writing in my journal about what has transpired the past week. I can't let these things get lost and forgotten. 

I'm just in awe of God and how he makes things all work together. How does he do it?

Things that look like a coincidence or even a mistake and then as things unfold I see God's hand in it. 

How can he have time to care about these little details in my life. They might be small to others but are a big deal to me. They are a big deal to him too. 

He is so good to me at times I hardly can believe he would love me so much. 

Hope you are having a good day or night and feeling God's love too. 

P.S.

If your not feeling God's love it's not because he doesn't love you. 

He does.

Find a way to him. Figure it out. Do what you need to do to get close to him. 

His love is better than anything else.