Some Happy Things in my Life!

3:45 in the morning 
on August 31st,
 we heard cracking thunder outside our windows and the sky kept lighting up with some of the brightest lightning I have ever seen.
It awoke Tracy and I from our nightly slumber and we knew that any moment we would have kids bursting through our doors to join us!  Sure enough, Ethan and Jade came running in shortly after we made that comment and Ethan hopped right in our bed in the middle of us and snuggled in.
It felt like a moment from “The Sound of Music”. 

He was quite nervous. 

We sat there all cuddled together and watched and listened for the next hour as we experienced the craziest storm ever...which included hail and rain and we even  got up and went to our front porch and enjoyed watching the hail pummel down.

I had the words to this song going through my mind all day long …

”When the dog bites, when the bees sting, when I’m feeling bad. I simply remember my favorite things and then I don’t feel…So bad!!

Here are some of my FAVORITE moments from the month of August that brought many SMILES, JOY and HAPPINESS to my life!
   
FAMILY moments and simple pleasures 
are truly the things that bring my life the most happiness!

BEAUTY...
I am surrounded by such an abundance of beauty where we live.  Right across the road from our driveway is a field of horses.  The sunset was perfect this night I snapped this photo.  I truly never tire of the changing colors of the morning/night sky. I treasure and enjoy each sunset that I am able to experience!

My kids arrived home safe and sound from my parents house.
It is always a bitter/sweet time sending my kids to my parents.  I love that they get lots of ONE on ONE with my parents, but I am always a little nervous and hope that they don’t get in an accident while driving.    
It’s truly one of my most joyous moments of the year,
when I see my kids drive up after their visit and to hug and kiss them and to know that they are home with me once again safe and sound! 

“I am the one and only”…
LOVE this song! 
(here to listen to it)
Tracy is always surprising me by purchasing songs on iTunes
and then coming home and hooking his iPhone up to our speakers and playing the newly purchased songs and surprising me with them while I’m getting dinner ready.  
This song always makes me smile  
and I haven’t heard it for years.  
While the kids were at my parents house for a few days, Tracy loaded 
“Doc Hollywood” on our NETFLIX and we watched this together.  
Can I just say how much I LOVE that show…
such a good show with a wonderful message!
It makes me both laugh AND cry!  Michael J. Fox is "The One and Only" and is definitely one of my all time favorite actors and plays the perfect character in this film!   
I could watch this film weekly and never tire of it.

LOVE NOTES…
 after a long hectic summer, I came home to an
open notebook on my counter with such a heartfelt note from Tracy… 
these notes mean more to me than any store bought gift!
These words touched my heart greatly to think how much I am loved and adored by my hubby.

(Click here for our FUN happy adventure of making tie-dye shirts and picking Huckleberries…these two moments definitely are at the top of the list of HAPPY moments for me in August)

Cross Country…

 Tis the time of year to head out and enjoy the weather and watch Jade run at his Cross Country meets…
  
I enjoy this time of year SO much and I love cheering Jade on from the sidelines while he runs.   
 He is awesome and ran such a great race this past week.

(I’m always amazed when I glance over at the team before a race and they are all kneeling down in a circle with arms folded and saying a prayer).   I’m also amazed at how NICE and kind all of his team members are to him.  He may be one of the slowest runners on the team, but he has one of the biggest fan clubs of anyone!

I spent a few days in August scanning in photos
from Tracy’s photo albums and his family’s photo albums  and every time I see a photo of Tracy when he was younger it just makes me melt looking at what an adorable little kid my handsome hubby used to be.   

Feeling so extremely blessed that our lives crossed paths 
during our college days and that I get to be the 
lucky one that got to marry him!

Eating lunch with Ethan at school…
 it’s amazing how such a little thing like going and eating lunch with kids is, but it is SO big to them!!  I'm savoring that he still takes my hand and walks with me down the hall when I come to the school to visit him and that he is excited to show me off to his friends. I'm sure once he gets in middle school next year things will be totally different.  What a priceless treasure these sweet moments in time are!     

Ethan devouring the Harry Potter series books… 

in the past month he has read the first four books and just started the 5th one.
He is an “action mode” kid and I love 
 that he has to have a wand in his hand
(that he cut and carved with his new knife he bought)
while he reads his books.
(anytime he comes across a spell in the book he has to 
hold his wand and say the spell…
truly priceless!)

 He has definitely caught the reading bug!!  
I am just sad he is growing up too fast. 
He reads every spare second he gets (there is many a lunch/dinner time, when he can't put down his books long enough to eat) AND anytime we go anywhere in the car, he takes his books with.
He is SO adorable and makes me SMILE lots with his enthusiasm and zest for life!

 It cracks me up when I see him squatting when he reads and sometimes when he eats. 
He could seriously sit like this for hours and it is comfy to him!!!

It was a joyous day when I finally got Easter taken down from my entry shelf and YAY, I actually have Fall/Autumn decorations up for us to enjoy this next season.
I love FALL...
love the crispness in the air, the color ORANGE, the gorgeous colors of the changing leaves, pumpkin patches, straw and corn mazes, hay rides, caramel apples and all of the many other things that come with Autumn Time...
love the yummy baking of apple pie, pumpkin muffins and cookies, spiced cider, meal in a pumpkin and bowls of hot chili...


SO grateful for the abundance of little things
in my life that make it so BIG!!
Happiness is NOT a new beautiful house with all of the latest trends,
or a new shiny car, or new clothes, or home decor...

HAPPINESS is... taking time to appreciate all
of life's "Simple Treasures & Pleasures"
Happiness is... enjoying wonderful experiences
& relationships with family and friends  
and
Happiness is... "Loving the Life You Have"!