It's the Little Things...

that make me smile. Like today-I couldn't stop beaming. Why? Because I finally got outside, climbed a ladder and washed my insect and spider-laden kitchen window. The one that is right above my sink, the one I look through constantly when doing dishes, the one that I look out to see my kids playing nicely or not-so-nicely, as the case may be. This dirty window has been driving me crazy, but I never made the time to clean it because I knew it would take some time. Oh, you should have seen the debris when I moved the screen out of the way so I could get to the window. Mostly dead insects and spiders-though some live beetles made their appearance. And I had to reach up in the corners to get  all the cobwebs-and yes, egg sacs down. I live out in the country, remember? Tons of spiders are just par for the course. So, yes, it took some time, but not as much as I had thought. And it wasn't as hard as I had supposed it to be. It was so worth it-it literally made my outlook a lot sunnier.
I can now wash the dishes with a smile on my face.


And then there's this. My 7-year-old reading C.S. Lewis. And loving it. Of course. One proud Mama here.

And Lukey and his fascination with hats. Seriously-he wants one on all.the.time.

And Bubba who was so hot after playing outside that he couldn't wait to go inside for a drink. 

Then there's this. A new gardening project to try. Love easy experiments. 

And lastly there's this little thing...Will and I finally went out on a date tonight! Can I just say that I felt like a teenager again-so giddy all day, knowing tonight was the night! First time any of my kids have ever been left with a babysitter other than grandparents and aunts/uncles. It has been 21 months since we last did something-just the two of us. The last time was August 2011 and I was 8 months pregnant. So this was long overdue, and I enjoyed every.moment.of.it. All 2.30 hours. And in my new got-this-just-for-this-date-night dress.

And God gave me the exact seat I wanted. I spied it the last time we were at this gem-it was a more secluded and special spot-and He remembered. It's the little things, you know. We had a conversation and didn't get interrupted. I didn't have to feed anyone else or hear "Mo, Mo" and have to say, "No, Lukey, you can't have more until you finish that heaping mouthful you already have." I got to eat delicious she crab soup and pan-seared mahi and pecan tart dessert. And I managed to have a conversation that didn't revolve around my kids or their schooling. Amazing feat, I tell you. And when we got back, "Nearer My God To Thee" was playing on our CD player and the kids were listening to Megan read them a book (Magic Treehouse, in case you're curious). And I appreciated my kids all the more. We're going to try to do a date night at least every 4 months now. We'll see. :-)

Meanwhile, I'm going to keep the eyes of my heart open to the little things, the gifts all around me that God so graciously gives every.single.day.