tis the season for joy

Only rarely do I find myself with time to write and nothing to say.  It happened to me twice this week.  I sat with a hot drink of something, kids otherwise occupied, and a blank screen in front of me.  And twice, it stayed blank.

Yesterday, as a last resort to write something...ANYthing...I started writing a list of the little things happening in my life right now that make me happy.  I wrote this list twice, using Blogger on my phone, and twice, it did not save properly.

And so, I find myself right now, my coffee cold and almost empty, Mia is napping, Laci is outside with her daddy, and if it's the last thing I do, I will write this list and save it properly.

In no particular order, and completely unrelated to the photos being shared, here is a list of the things that are currently bringing me bits of joy.

* The evening dance parties with the girls that have become almost a nightly occurrence. 

* How Mia calls almost every person, "Daddy" and every dog, "Bailee."

* The way Laci starts her most informative sentences with, "Ya know..."  Just yesterday I was informed, "Ya know momma, kitties can stand up on their behind legs."

* Seeing the Christmas tree lights twinkle through the dining room window when I come up the driveway after dark.

* The way Laci says, "Hey, this song is about Christmas!" every single time a Christmas song plays on the radio.

* How Mia would love to eat spaghetti for every meal, probably for the rest of her life.  And if she sees someone else eating spaghetti, she throws a fit until she gets her own.

* How Laci insists on bringing her favorite puppy with us everywhere, making sure it is warm and fed.  Just now she went outside, leaving me in charge of taking care of the puppy.  "Make sure you feed him," she tells me.

* Warm fires.  Inside.  Enough said.

* The excitement in Laci's eyes as she moves the star to the next position on our advent calendar.

* Seeing my sister's belly grow, knowing we get to meet a new family member soon.

* Spending evenings on the couch with Ryan, watching our favorite shows, and crocheting something cute.

* How my kitchen still smells like warm banana bread from the loaf I made this morning.

* How Mia's pony tail keeps getting taller, but there isn't anything else I can do with her hair since it's always in her face, she pulls out all barrettes, and she only sits still for approximately 3.2 seconds.

What are you enjoying right now?