ten smile tuesday

1. I can hardly believe it....BUT my first smile is the fact that this is my first blog entry with our DSL installed. Yep...after 3 years of run around and being told that DSL wasn't available at our house, lo and behold, we are in business. (Come to find out...it really was available all along....they'd never actually measured the distance...go figure!) Can I tell you how amazingly easy it is to add pictures to my entries now (and visit other sites too!)!

2. Spending lots of time with my dearest sister in the past few days. She was here from Thursday to Sunday....so much fun! Along with lots of good time to just hang out, we also made a trip to the Aveda training salon for haircuts (and all the super nice massage, mini-facial, etc. that comes with it...all for the low, low price of $15 (well, mine was more...but thats because I got the eyebrows waxed--but still, you can't beat the price!).

3. The incredibly cute sock monkeys Aunt Michelle found on etsy for the girls. Seriously, aren't they adorable! Elizabeth's is the striped one (and, let me tell you, she has been completely attached to this new friend!) and the one with cherries is Kate's (and she too has already been loving on Mr. Monkey)!

4. Some time for crafting....making aprons for the girls at our second Thursday craft morning, finishing the knitting part of a couple felted purses for Mike's aunts, and even making a pottery apron for my sister (the bottom is split for sitting at the wheel to throw pots!). It's good to be enjoying some "crafting" time...and to look over at my Jo-Ann bags, full of some great fabric for various projects to come!

5. "Craft time" with Elizabeth and Miranda. When Miranda was here Wednesday we made a popsicle stick caterpillar and butterfly and "heart" clothespins. They LOVED it...and Elizabeth keeps talking about making "shapes"...since we made circle and heart shapes to start the projects out. Also, I caught this precious pic of Elizabeth and Miranda "reading" together!

6. Enjoying a quick date with my hubby on Valentine's day. The girls stayed with grandmommy and poppy and Aunt Shell while Mike and I split a plate of nachos at our favorite little Mexican restaurant.

7. Finding some cute little decorative shelves for 75% off at Target...and starting to think about pulling together our ideas and actually decorating a bit more in our downstairs.

8. It's official. I mentioned our church's potential new lead pastor last week...and Sunday evening it was made official. How great to see God's faithfulness to His church and to look forward to what is next to come!

9. Our roly poly, giggling, babbling, rolling, sitting, smiling, gumming, licking, sweet and precious Kate. Seriously, it is hard to remember that just months ago this sweet girl was SO intense and fussy. I am loving these days...her love of our bed-time reading (pulling at each and every page with a massive grin) and singing....those chubby cheeks capping her wide little toothless grin. L-O-V-E it!

10. Listening to Elizabeth's endless chattering about her "bestest" friend these days...Aunt Michelle. Seriously, Shell, you have absolutely won this little girls heart! It's Aunt Shell this and Aunt Shell that...with the occasional mention of the still so popular Uncle Richard and cousin "Wuuuucy" (my sister's big, sweet dog). This morning she couldn't stop telling me what she would do with Aunt Shell at the lake this summer!

11. Making a batch of chimichangas and "choo-choo" sugar cookies (Elizabeth got to choose the cutter and helper with these!) and delivering dinner to some friends yesterday....one family just welcomed a sweet baby boy...so tiny and sleepy (hard to remember Kate was that size just 6 months ago!)...and one fam who has been plagued with the awful sickies!