ten smile tuesday

the sun is shining....the girls are sleeping....and i'm sitting here with a ice cold diet coke...with oh so many things to smile about...

1. ordering my 15 free prints from walgreens. you too can take part in this smile...just go to the linked site, upload your photos, enter the promo code TAXDAY at checkout...and voila...15 free prints! if you are anything like me, this is a great incentive to actually get around to printing some of those photos i've been meaning to print for the past 4 or 5 months. once the girls wake up we'll be taking a stroll down to walgreens and picking up our photos (and a few other good deals perhaps!). tonight mike has a meeting, so once the girls are in bed i am actually going to start cropping pictures for kate's first year scrapbook!

2. finishing up these little shoes for kate...to match the outfits i finished thursday--thus making them count as a "this week smile" as well. (sarah...the shoes should give you a closer look at the fabric) i think kate is going to wear this little outfit for her dedication next sunday (and, of course, big sister will have to wear hers as well!)

3. freshly scrubbed bathrooms...and can i just note that it really is more fun to clean when you get the cleaners for free! i know, that sounds pathetic, but as i was scrubbing my shower yesterday i was smiling about the free cleaner that was working wonders on the soap scum.

4. a special shopping outing with elizabeth...not so much the shopping part, but the spending some time alone with elizabeth. we did, however, find a pair of pink croc-like shoes that were a great deal after our jo-ann's 50% off coupon. one of my favorite parts of the outing was watching my little cowgirl clomp around in the boots we'd found on clearance at kohl's the day before. she LOVES them and asked to wear them for our special trip. she looked so cute in her denim jumper and boot...i just wish i would've taken a picture.

5. checking the mailbox...a whole new adventure these days as my mailbox is frequently stuffed with free samples or coupons i've called to request. (a tip for those who have jumped on the cvs-train...i've been calling companies listed in the may extra care flyer and requesting coupons!)

6. another "at home date" with my hubby...the past two friday nights we've put the girls in bed a bit early and then enjoyed a late dinner just the two of us and a movie. (a FREE movie...from redbox--if you have no clue what redbox is, you really should check it out...$1 a night for new release movies...or most often for free with promo codes you can find all around internet world!). how thoughtful was my hubby to pick a "chick flick" and to stop at trader joe's to grab some dessert...coconut sorbet...YUM!

7. the greening of the grass...including the grass growing on the head of elizabeth's green guy (aka...our poor man chia pet!) we made at our MOPS mommy and me the other week. this picture was taken friday and i promise his hair has grown another 2 inches since then (and is twice as thick and sprouting out like eyebrows and a mustache!).

8. the incredibly encouraging time i spent last night when i couldn't sleep...reading ecclesiastes 3 and reflecting on the many seasons i am in the midst of right now...some full of joy, some strugglesome, some exhausting. God quieted my spirit and reminded me that He is sovereign over all of the seasons....and whats more...i am to enjoy each and every season, not just the easy and happy ones. i am so glad i got out of bed rather than laying there wishing i could just fall asleep...

9. making it three weeks before filling the van up with gas. this might seem trivial, but with the price of gas this is huge! i often struggle with staying at home, being content to simply "entertain" myself and the girls at home rather than running random errands, etc...and this was definitely taking its toll on our gas consumption. for the past three weeks i've made it a point to park the van...consolidating errands, etc...mind you, we have still enjoyed lots of fun outings..the children's museum, MOPS, the bounce place. honestly, i am amazed at how long we were able to go on one tank...and excited at the huge savings this is since it costs well over $50 to fill the tank!

10. grilling...yep...we busted out the grill for the first time this season. elizabeth chalked on the driveway and kate sat in the stroller while i fired up the grill. my favorite part of this "routine" is when daddy's car comes around the corner and turns into the driveway...just in time to join elizabeth for a little outside play while the grilling finishes up. how wonderful to think that we have a whole grilling season ahead of us!