Little Things

My mom and I were talking the other day about how there's some study (some journal, some year) that showed that the happiest people are those who appreciate and enjoy the "little things" in life.  Maybe that's why I'm so happy!

I really do take pleasure in the simplest of things, and here are a few:

• That first cup of coffee in the morning...aaaahhhh...especially if I can enjoy it in silence, all by myself.  It gives me a few minutes to collect my thoughts and prepare for the wonderful chaos that will begin as soon as my little ones wake. 
• Food.  I can't help it.  I love to eat.  I will save you from reading a bulleted list of individual foods and just leave it at that.
• Watching a movie that I know by heart and loving it more and more each time I see it.  Steel Magnolias anyone?
• Sitting on the back porch listening to the rain.
• The sound of the ocean.
• Sunday afternoon in the back yard with my family.
• A really good book that you keep thinking about all day, and you look forward to picking it up again to see what happens next.
• The way Reece smiles as he's falling asleep.
• The way Davis says, "I wub you, Mommy."  Really?  I get to be the one he calls "Mommy"?  I can keep him?!

Another great pleasure in my life is watching my children enjoy simple things.  I love to replay these sweet moments in my mind and wish I could capture them all on camera.  Here are a few recent "little things" involving my sweet boys:

• Davis and Derek sitting on the ground in the back yard after dark, using the flood light to see, and digging holes in the dirt, just for the sake of digging holes in the dirt.
• Reece's face lighting up and a few giggles escaping as he looks at the two of us in the mirror.
• Davis insisting on walking from the car into Target in the rain and stomping his feet through each and every puddle on the way.  I'm not sure if I heard more laughing from him or from the other shoppers.
• Davis literally clapping after taking a bite of a truly delicious piece of food.  Wonder where he gets that from...
• Reece's loud squeals of delight as Derek lifts him up in the air to "fly".  I'm usually on drool patrol for this stunt. 

I'm glad that we try appreciate the joy in the little things.  Because I have a sneaking suspicion that one day we will look back on them and consider them the big things.