What Makes Me Smile #5

I tend to be a Negative Nelly about my life.  I'm great about putting a positive spin on things when friends vent to me about their bad days, but when it comes to my life, I only see the bad things.  In an attempt to change this aspect of my personality, I want to journal some things that make me smile each week.  Hoping that when I look back, I'll see just how many things I have to be grateful for and smile about in my life.

Last week, I had a lot to smile about!

• Grace has always been fascinated by nature.  It started with leaves.  When she was outside as a toddler, she always seemed to have a leaf in her hand.  Now, the past two summers, she's been obsessed with picking "flowers" from our lawn.  She knows not to pick the very few flowers in my front garden bed, but knows that the lawn is hers for the picking.  She placed this little yellow blossom on my lap today and seeing her little hand, dirty nails and all, it just hit me that her hands aren't going to be this little for very long.  

• This week has been all about stepping out of our comfort zones.  At least for us girls.  Poor Joe has been out of his comfort zone since Grace was born!  Now he's in a house of all girls (the dog included)!  Remmy seems to be over her fear of car rides and now stands at the front door hoping for to go for a ride each night!  Grace has gotten over her thoughts that she can only go places with both of us because that's how we did things in the past.  Recently, she's been out a couple times with just Joe and seems to love it!  Last week, he ended up taking both Grace and Remmy to the carwash after work one night!  I used those few moments to myself to hand a shower curtain.  

• My comfort zone...driving.  Until Saturday, I haven't driven a car in almost 16 years!  I was late to get my license, I don't even thing Driver's Ed was offered at my high school and if it was, I never heard about it.  When I was 22 or 23 Joe forced me to get my license even if I didn't plan to use it.  A few years later bought me a car and I needed a refresher course.  When we moved into our apartment, we gave up the second vehicle since we only had 1 parking space and public transportation was close.  Even though I had my license, I never wanted to drive Joe's pick up truck.  So, I didn't.  Since we moved, it's been difficult without a car.  But after so long, I lost the confidence I needed to get back to driving again and I'm needing that refresher course again!  I'm determined to feel confident behind the wheel again!  Smiling at myself for trying and great friends that are helping with the lessons!  

• Grace also had a dentist appointment this week.  Her first.  She's always so unwilling to try new things and is very set in her ways, so we were not expecting a successful visit.  She did so well and did everything the dentist told her.  When I gave her a thumbs up while she was in the dentist chair, she winked at me!  I don't know where that came from but it was so cute!  

• This week is a lot about Grace, sorry...she's the major thing to make me smile especially on quiet weeks at home.  Grace loves to play dress up.  Most would think this means her dressing up in costumes and jewels.  Sometimes that is what dress up means in our house.  But more often than not, Grace's definition of dress up is putting new outfits on her stuffed animals.  This week, we noticed that she made Sky (Paw Patrol) and super hero cape out of a tissue.  She just twisted two of the corners together to make it stay.  Sorry for the blurry picture, I took this in her completely dark room while she was asleep!  Also, please ignore the crayon on her walls...that doesn't make me smile!  

I'd love to hear about what makes you smile!  Let me know in the comments!