A List in Photos

Big mommy blog sorta day. I'm going to go ahead and use photos to demonstrate many of the things for which I feel truly grateful. Why? Because I've been making our annual photobook gift for my parents and there are just many, many extremely cute, funny, beautiful, incredible things which happen to be perfect visual representations. That's why.

First, I am grateful for this guy and his enthusiasm and energy and hunger for life:

He does things with great zest and real joy, which makes me smile and laugh and feel so grateful that he came to live at my house.

Next, I am grateful for this chick and her giggles and fun imagination:

She is delightful and fun and sweet, and I feel so blessed to be her mommy. Also, an aside I feel compelled to record so I don't forget, she has recently been a cat a lot. Mostly, this entails her snuggling into my lap and saying "meow" in her highest pitched voice. On Friday night, we went and saw my neice perform in a regional honor band (First chair, french horn... and she's only 15!). Marissa decided she was a cat and meowed through much of the performance, even when it was otherwise completely silent. Now, this might have annoyed some people, but let's all get over ourselves for a moment and appreciate the beauty of being a child: innocent and pure and full of imagination.

Next, I am grateful for beauty in the world, in the form of nature. While I'm not the world's best photographer, the natural beauty that surrounds me sometimes allows me to get pretty stunning photos:

I think being happy is often about appreciating those tiny moments when something catches your eye, enraptures your senses if only for a brief time, and makes the rest of your day different. Better. Happier. There is a vista like that on the way to my parents' house. I still haven't captured it well enough, but every time I turn that corner, I have to catch my breath and smile.

Finally, although this isn't everything I'm grateful for (you'll notice Landon is absent from this post, and we all know he's the most frequent guest of honor on this here blog), I'm going to end with this kid:

This is my niece, Corra. After combing through literally thousands of photos to compile the annual photobook for my parents over the last several years, the pictures of Corra are always the ones that crack me up the most. Her face is so expressive, and she has absolutely no problem letting you know exactly how she feels. She's a character, big time, and I just appreciate her so much.
Amen.