My Favorite Things

First I want to start by saying that an awesome family from church needs all your prayers as they deal with the loss of their little angel. That young lady touched my heart in a way I cannot even understand and she didn't even know me. I can't type anymore about or I will cry again.
I was thinking the other day as I was off work again with sick children (Z.J. was in the ER Tues. night, but all is well now, just another child on breathing treatments) about some of my favorite things and trying to see if I could figure out exactly what they meant to me.
1. New shoes! Now I don't know what it is about women and new shoes but there is just a feeling about buying a new pair of shoes that I don't think I can explain. It doesn't even have to be an expensive pair, actually the cheaper they are the better the feeling. I had to give up a pair of really cute heels that I got for $3 the other day, because with each pregnancy my feet have grown. I was pretty upset, but then it dawned on me that it meant I could go shopping for more shoes! I have to admit that new purses and belts have a similar affect on me. I think that by enjoying just a new pair of shoes so much means that I appreciate the little things in life and am grateful for all of them.
2. Weenie roasts. I love the smell of logs burning, the taste of burnt hotdogs and marshmallows, the fellowship of whoever might be there, and the feeling of sitting around a fire on a lawn chair with nothing to do but gaze at the fire. Now this gets me for a couple reasons...I always remember something when I am at a weenie roast, I can't even be sure what it is, but the smells always come back to me. (They say that your olfactory, or smell, nerves create the strongest memories). I am creating new memories by doing nothing special at all.
3. Back rubs, foot rubs, and so on! I love to just be touched. To sit there and have my arms tickled or the tension rubbed out of my shoulders or feet, that is an amazing sensation. This obviously is my love language, and it is funny because Sas is the same way. She has been since she was an infant. She used to nurse with her hand straight up in the air so I could tickle the palm of her hand. I remember staying at my grandma's as a little girl and making her tickle my arms or face until she fell asleep and then I would wake her up to keep doing it.
Now I could list probably a few more but I think these three are my top 3 favorite things, in no particular order. I don't think I could rank them, because they are all so important to me. Seems silly, I know, but I just wanted to put it out there for you all to ponder a bit...enjoy and don't forget to pray please.

changed

You know the other day after I wrote about the winter blahs, I started feeling a lot better. I even sat at the table with Z.J. as she ate breakfast and sang whatever song was in her little head. Then we threw our arms up and praised God for a new day given to us. She just laughed. She is growing up so fast. She is a little repeat machine. The words she is learning so fast just amazes me. She did learn how to say fork the other night and it really sounds like an obscenity, so that one will stay in the house for a while. She learned how to say Love you about 2 weeks ago, and it makes my heart burst every time she says it! It is so stinking cute. Sassy is sitting on the chair singing right now, "Lay my life before You, how I looove you." Our church does a wonderful job teaching our children the word of God.
This week has been pretty rough. All last week during spring break Z.J. ran a fever, and by Monday I thought she was fine. But alas, I got a call at work from the daycare saying that she was running a fever of 102. I left work early and was thankful for that because I was feeling quite bad. I couldn't get her into the dr. until 6 p.m. that day, and by the time we got there the dr. looked at me and said oh you look like you've got the flu. Z.J. had an ear infection and they tested me for the flu but it came back negative. At this point I was just wanting someone to shoot me and put me out of my misery. I felt like I had a clydesdale doing a jig on my head, I couldn't breathe, and I had the nastiest driest cough ever. By Wednesday, I was feeling better but my husband started getting it. So we have been a sick bunch this week.
Well we only have 7 weeks of school left now, it's hard to think that it's almost over. I will not be returning to work next year, but I will be helping in Sassy's classroom about once a week.
I think I need to get off here and round up the children for Sassy's soccer game today.