Little Things

January has been a very busy month for us.

Busy spending our time...

 going to hockey games.

 going to basketball games.

 jumping in bounce houses.

 getting our faces painted.

 singing in choir.

 going to Kids Club.

 having dinner with friends.

having snow days from school. 

celebrating birthdays...

And while we've been so busy, I want to take just a minute to reflect on my kiddos.  

I want to put down in words the little things about them that keep me going.

The little things that make me smile when I want to cry.

The little things that bring me back down when I feel overwhelmed.

The little things that open my eyes to how blessed I am.
The little things that make life wonderful.

Oh, my girl, Makayla.  

*I love that she loves to be cuddled, she loves to be held, and she loves to be hugged and kissed on.  I love that she wants me to still hold her and cuddle her.

*When Makayla calls Mia, Mimi (i had a great aunt that we called mimi and it just feels meant to be when my kids call mia, mimi).

*When she proudly holds her empty plate up in the air for all to see when she licks it clean during dinner.  Literally.

*How good her heart is.  Daily, she is thinking of things to do for people or to give to people...pouring a drink for her brother, going through her doll clothes to give to the babies in her life, making crafts for people... Last night, she made a book for Grandpa Allen.  She stapled paper together and taped pictures of deer in the book because "Grandpa looooves deer".

*Just how stinkin' smart she's getting.  She can read words, she says big words like 'appreciate', and she is amazing at thinking outside of the box.  I just can't get over it.

Oh, my baby boy, Mason.

*I love how Mason pronounces the word "girl" as "geel" (sadly, i've been working with him to pronounce it correctly).

*He still has a passion for bowling and shooting hoops.  He bowls a game every night with his new bowling alley we Santa got him and he plays a game or two of basketball every night.  Most nights, you hear his little voice shouting out "SCORE" over and over and over again.

*He has recently mastered putting his coat on and just seeing him beam with pride every time he gets that sucker on brings a smile to my face.

*How much of a lover Mason is.  He wants everybody to feel loved and he gives the biggest, strongest hugs that come close to breaking your neck.  I love that every time someone tells him that they love him, he either says "thank you" or "i love you most".  He melts my heart.

*Just how stinkin' smart he is getting.  He puts his shoes on the correct feet every time, he is so inquisitive and asks questions all the time (on these bitter cold winter days, he is always asking about the animals - how they stay warm, where they get their food, where do they get their water when the creeks freeze), and he is getting so good at counting and making patterns.  I love it.

Oh, my baby girl, Mia Grace.

*Mia's curls.  Her cute, little, bouncing curls.  They make me smile.

*I love when Mia opens her mouth real wide, scrunches her little nose up, and laughs.

* I love how you can have a full conversation in whispers with Mia.  I love it when we whisper back and forth, back and forth, about nothing.

*I love how Mia sings and dances - she bounces up and down on her knees, wildly waves her arms in the air, and belts out "Aaaaaah".

*Just how stinkin' smart she's getting.  She follows directions, entertains herself by sorting, and is quick to comfort if she knows you're sad.  We can pretend to be crying or we can pretend to get hurt and she quickly comes over to hug you.  She amazes me.

"What day is it,?" asked Pooh.

"It's today," squeaked Piglet.

"My favorite day," said Pooh.

It's easy to get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of every day life.

Life with my 3 little ones can get crazy.  Super crazy.  

Taking a moment like I just did to record some of those little things is healthy for me.  

It's something I want to do, something I need to do.

It's a little reminder that 

life is good.