Name Them One by One

While I claim to be a Plain Jane at heart, I'm living in a culture of extravagance so sometimes I still relish some of the not-so-plain & simple-things of life.  But if I think about the things that really make me happy, I have to leave off silver and gold, diamonds, fancy bouquets of flowers, couture fashion, and expensive perfumes.  This is a list of things that make my heart smile, things that make me realize it's time to count my blessings.  


1. Tiny & the Tot ~ especially when they nap simultaneously.  
2. 80 degree days in October.  The trees are gorgeous and it's still warm enough to enjoy them
3. Sand between my toes and endless water before my eyes.  This doesn't happen often enough.
4. Hot tea on a rainy day
5. Hot tea with a friend, especially a friend that brings along entertainment for the Tot (ie, another Tot) or a friend that brings along scones (Mary ~ you know who you are)
6. Hot tea with my mom.  It always tastes better at her house
7. Hot tea at grandma's house, especially with blueberries and custard


**I know what you're thinking... "Okay, so we've established that you like hot tea... shouldn't that just be one item?"  For the record, I stand by my list that these are four distinct entries**


8.  Lunch dates with the daddyman
9.  Good hair days ~ especially when Jolana does it at The Blue Door
10.  Swimming more laps than my goal for the day
11.  Reading comments on my blog or on my Facebook page
12.  Emails from a friend I haven't talked to in a while
13.  Getting my passport stamped and experiencing a different culture
14.  Speaking Spanish to someone who didn't expect me to know any ~ and seeing their face light up when they realize I know THEIR language.  Makes me want to learn 10 more languages!
15. Sleeping in
16. Making someone laugh or even just smirk.  Humor that elicits snorts is the ultimate goal most of the time though. :)
17.  Roller coaster rides ~ especially big drops or fast spins
18.  Reading something I wrote and feeling like it is brilliant ... even if I know I'm the only one that gets it.
19.  Worship songs that penetrate my soul and capture my sentiments exactly.
20.  Candlelight
21.  Peanut M&Ms 
22.  Finding a great deal on something for my house or my girls at a garage sale, thrift store, flea market or Craigslist
23.  Jeans that fit 
24.  My Uggs, my jammy pants, an old tattered long sleeve t shirt and my MacBook with a fully charged battery
25.  Watching the daddyman read to Tiny & the Tot
26.  When the Tot says "Please," "Thank you," or "Excuse me" without being prompted


I started this list as "20 things" but it just poured out and I have a feeling I could easily come up with at least 100 more (even without cheating and making one thing into four things).  


God has truly blessed me ~ it's Plain & Simple as That.