I wasn’t looking for these

Those of you who visit here regularly see a lot of our youngest daughter, Remington. At age three, it seems everything that rolls off her lips is funny, and she’s definitely the most willing of all our kiddos to pose for the camera.

But don’t misunderstand.

Our other three children may not be as likely to get in front of the camera, or to allow me to post the absolutely hilarious things THEY say…but they definitely make me smile. Every. Single. Day. I am so thankful for all three of them, too!

Take Addison, for example.

This morning I came downstairs to find this on the dining room table:

It was a surprise from Addy…a little gift for no reason at all…and it has been making me smile all day long.

Then, there’s Chandler.

With the smile still on my face from finding Addy’s bouquet, I ran upstairs to put something in Chandler’s bedroom, and I found this on his whiteboard:

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe. (Proverbs 18:10)

I’m not sure what prompted it, but he wrote it right by his desk where he’ll see it continuously…and it’s making me smile.

And, let’s not forget Connor.

If you enter his room the first thing you’ll see is this:

He assures me it’s “just a silly drawing.” And clearly, it’s not something he spent a great deal of time on. But even though it wasn’t created for artistic purposes, the fact that a “silly” picture of his family is something he wanted to frame and hang in a prominent position in his room just makes me—you guessed it—SMILE! (And how could I not be happy about the title?)

My favorite smiles are the ones that I wasn’t even looking for. I hope you are noticing all the many things that have the potential to make you smile today. They are everywhere! As usual, I’d love to hear about them in the comments. (Hint, hint…)

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Hungry much?

I found some old Bible class papers from when Connor was little. This was one of them:

That child. He’s always been Connor.

Hope you’re smiling today! I’d love to hear why…

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This boy

Just yesterday I gave birth to a healthy, beautiful, bouncing baby boy. Well, OK, maybe it wasn’t yesterday…but it sure doesn’t seem like it was fifteen years ago! The calendar tells me it was, though, and the fact that I can no longer “bounce” him seems to verify that fact.

{age 6}

I guess there’s other evidence of his age, too. He doesn’t play with toy cars anymore; he’s much more interested in real ones. We no longer own Lincoln Logs or Bionicles for him to put together; he’d rather be listening to music. He no longer catches frogs; he’d rather be catching fish.

I learn something from him just about every day. He is taller than me, but sweet and gentle. He’s a hard worker with a quick wit and a unique sense of humor that keeps me laughing. He’s a great cook and a fantastic big brother. Most importantly, he loves the Lord, and he’s trying to live for Him.

I am so thankful for Connor!

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So glad I found them

Today was a long day…a busy, exhausting day. But today, as every day, there were so many reasons to smile, and I’m thankful I was able to find them. (I hope you found reasons to smile as well, and I hope you’ll share them in the comments below.)

Today I smiled because I found this hanging on my nine-year-old daughter’s wall:

(It was completely her idea, and discovering it in her room made me happy.)

Today I smiled because my 16-year-old chose to use his free time to do this:

(Where did he get this talent? And even more baffling, when did his hands get so big?!)

Today I smiled because I know there won’t be ANY days like this in heaven.

Today I smiled because a sweet friend offered to help…and insisted that I let her.

Today I smiled (guffawed, rather) because my 14-year-old caught me off guard multiple times with his unexpected, witty comments.

Today I smiled because we found these while cleaning out the garage, and the girls got such a kick out of them.

And as the day was drawing to a close, I smiled once more at this conversation with my three-year-old:

Remington: One day, God said to me, “Remi, you and I are going to catch an octopus.”

Me: Remi, do you remember how God talks to us?

Remington: How?

Me: Through the Bible. We read the words in the Bible, and then we know what God is saying to us.

Remington: Ohhhhh…..

Me: So…Does the Bible say that you are going to catch an octopus?

Remington: (with a big smile) YES!!

You just can’t reason with a three-year-old.

What made you smile today?

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Willing to serve

He did it!

But wait, I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me back up.

This is a special month for us, because this month, my husband and our teenage sons are serving communion together on Sunday mornings for the very first time. I can’t put into words how I feel about this (and I’m not often speechless), but I know I get goosebumps when I look up there and see the three of them standing side by side, serving all together.

I’m proud of Troy. Although he didn’t grow up in a Christian home, he has grown to be a faithful Christian man. He continues to amaze me with who he has become, and is becoming.

I’m proud of Chandler. Not a lot of 15-year-old guys want to get up in front of a congregation full of people and give a little talk, the way he did yesterday. I’m proud of the way he thinks and the fact that he’s willing to share those thoughts with the rest of us to help us focus on what’s important.

But I’ll admit it…I’m especially proud of Connor. You see, Connor is my shy child. He’s always been bashful. He’s only fourteen, and he just became a Christian a couple of months ago. The thought of getting up in front of people terrifies him. (And the thought of standing up there in dress clothes is even worse!)

But, he did it.

Yesterday (Sunday) morning I awoke to a lot of banging around upstairs. I ran up to see what was going on, and found Connor… hair fixed, teeth brushed, and completely dressed, right down to his shoes!  AT SEVEN O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING!  (That’s two hours before we had to be there!)  He was so nervous he couldn’t sleep and I guess he just wanted to get ready and get it all over with.

But that’s OK, because he did it. None of us likes to step out of his comfort zone. But sometimes we just need to. I am proud of Connor for reminding me of that.

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My biggest reason to smile

Yesterday I awoke to a house that’s a wreck and a to-do list at least a mile long. And yet, I woke up smiling. It wasn’t a slight smile, either. It was one of those big, goofy, ear-to-ear grins that you feel silly wearing but can’t seem to take off. (Not that I wanted to.) I smiled that wide grin as I remembered how, the day before, my son had become my brother.

We didn’t know ahead of time that Connor was planning to be baptized into Christ that morning. But he nearly knocked me out of the way the minute the invitation song began, in his rush to make it to the front of the auditorium. My sweet, shy boy couldn’t wait to get up to the front where he would put on Christ in baptism, committing in front of hundreds of people to walk with Him for the rest of his days.

I smiled through my tears as his proud, happy grandfather took his public confession of faith. I cried…and smiled…as Connor’s earthly father immersed him in baptism so that his heavenly Father could save him by grace, through faith, washing away his sins. I smiled when the man who got up to make announcements afterward said, “I do believe that’s the fastest I’ve ever seen someone get from the pew into the water.” (I think I laughed out loud, actually.)

I smiled some more as I watched would-be huggers line up after the service to encourage this new, baby Christian. I thought of all the dear people around the world who have taught him, from the nursery class until now, in Bible classes and through their good examples. (I am so thankful for each of you…You know who you are!)  I smiled as I listened to his new brothers and sisters tell him they were proud and happy for him. And I smiled as HE smiled through it all.

My friend Dana told me afterward that her little boy, Parker, became concerned during the baptism. “Mom, you’re crying!” he said. “What’s wrong?”  “Yes,” she replied, “but I’m crying because I’m happy.” He paused as he looked around. “Oh…..Then Ms. Amy must be really, REALLY happy!”

Parker was right. And now, two days later, I still can’t stop smiling, because the words of 3 John 1:4 are so very true:

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

My favorite shot

Thank you for sharing in our family’s joy. Thank you, Brandy, for thinking to pull out your cell phone and snap some pictures. And thanks to all of you who are praying for Connor in his new life.  Smile with me today!

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