Reasons to Smile

1. We're gettin' healthy.  Remember a previous post about my "new found dedication" to working out?  I'm not linking to it out of pure humiliation.  I was laughed at by my immediate family members and needless to say, they were right.  I worked out 3 times and folded.  Well, a brand spankin new Lifetime Fitness opened up within walking distance from our house.  Our neighbor friends have been joining, working out, swimming with the kids, utilizing the 2 hour per day allowance of child care (what????), having coffee dates in the cafe...you get the picture.  We caved.  Granted, we cut a bunch of "stuff" out of our budget to do so, but we're SO glad we did.  We're actually working out...at least 3x per week.  Dude adores the childcare center and all the kid stuff they offer. And Tim and I are really getting into this whole concept of getting healthy, together.  Despite the Big Macs we both downed in the corner of the locker room on Sunday before our workout, I'm really quite proud of us thus far.

2. Dancing. Minus the occasional wedding, I haven't danced on a Saturday night since college. This past Saturday I danced. My bootie off. And it felt so good. Thanks to Maria for turning 22 (+ just a few) and organizing a crazy fun night at the dueling piano bar. We needed an adult night out, free from poop and spit up.  That stage is calling our names back already.... 

3.  My healthy, happy, beautiful children.  I'm just in love with these kids.  Squirt gave us her very first true giggles this past weekend.  I screamed so loud for Tim to come that I scared the giggle right out of her, but it came back.  On top of that, our little darling has been sleeping 7:30pm-6:30am these days and wakes up with smiles and kicks.  Melt my heart.  Duder asks for her in the morning and exhibits pure joy when he sees her chubby cheeks.  Melt my heart again.  We remind ourselves every day just how blessed we are to parent these little bundles of health and happiness. 

4.  My bestest and I are celebrating 10 years of "in good times and in bad" this summer and are hittin' the road, sans our little lovelies (thanks to my parents' generous babysitting offer).  Tim still manages to adore me after 10 years of "me-ness" and that requires a celebration.  Seattle, here we come!  Our friend's family B&B on the coast will be our place of retreat, plus some QT with Tim's west coast fam.  The anticipation is half the bliss for me.     

5.  Last...we got a disc of smiles from my photographer genius friend Amy, with hundreds of the photos she had taken back in January.  We had a few select favorites already and NOW we have hundreds more to gaze at.  I'll be posting more of them as the months go by.  A couple cuties are below. 

That wraps up the happy for now.