The Simple Joys Make All the Difference!

Recently I have been trying to focus on the small things that happen in my life so that I can try be happy as much as I can..... Simple and VERY hard at the same time. In order to help with this new goal I have decided to write down some of those things on here.

• Children feeding themselves.
• This is a very simple, small thing, but as a mom it is a huge, amazing step! Aaron is super pro at feeding himself and finally is doing perfect with a spoon. I'm not quite sure why it took him so long; maybe because I hardly fed him anything he needed to eat a spoon! HA! His favorite thing to eat right now is cereal. Porter is getting so good at feeding himself little puffs, rice cups, and yogurt bites! This is amazing for when I need to cook dinner, or do the dishes, or go to the store without going crazy, or to church.... so pretty much ANY TIME! It is such a relief to let him occupy himself for a little while. PLUS--- added bonus--- he actually "chews" them! Aaron always sucked on everything and he would often gag himself... Porter just devours them and has no issues. 
• Produce
• YUM! I have always loved fruits and vegetables, but I love them even more now since they are pretty much all I have been eating. 1. I love eating fresh food in the summer time, so much more refreshing... and 2. I have been doing Weight Watchers. I haven't really been talking about it to anyone because I have gotten some flack about doing it... But after having my 2nd child I needed to do something because I was definitely at an unhealthy weight. I was exercising and it was helping a bit, but I decided to take it seriously. I have been doing it for about 2 months now and (as of about a week ago) have lost 17 lbs! It is a great way to learn portion control, that is for sure! I never realized how much food I was eating... talk about scary! It also teaches you to be a little bit more wise about what you eat... to make sure you aren't hungry all the time. One of the great things is that fresh fruits and veggies are "free"... so to make a long story even longer, that is why I love produce! 
• Brothers
• Yes, I love my brothers..... But this reference is to my little boys. They are just so sweet and love to make each other laugh and smile and have really been getting so much better at playing together. Porter really only belly laughs when Aaron makes him laugh. So sweet!

• Eye Brow Pencils
• This may seem odd.... but seriously.... I just discovered how much better my face looks when you can actually see my eyebrows. I feel so silly admitting that it took until I was almost 26 to discover this. I actually remember this kid in junior high ask me if I even had eyebrows; I wish I would have had my eyebrow pencil back then. Instead I just looked at him like he was ridiculous and said "Yes" and looked away. This was also the same kid that made mention of another embarrassing feature of mine, my skin turns super red when it is touched. I had a cross body messenger bag at the time that apparently rubbed my neck. He asked if I had a hickey. From my dad. Needless to say the kid was a junior high boy which comes along with often trying to be "too cool" through rudeness. Odd that I still remember those things. Anyway, I deeply digress. I love my eyebrows now :D
• Gum
• Another byproduct of WW... Mint gum is one of the best ways to stop unnecessary snacking! Plus it is tasty ;)
• Warm nights
• Running
• I told Bryce last night that I think I am becoming addicted. I want to run in the morning and at night. In the morning to get energy for the day, and at night to run off the day! HA
• My ipod
• Could not run with out! 
• Donating stuff
• I have been going through all of our stuff while packing/getting ready to pack and have already filled 4 trash bags! LOVE IT! It is one of the best parts of moving. De-clutter your life. It is the best.
• Lists
• I love lists. In fact, making this list is making me super happy. I feel like my mind becomes peaceful when I make a list. All those things that are constantly running around in my brain have a place and I can move on. I think this is one of the deeply rooted reasons why I love pinterest. Its a visual list of all the things I love. 
• Quotes
• This one is my favorite: