WMW: Little things I love

As I've gotten older, I've started to appreciate the little things more than before.  When you're a kid, the little things don't really matter - the bigger, the better. You want the BIG Barbie play house and the BIG birthday party with the BIGGEST group of friends ever. Everything had to be big, because you weren't cool if you didn't do it big.

When I got to college, the little things started to matter again. Like...naps. And homemade cookies that were waiting when I'd come home on weekends. And sweet cards J (now husband, then boyfriend) would get me for anniversaries and special holidays. I still liked the big things, like parties and road trips, but the little things started to matter more.

Now that I'm at the point in my life where the big things involve JJ growing developmentally and H getting promotions in the Air Force, I've realized that I don't really do it big anymore - I do it small. The smaller, the better. So, here's just a sampling of the little things I love:

-- JJ's baby pictures. Oh my goodness he was the most adorable baby. I mean, he's still adorable now, but I fell so in love with him from the very beginning. We have some awesome pics of him...like this:

I hope to finish his scrapbook of his first year before the holidays so that he can flip through it at Christmas. It won't mean much to him now, but I hope it does in the future.

-- That moment in the morning where you're the only one up. It's nice and quiet. You can do the dishes, watch the news, eat a bowl of cereal...in peace. It doesn't last long - maybe 10 minutes or so - but it's oh so glorious.

-- Picking JJ up from daycare. He gets this huge smile on his face, starts to laugh, then runs into my arms. Then he starts saying his version of "Go!" and points at the door. Picking him up every day is my most favorite part of the day, hands down.

-- Getting phone calls from my dad. They usually only last a couple of minutes since reception isn't the best where he's at, but they make my day. I miss him a lot.

-- Hearing my favorite songs on the radio. Even if I've played them a million times in my own car, hearing it on the radio is just so awesome. I turn it up and belt it like nobody else can.

-- Fitting back into old clothes. I've been bouncing back and forth with the scale since I had JJ, but I think I'm finally winning the battle. Slipping back into a pair of dress pants that button makes my day.

-- Sleeping in. Even if I only get to sleep an hour later, it makes my world so much better. I never, ever sleep in anymore, so on the rare Saturday that I get to...I cherish it. Then, I get out of bed, because JJ is usually my alarm clock. :P

-- Seeing OSU tags in my hometown. My hometown is dominated by OU - which is fine. But when I see that occasional tag that's orange and black, I smile.

--  The perfect snow cone. There's a place in Lawton that makes it just the way I like it - mango with light cream. They're getting ready to close for the winter, so I'd better get another snow cone while I can!

-- Getting a morning text from my husband. If he can swing it, he texts me every morning to say hi and that he loves me. Nice way to start the day.

-- Seeing my mom interact with JJ. I'm not close to my own grandparents because I live 1,298 miles from my dad's dad; 1,473 miles from my dad's mom; and more than 3,600 miles from my mom's parents. So, for JJ to be so close to his own grandmother is just awesome. He adores her, and she adores him - she's everything I wanted for my son.

That's quite the list, so I'll leave it there for now.  I hope you all find comfort and joy in the little things, and enjoy them!