thankful thursday

Today I am thankful for laughter...There is truly nothing like a good, long belly laugh. The kind where you simply cannot contain yourself. When I belly laugh, I turn red, I make all kinds of different noises including snorts, and my laugh changes pitch every few seconds. My eyes well up with tears of joy, and my belly begins to hurt from convulsing violently during my bout of laughter :) The best part is, I always feel completely refreshed after laughing like that.

There are also plenty of health benefits to laughter, and it has been known to improve marriages and lengthen the lifespan of people who laugh often! You produce endorphins along with many other good hormones when you laugh, and this helps to reduce stress and give you a more positive outlook on your situation or your life.

I feel like people let their guard down a bit when they find something genuinely hilarious. I know I look, sound, and act like a fool when I am having a laugh attack, but the amazing thing is, I never care! I'm having too much fun to care! And laughter is contagious, so once the first person starts, no one can resist the urge to join in!

There are a lot of things in this world to be negative about, but there are also plenty of things to smile and laugh about! I make an effort to look for the positive, and find joy in the small things. I have so much to be thankful for, and laughter helps me to keep life in perspective. So to anyone reading this, if you haven't laughed today, make sure you find something to tickle your funny bone...It will improve your day, I promise!

cute as a button

Last weekend we were home in Madison for a family wedding. Our whole family was together, which was a real treat as it doesn't happen very often. This means we got to spend time with the cutest little girl in the world, our niece Samantha. She is such a delight, and I can't express how special she is :) She is talking now, and loves to cuddle. She gives the best hugs and kisses, and she laughs all the time. It warms my heart when she sees me and lights up, or runs to me for a hug or to have me pick her up.

She carries around a little bunny and a little monkey, and if you ask her what their names are, she will say "Money." That being said, she sometimes runs around the house saying "Money Money Money." Our little money hungry niece ;) I never thought it was possible to love a child so much when they aren't your own. If my future children turn out anything like her, I will truly be blessed!


She is very into music, and as soon it comes on, she starts to dance. She swings her little hips, and bounces to the beat, and it is a riot. I think she has really good rhythm, because if the song changes, she adjusts her movements to match the music, and she perks up more when a song is upbeat. She loves jazz, so I know she already has really good taste in music.




She loves animals, whether they're real or fake. We stopped by my grandma's house between the wedding and the reception, and she has some stuffed/ceramic animals. Samantha was kissing them, and then walking around the room and having everyone else kiss them. Who could say no to that little face? :) When she sees a squirrel in her backyard, or a puppy when she is out on a walk, she pats her lap to try to get them to come see her.

She loves to sit in my old rocking chair and let Grandpa rock her. Have I mentioned what a "grandpa's girl" she is? I think she loves his low voice because as soon as she hears him talking, she runs to him. He of course loves this, and wouldn't trade his time with her for anything in the world. It's probably a good thing that we dont' get to see Samantha very often because she makes me long so badly for my own. My brother and his wife have another one on the way, and we are getting really excited to meet baby #2!