Little things from last week that warmed my heart

~a surprise bouquet of lovely yellow roses from my husband

~my 14 year old who gladly made a big batch of carmel corn (from scratch), just because her little sisters & brother had a craving for some

~watching "The Walton's" DVD with my children, all cozy in the house, on a cold and dreary gray winter afternoon

~our oldest daughter coming over to our house, bringing along her laptop, with the sole purpose of helping her 20 year old sister file her income tax returns online. I loved watching and listening the two of them as they worked together trying to figure it all out

~the 3 year old deciding that the time for her potty-training has finally arrived...and she was excited about it! I loved hearing all her sisters & brother encourage her and excitedly clap for a "job well done"

~the 20 year old shopping and finding 2 cute sweaters on sale at the amazing bargain price of $2.77 each (!) and buying them for her younger sisters. When I offered to pay her back, she replied, "Naaah...it's my gift for them."

~one evening after the supper-time clean-up, the 10 year old putting the clean pots & pons away and discovering a mess in the cupboard and cheerfully deciding to re-organize the shelves without any prompting from anyone

~23 year old calling home and also sending a sweet email just "to keep in touch" with her family while she was away on vacation for a week

~12 year old helping her little brother to sound out some words, "just for fun"

~one by one, the younger kids waking up in the morning, and groggily coming to find me and give me a 'good-morning, mom' hug & cuddle

~watching the 5 year old & 3 year old play dollies---cuddling with them and treating them as gently as if they were real newborn babies

~a kettle of hot potato soup, with lots of chunky vegetables, simmering on the stove on a frosty winter afternoon

~kids lounging on the floor as they listen to a Narnia CD while quietly playing dominoes, looking at books, and coloring & drawing---giving us all a very peaceful afternoon break

~my husband calling me from work, 2 and 3 times a day, just to chat and see how the day is going for those of us at home

~4 brand-new, fluffy baby chickens, that are now making their home in our basement, in a big box, with a heat-lamp for warmth

~the excitement of the kids over those new baby chicks

~a sweet, "I love you, mommy" coming from my little Emma, first thing in the morning after she woke up, and then giving me a hug and then planting a big 'ole kiss on my cheek

~kid's laughter and smiles, and their willingness to help even before they're asked