Top Ten Tuesday: The Little Things

How about a blog post that isn't whiny? Oh, goodie!!
I thought I'd do another Top Ten Tuesday - this time, a compilation of the little things in life that make me smile. They're the things that matter most anyway, right?

Feel free to join in with your own versions of Top Ten Tuesday on your blogs!

The Top Ten Little Things in Life that Make Me Smile

1. That first sip of coffee - (black, please) in the morning, in the evening with dessert, when I have a headache, or when I'm just a little bit chilly. It's always the perfect pick-me-up.
   
2. The glow from the evening sun - the sun rises on the lake-side of our house and sets out back. I love the golden hue that comes in my kitchen window, and shines on the front of the houses across the lake, in the evening. It's such a warm, relaxing tone.
3. When the breeze catches my hair just right - one of my favorite things to do is ride in the car with the windows down on a sunny day while J drives. What's worse than your hair flipping in the wind and sticking to your lip gloss? But when the breeze catches just right and brushes my hair away from my face... ahh, that's the life.
4. Being squeezed in the middle of the night - Sorry hubby, I'm going to completely embarrass you for this one. Sometimes when I roll over, or get out of bed for whatever reason, J (in his sleep) reaches out for me and whimpers until he's got his arms wrapped around me. Then he lets out a contented sigh. Love.
5. Watching Tiegan's wheels turn - I love to watch Tiegan play when she doesn't know I'm there. She scribbles in her 1st grade math/spelling books. She turns her toys all over to figure out how they work. She is just so hungry to learn how the world goes around, and I find myself beaming.
6. Breathing in a clean house - Take a deep breath. I smell... Lysol, Febreeze, a hint of bleach, and fresh air. There is nothing like enjoying my home after a good scrub-down.
7. The smell of a boat going by - I'm sure I've already proclaimed my love of toxic smells. Strange, I know. I love the scent that wafts in my sliding door when a boat goes by - a mixture of lake water, fresh air, and gas/oil mix from the boat's motor. It reminds me of my childhood days vacationing on Houghton Lake.
   
8. Seeing new places with wide eyes - This doesn't exactly sound "little," but what I'm getting at is that feeling that comes over me. When I visit someplace I've never been, I crave more. I marvel at the sights and want to immerse myself in this new world, taking in everything I can. It's a full-body rush.
9. When the timing works out just right - We've all had those days: you're bumbling over yourself just to make it there, only to find out you've forgotten something, and you've spilled coffee on your favorite shirt. Multiply it by 5 for each child involved. The heavens open and choruses sing when a whole day glides by from event to event without incident. There is that relieving moment of perfection when I make it from A to B in one piece, and I cherish each one of those moments.
   
10. Falling asleep outside - on a nice day, of course. Now that it's summer, living here is like being on vacation. Lounging on my chair outside and dozing off to the sound of water lightly splashing on the seawall... that's a little piece of "me-time" I'll never take for granted.