The Good List

10. The smells of Christmastime.

9. Amazon Prime. Particularly at Christmastime. ;-)

8. My sister and brother-in-law's new toy and all of the fun family adventures it promises to provide.

7. The mash-up of O Come All Ye Faithful and Sing to the King we sang on Monday night. So so good. Maybe my new favorite Christmas Carol.

6. Our newly reupholstered cushion (thanks to my friend Ann Gordon) for the church pew we brought with us from Vermont. This is a treasure to me.

5. The sunset that greeted us immediately upon arrival into Hutchinson Monday evening. I didn't have my good camera with me, but this is what I captured with my phone (with no filter), and I can assure you this does it no justice. Just glorious.

4. The sweet little deer that I get to enjoy almost any time I take an extended walk around the lake. LOVE!

3. Indoor skydiving. I pretty please want to do this every single day...

...even though it completely wrecked my hair. :-D

2. Crestview Bible Church. Such a welcoming and caring group of people. And so eager to know Christ and understand the Gospel better. What a joy and blessing to spend time with them this week!

1. Ephesians 1:3-14, in which we learn among other amazing truths that we are SEALED with the promised Holy Spirit. I can't read or remind myself enough. It's beyond comprehension really.

The Good List

10. The electric foot warmer Jared got me for Christmas last year. Knowing that we were moving soon, I left it in the box and went ahead and packed it up. So it's brand new for me this winter, and my pretty much ALWAYS cold feet are loving it!

9. This crazy little wild woman flower that feels a little bit like my soul sister. ;-)

8. This tree. I mean, right? I don't feel like I need to say anything else.

7. Patriots are 8-0!!!!! (Sorry to my new KC friends... Not really, though.)

6. How to Cook Everything. Some of the best chefs in the world say this is the only cookbook you need. And I intend to read every word and try every recipe at least twice. :-D So fun!

5. Fun little discoveries in nature. See the heart? :-)

4. Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA. We were there a couple weeks past peak, but it was still absolutely gorgeous! I'd love to go back during the most colorful days of fall.

3. Health insurance. For a little over 5 years, we didn't really have any. So imagine my surprise (and delight!) when I picked up a prescription last week to the sound of, "Oh, there's no charge!" Not mad. Not mad at all.

2. The amazing people at Lancaster Bible College. Jared has been speaking at chapel services for them for 4 years now, and they already tentatively invited us to come back next year. We have developed such sweet friendships there, and the Gospel culture on campus is so special. It's already on Macy's short list of schools to visit in the next couple years. ;-) 

1. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. The Gospel. Of FIRST importance. Not a side note. Not the thing you get to if you have time. Not something you graduate from and then move on. Of FIRST importance. Always.

The Good List

10. Royals take Game 1 of the World Series!!! (I'm really trying to like baseball. Really I am. Either way, it's fun to watch a city come together and have fun with a winning team.)

9. The Royals blue orchid Jared brought home for me a couple weeks ago. So gorgeous!

8. My new Christmas wreath that I made all by myself. :-) Because my new front door needs a ginormous Christmas wreath this year, and I wasn't willing to pay for a pre-made one. ;-)

7. Not being able to recall the last time I had to drive in really bad traffic. It's been years, and I can't say that I miss it. :-D

6. Jared has been looking for some cajun food since we moved here. Last weekend he took us to Jazz, A Louisiana Kitchen. Oh man. It was the most authentic Louisiana food experience I've ever had outside of Louisiana. It tasted like my entire childhood right on one plate. SO. GOOD.  Boudin, crawfish, Pontchartrain, gumbo, beignets and chicory all on the same menu.... ALL of the yeses!

5. The KC, MO zoo. We went last Saturday on a beautiful fall day, and almost ALL of the animals were out and active. Since I have a serious problem that probably requires therapy, I took over 500 pictures. I KNOW! I CAN'T HELP IT! THE ANIMALS! I will spare you and only post a few here, but please note how difficult it was for me to edit myself so severely. ;-) I really just wanted to take them all home with me. I should probably own a zoo.

4. This guy was my absolute favorite. I could have hung out with him all day.

3. Chatting with my crazy little niece a couple days ago, who very much speaks her own language (which I adore). This was awesome all by itself, but when my sister sent me this video to show me what was happening on the other end of the phone, it took it to a whole new level. I LOVE THAT LITTLE SASS! (Also--this went on for several more minutes, but I thought I would just offer the highlights. ;-) )

2. Listening to Macy and her new BFF compare mission trip stories and go on and on about all of the precious little ones they wanted to adopt. Sweetest thing ever.

1. Noticing moments of sanctification. I love it when something happens in my heart that I know could ONLY come from God.

The Good List

10. Halls Defense Drops. Yeah, I know they probably don't really do anything. But when people all around me sound like they're coughing up their pancreas, for some reason it makes me feel better to have some Vitamin C in my mouth. ;-)

9. I'm already a fan of the fact that KC, MO has more fountains than any other city in America (and it's second in the entire world only to Rome, Italy). To add a little more fun, several of them are currently tinted royal blue in honor of the Royals. I'm much more of a football than baseball girl, but this city makes it kind of impossible not to get on board. :-)

8. The smell of fresh lavender. This is the first year in at least 10 that I haven't had any growing at my house. Moving mid-summer meant I didn't have time to do any gardening of any kind this year. But I got to "pet" this plant several times last Saturday, and my hands smelled like it the rest of the day. So soothing and refreshing.

7. Kauffman Memorial Garden. Jared and I enjoyed a beautiful, peaceful stroll through here while we were in downtown KC, MO on Saturday.

6. Macy and Grace recently decided to start working out with me. SO MUCH MORE FUN than doing it all by myself.

5. And speaking of working out, I love having this as my destination when I go out for a walk/run.

4. Fall. It's my favorite color, my favorite smell, my favorite temperature, my favorite food, my favorite sport. I love pretty much everything about it.

3. Macy is bringing home a whole group of friends this afternoon to finish up a project, hang out and have dinner together. It is so good for my heart to see how quickly and easily my girls are making friends and settling in here.

2. The Jesus Record by Rich Mullins (and friends). I forget how much I love it when I haven't listened in awhile, but it never disappoints. And it makes me miss Rich Mullins so much.

1. Remembering the presence of Christ during some of the most difficult weeks of my life (in very different ways) around this time every year for the last 3 years. But not just his presence. His comfort. His peace. His healing. His provision. His miracles. His constant, overwhelming, unfailing love. And so much more. He has never ever let me down. Ever.

The Good List

10. Door to door trash pick-up. This probably seems weird, but when we lived in Vermont, we had to load up our trash and drive it about 20 miles over to the next town to get rid of it. (And this process was more expensive than our current practice of rolling our trash can to the end of our driveway once a week.) So. Yeah. This is a pretty big deal actually. ;-)

9. Saturday mornings when there's nothing on the calendar for that day. We get to choose our own adventure!

8. Macy and Grace finally got their house hoodies for school. They're so excited, because now they can wear these instead of their "normal" uniforms. 

7. The new friend I met at the lake yesterday.

6. Honey Crisp apples with almond butter. So yummy. Really every other apple should be ashamed of itself for not being as delicious as a Honey Crisp.

5. Vermont October in a box from one of my favorite friends. Thank you, Tammy! Love you so much!

4. Tickets to Australia for March 2016 BOOKED!!! Jared will be preaching in various venues throughout the southeast part of the country, and I get to tag along and take all of the pictures of every of all of the gorgeousness there.

3. Truth. Grateful that it will prevail. Sometimes not immediately, but always certainly.

2. This little super stud is visiting this week all the way from Vermont. (And he brought his parents too, so that's pretty cool.)

1. A Savior who comforts and sanctifies simultaneously.

The Good List

10. Cooking all day when it's raining outside. One of my favorite kinds of days.

9. The Voice is back! This is one of mine and Macy and Grace's favorite shows to watch together. I have more fun laughing at them than I do watching the television. Good times.

8. The deer that like to play in our back yard. We haven't lived here during cold weather yet, but I'm hoping they'll be even more active during the fall and winter. Is that a safe assumption?

7. The fact that I have had to expand my expandable dining room table several times already in the short time we've lived here. And I'm just getting warmed up. ;-)

6. The Martian!!!! I read the book in a day and a half so that I could finish it before we went to see the movie. Both were SO GOOD! I would say, though, that I do think the movie will be much more enjoyable if you read the book first. The movie is very well done, but it just couldn't include everything, and there are so many little nuances you learn about the lead character through the book that can't be picked up from the movie alone. But either way, excellent book. Excellent movie.

5. Sister journals. What's that, you say? Journals that my sister Jody started circulating a few weeks ago. There are 4 of us. We get a journal in the mail. We write (or draw) something, paste in a picture or two, recommend a book or movie, whatever. And then we send it on to the next sister, and they just keep circulating. So these are essentially joint diaries of all 4 Methvin girls. I LOVE THIS IDEA! (As for the blurred parts, I mean, come on.... This is between sisters. It's really none of your business. ;-) )

4. Long phone calls with my Mom that always seem to come at just the right time.

3. Super encouraging Parent/Teacher conferences yesterday at Macy and Grace's school. I was happy to hear of how well they're doing academically, but after such a huge transition this summer, I was most pleased to hear how well they're doing socially and behaviorally. Seems like we might survive this move even with a teen and a tween. Praise be to God! (And I don't say that lightly.)

2. I have a brand new baby niece, and she is pretty much perfect! Meet Dottie Lee, born to Jeremy and Danielle Wilson Saturday, October 3rd.

1. Romans 5 and all that it means for those who are suffering.

The Good List

10. Llamas. They're so weird and awesome. Here are a few that lived down the road from us when we were in Vermont. They are so much fun to watch.

9. Our downstairs carpet is installed and ready for visitors! It looks great, but it feels even better. So soft and squushy. :-) This was the last big piece we needed to get fully moved in and settled into our new house. I'm excited to finish unpacking and set up this space.

8. Strawberries. They are pretty much perfect.

7. Watching TWO American Ninja Warriors complete the entire course for the first time ever. The girls and I love watching that show. The athletes are so impressive and their back stories so inspiring, but my favorite thing about the show is that while it is obviously competitive, most of the contestants are each other's biggest fans and supporters. Very refreshing.

6. The Book Thief. Every bit as wonderful as the many recommendations I received. Somehow tragic and hopeful, heartbreaking and delightful at the same time. I will forever be haunted by the line, "It was a good day in Nazi Germany."

5. The Escape Room in downtown Kansas City. Y'all. This was SO MUCH FUN!!! They lock you in a room for an hour, and you have to use only the clues in the room to figure out how to escape. So creative and interesting! We were told this room has a 45% escape rate. We did it with less than a minute to spare. ;-)

4. Living within 45 minutes of my childhood BFF after only seeing each other in person twice in the last 20+ years. (That's her in the picture above.) So awesome. So thankful.

3. Finally got a hard copy of this. Due to release in October. So proud of Jared and how hard he continues to work to creatively communicate the Gospel.

2. Watching the lunar eclipse Sunday night. So fascinating. I'm kind of obsessed with the moon anyway. This was a whole new level of awesome.

1. Hebrews 1:3-5-- He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

This is exquisite.

The Good List

10. The directTV commercials featuring NFL players. They make me giggle. I think Really High Voice Peyton Manning and Arts and Crafts Tony Romo are my favorites.

9. Amazon's subscribe and save feature. I don't know how new this is, but I only pretty recently discovered it. So helpful for all those ingredients that are so much cheaper to buy in bulk occasionally. It's like Christmas every time I get a shipment! :-)

8. Our downstairs carpet is being installed TOMORROW! This will be the final big step in getting completely moved in and settled here. I'm so excited!

7. Starting off my fantasy football league 1-0. This never lasts long, so I celebrate while I can. :-)

6. Macy is our rookie this year in fantasy football. Not only did she get a win last week, she got the MOST POINTS in the entire league! Nicely done, Mace!

5. Prepping red beans and sausage for dinner and then enjoying a cup of Community coffee while the beans soak. It's all very Louisiana nostalgic.

4. A live action version of Jungle Book is in the works for 2016. Anyone else excited about this? Looks pretty amazing to me!

3. The elusive little hummingbird I finally caught in photos a few days ago. He's been hanging out with me for weeks, but he's so quick, I keep missing him by the time I grab my camera.

2. Grace made fun of me for this yesterday, but I don't care. I'm still using a bookmark she made for me about 6 years ago. Preciousness.

1. Psalm 103. Sort of makes you forget you have anything to whine about, no?

The Good List

10. Freshly painted toenails. Especially when they're blue, green, or silver.

9. The weirdly satisfying exercise of watching a huge pile of dirty laundry become a neatly stacked (or hung), freshly scented array of options for tomorrow morning.

8. Roasted garlic. Amen.

7. Our current weather forecast. I'm not mad about this at all.

6. Coconut oil. For cooking. For baking. For your skin. For your hair. For your pets. Just get a jar for every room in your house. It pretty much does everything you'll ever need in life.

5. The crazy amazing sunset we got to witness from Grace's bedroom window the other night. It was so vivid and colorful, it looked fake--like stained glass.

4. Spending Sunday morning with Kansas Mission Church, some of the kindest and most welcoming people I've ever met. (And they have beautiful stained glass.)

3. Ginormous willow trees. There is something so sweet and gentle and inviting about them. And a little bit whimsical. Kinda like the Granddad of trees.

2. A family outing to Grinter Farm in Lawrence, KS on Sunday. Acres and acres of massive sunflowers. Just gorgeous!

1. A Savior who loves, saves, lavishes, rescues, redeems, protects, adores. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. So thankful.

The Good List

10. Rainbow Eucalyptus trees. Seriously? I want to go to these.

9. Old maps. I don't even know why I love them so much, but I do. They feel like an adventure just waiting to happen.

8. Received a shipment of 2 disassembled nightstands from Amazon last week. Grace said, "Mom, can I try to put one of these together?" "Sure," I said, thinking she'd be yelling for my help 5 minutes later. Next thing I knew, this happened:

(And she ended up doing the second one too.) Nice!

7. Heavenly Oils and Vinegars, the store that I pretty much just wanna move into. Every flavor of EVOO you can imagine lining the walls. And just as many delicious varieties of balsamic vinegar in the middle. So much YUM!

6. A good, sharp chef's knife. Changes the entire experience of cooking in my opinion.

5. A packed house Sunday night. Food, friends, lots of laughs. At some point, all of the ladies found themselves sitting in a circle on the floor of my kitchen even though the big comfy couches in the next room were completely empty (the guys were outside.) I don't know why it worked that way, but it is still making me giggle. It is the absolute joy of my heart to use my home this way. (I mean, not specifically the sitting on the kitchen floor detail. Just the full house. :-D)

4. Grace has been invited to her first birthday party tomorrow afternoon for her new friend Gracie. (Yep. There is also another Grace and a Gracyn in her class this year. I feel bad for those teachers.) BUT I am so grateful that God is building friendships for my sweet girls. So, SO grateful.

3. A recent "quick sketch" by Macy. I love her talent so much!

2. Watching Twitter flow with responses to Jared's messages at the For the Church conference earlier this week. Gospel, Gospel, Gospel. It's all he talks about. (And I'm not complaining.) So proud of his stubbornness for the Gospel.

1. Initial plans are underway to get my ENTIRE CRAZY FAMILY here IN MY HOUSE for a whole week during the Christmas holidays. I could cry. (Who am I kidding? I already have, and I'm sure I will continue to.) SO THRILLED to have the space and opportunity to host my family this way. I CANNOT WAIT!!!

The Good List

10. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Super fun movie.

9. Fireflies. Pretty solid evidence that God wants us to never grow old in our hearts.

8. Not being able to remember the last time I was bored. It was a loooooong time ago.

7. When Grace asks me every morning before she dresses for school, "Mom, what's the high and low for today?" (She's a planner, that one.)

6. The super sweet tiny little notecards Michael's sells in their bargain bins. Perfect for lunch box notes. :-)

5. Cumulus clouds. You know--the kind that make the sky look like a massive adventure-filled cartoon. I very much want to frolic in them.

4. Using old pictures as bookmarks. Doubles the fun of reading.

3. Gigantor! We discovered this massive frog living in our koi pond last week, and I'm kind of obsessed with him. Pretty sure he's the biggest frog I've ever met in person.

2. This ridiculously handsome little stud muffin is coming to see me in just a few weeks!!! (And he's bringing his parents too, so that's pretty cool. :-D)

1. This is one of Grace's textbooks. I could cry. (Have I mentioned how grateful I am that we found this school?)

The Good List 8-19-15

10. Colorful kites

9. Bare feet in warm, lush, green grass

8. Tony Chachere's seasoning. I use this stuff almost every single day, and it makes pretty much everything scrumptious.

7. The sound of a box fan at night. Nostalgic. Takes me back to church camp in the miserably hot south.

6. Honey roasted peanuts. Sometimes they're just enough sweet to keep me out of the cookies and brownies. ;-)

5. The perfectly decadent combination of lemon and ginger.

4. Van Gogh's Starry Night interpreted with dominoes. This is brilliant.

3. The colors of nature:

2. This conversation-- Macy: Mom, can we paint something on our wall? I promise it'll be awesome. Me: Well.... as long as it's awesome. ;-)

Which led to this:

I'd say she delivered on her promise. ;-)

1. Grace. Exquisite, extravagant, lavish, eternal grace. 

The Good List 8-5-15

10. The sound of ice clinking into a glass and then cracking as liquid is poured over it. I know it's weird, but there is something oddly nostalgic and comforting about that sound that makes me happy.

9. Noticing beauty in the most random and unexpected places. Grateful when God opens my eyes.

8. The moon earlier this week. It was enormous and as red as I've ever seen.

7. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation--Maybe my favorite of the entire series. It was a fun ride for sure.

6. The absence of physical pain and illness. It's easy to whine when I'm not at my best health-wise. But I know so many people who deal with severe pain and illness on a daily basis. I am not one of those people, which I take for granted far too often. Today I am grateful.

5. Libraries. I love everything about them. The smell of the books, the sound of cracking spines and turning pages. The hushed tones in people's voices and the gentleness in their movements. The entire experience is so peaceful and calming.

4. Looney Tunes. They really just don't make cartoons like those anymore. Classic.

3. Snapping fresh green beans. Always makes me think of my sweet Memaw.

2. The words, "Thanks, Mom!" So simple, but it makes me smile really big every single time.

1. Realizing that I never have to ask God to be near me, because He always is. Learning to pray instead that I will recognize His presence more readily and cling to Him more quickly.

The Good List 7-29-15

10. Colorful sharpies. What is it about those things? They're like little vibrantly hued containers of fun-ness.

9. The sound of horses running. There's something about it that just feels good in my ears. Is that weird?

8. A clean, organized kitchen. Although ironically, it makes me wanna get in there and cook a bunch of stuff and make a big ol' mess.

7. When Macy and Grace play with my hair. I could sit there for hours.

6. Stephen Wiltshire. This is astonishing.

5. Simplicity. It's severely underrated.

4. A really good pen. Not too fat, not too skinny, with a really smooth ink flow. Sometimes it's the little things. ;-)

3. My favorite new make-your-cleaning-life-easier tip: If something spills over or explodes in your microwave or if for any reason it's just kinda nasty ;-) -- Cut a lemon in half. Put it pulp-side down in the middle of your microwave. Zap for 20 seconds. Then take it out and wipe everything down with a warm, wet cloth. It's like magic! And then use the same lemon on your cook top, tea kettle and faucets. Grime-free in seconds! Basically, you can pretty much clean at least half of your kitchen with a $.40 lemon and very little effort. You're welcome. ;-)

2. Laughing at myself. Life's way too short not to.

1. Making my kids laugh. Especially when it comes from way down deep in their bellies. Those are my rock star moments. I don't need much else.

The Good List 7-22-15

10. Ginger Ale or Sprite (or Sprite Zero for me) poured over frozen mixed berries instead of ice. Delightfully refreshing!

9. Nigella Lawson. Love her recipes, love her accent, love her sense of humor and the fact that she doesn't take herself too seriously. Pretty much wanna hang out with her for extended periods of time.

8. The feeling I get just before loading a new batch of pictures onto my computer. It's like Christmas morning. What will I find? (I know--I'm SUCH a nerd!)

7. Hand-written cards and letters.

6. The word "conundrum." It might be one of the best examples in the English language of a word that sounds exactly like its definition. Right?

5. Kale chips. So I don't really know who is making the rules about superfoods and who gets to be in that club, but it seems like kale is a pretty popular choice from most opinions, so let's roll with it. It really does have tons of vitamins, fiber, calcium, etc., etc. And if you roast it in the oven with just a little olive oil and salt and pepper-- Kale chips! Delicious and nutritious!

4. Albert Brooks. I forget how funny he is when I haven't seen him in awhile.

3. Serving dessert in stemware. It adds a little magic to even the simplest of yummy treats.

2. Watching an a-ha moment spread across Macy or Grace's face when they learn something new. So much fun!

1. Seeing hope in someone's eyes (or hearing it in their voice) for what you know is the first time in a very long time. Beautifully special.

The Good List 7-15-15

10. Cinnamon. Did you know a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon has just as many antioxidants as a 1/2 cup of blueberries? Sprinkle that magic dust on everything!

9. The word "splendid." It's quite splendid, don't you think? I challenge you to incorporate it into at least one conversation a week and see how people respond. :-D

8. Christopher Elbow chocolates. How gorgeous are these? Almost too pretty to eat. Almost. Ok, actually not even close. It didn't even occur to me to not eat these. Who am I kidding? (But they really are pretty.)

7. VRBO. Lots of good deals to be found using this service. You have to do a little research, but it has always been worth it in my experience.

6. Crock pots. Seriously brilliant invention. Especially on crazy hot days when you'd really rather not turn the oven on at all.

5. Strawberries. If I could afford to serve them with every single meal, I totally would.

4. Olive and red pepper tapenade. Also worthy to be served at every single meal. Tangy and delicious!

3. When it's so windy outside you can barely stay on your feet. It's a great excuse to have wild woman hair all day and not care.

2. The song Carried to the Table by Leeland. It's actually pretty old, but it still slays me every time I hear it.

1. The Jesus Storybook Bible. It might be the best kids book ever written, but I would even argue that it isn't just for kids. Read it and weep at Christ's love for you. You won't be able to help yourself.

The Good List 7-8-15

10. My salad spinner. I would very much like to hug whoever invented this thing. So much easier (and more effective) than washing and drying lettuce by hand.

9. Natural, local honey. Liquid gold.

8. Cinnamon vanilla nut coffee. Makes me feel all warm and cozy inside.

7. Shout wipes. Man, do they come in handy sometimes!

6. Gift cards. I mean, who doesn't love a little "free shopping"?

5. Getting to watch entire life cycles of God's little creatures. These are two of my favorites that happened right in our back yard. So beautiful and fascinating!

4. Tangled. I love that movie. Especially the lantern scene. I wanna re-enact that really bad.

3. Water balloons. Easily one of the most fun things in the history of ever, especially on a hot summer day.

2. Salmon spinach salad with strawberries and feta. Glory.

1. Psalm 119:133: "Keep steady [their] steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over [them]. "  The constant cry of my heart for my daughters.

The Good List 7-1-15

10. The storm that screamed and sang and whistled outside my window all night long. I love that sound.

9. Freshly organized closets. The OCD in me has a party every time I open the door.

8. Red beans with sausage after I've cooked it allllllll day. Yum!

7. The Phantom Tollbooth. Such a smart book. The movie is cute too.

6. Megamind. A sweet and funny movie, and now I want a pet alien with a massive blue head and gargantuan green eyes.

5. My extremely well-seasoned (pretty much black) baking stone. That dude has seen some recipes, let me tell ya!

4. Flash mobs. I wanna be in one really bad.

3. The African Queen. Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn are brilliant.

2. The way my house smells when I start the day like this. (I promise you wish you could smell this.)

1. Watching someone create art. I could watch someone paint, draw, sculpt or really create just about anything for hours. It's fascinating to me.

The Good List 6-24-15

10. Fantastic Mr. Fox. What an odd, interesting, sweet and hilariously random movie.

9. Parcheesi. I found an old school version in a thrift shop recently that looked like it had barely been used. For $1. Yes, that's correct. One dollar. Felt like my childhood climbed right out of the box when I opened it.

8. Watching kids in rain boots dance through every puddle they can find.

7. Miniature horses. I mean, seriously...

6. Caramelized onions. They're pretty much magical.

5. Keith Green. I need to read No Compromise again.

4. When my Mom calls me on release date of the newest kids/family movie and says, "Do the girls have this yet?" The answer is always no because she is usually the first one at a retail establishment on these dates. ;-) And then she always happily responds with, "Good! I'm sending it today." So sweet.

3. Old vinyl.

2. Watching Macy and Grace giggle and "awwww" as they read and re-read scrapbooks about their early lives. The exact reason I spend so much time on those things. My love letters to them.

1. The apostle Paul. Really wish I could hang out with him. One of these days....

The Good List 6-17-15

10. Getting in the "A" boarding group on Southwest Airlines.

9. A good, sharp chef's knife. It makes cooking so much more fun.

8. Thrift stores. I hardly ever buy much of anything, but it's fun to see pieces of my childhood scattered throughout these places. So many memories that I'm not sure would come to mind any other way.

7. Enormous peonies. One of my favorite flowers.

6. Having friends I know will always be in my life regardless of our geographical challenges. So grateful for them!

5. Grace's "Good Morning" message on my mirror. :-)

4. Edgar Allen Poe. So creepy and awesome.

3. Bacon. I know, right?!?

2. A freezer full of homemade goodness.

1. Having Macy (almost entirely on her own with no adult help) turn a job shadow assignment into a free ticket for her (and significant upgrade for her family) to the recent Brian Regan show. So much fun!