the Lovely Life: Sparklers + Smiles

Happy New Year!! I have a great many reasons to smile and be happy lately, but first, I hope you've been keeping warm. Here in Florida we started off the new year with several days where it got down to 20F. For my international friends, that's 12 degrees below freezing. I'm a true Florida girl, so anything below 65F is snow-storm-in-Antarctica cold. My beloved just grits his teeth when I put my cold hands under his shirt to warm them up; which is quite often lately - he's just so warm! Cold days and warm hands make me smile. Sorry, honey...

image via Lavender Joy Weddings

We started off the new year with friends, food, and sparklers - all of which make me smile. Then it was "back-to-school" for me, and back to work for Josh. By the way, this is my first week of working 5 days a week; it's exciting, and a little intimidating, but I know the Lord will get me through. He always does.

Speaking of the Lord getting us through, He has used someone, we'll call her "O", and has given us a wonderful gift this week. I won't share the details, but the Lord is amazingly good to us; even when we think we're blessed and doing alright, He comes back and blesses us above and beyond measure. I'm staggered at how blessed we are. Another reason to smile.

image via Pinterest

Yesterday we put away all of the Christmas decorations, which makes the house seem a little bit empty, colorless, and bland to me. Maybe I'll get crafty and make something pretty to hang on the wall, or rearrange furniture. And redecorating my house is - yep, you guessed it - another reason to smile.