Smile and the world smiles with you.

This week, no, this month, no, this year so far, has really thrown us for a loop over here. Change is a-comin' to our little household, and there's a bunch of great big scary unknowns out there. There are so many, many factors that are causing stress in our little family, it's almost funny, but not really the laugh-out-loud-ha-ha-type.

If you laughed I might have to punch you in the face.

Just kidding.

Probably.

Anyway, I'm sure thankful to have my man and my boy to jump into these new unknown adventures with, but it doesn't change the fact that I've been stretched pretty thin lately. If I were to rate my current stress level on a scale of 1 to 10, I'd have to put it somewhere around a 39. It's none too pretty, folks, but at least I've got Jesus. I mean, really. He and I have spent a lot more quality time together lately, I'll tell you that. The last time I remember being this stressed out was five years ago when everyone died (okay, not everyone, but it was bad, I kid you not). If you're unfamiliar with my 2005, just read the first paragraph of the blog post and you'll get the jist. 2005 was a lemon, trust me.

But, despite the stress that our little household has been under, I still know how to count my blessings. I've always been a "glass half full" type of gal no matter what. Drown me in sorrows, and I'll probably still have a smile plastered to my face somehow.

Thus, presenting the top 10 things making me smile this week...

1. Mr. Bubble bubble bath -- It's all about the little things, folks, and I'm pretty happy that there isn't a big jug of Elmo bubble bath or Thomas the Train bubble bath or what have you staring me in the face when I walk in our bathroom. No, my boy is happy as a clam with good ol' Mr. Bubble, and that classic pink bottle always makes me smile.

2. the PBC & B sundae -- from our old stand-by Freddy's. It's a simple equation, really. Vanilla custard + peanut butter cups + bananas = heaven. One bite and you'll forget all your worries. Or you can at least camouflage them under your fat. Haha.

3. My old pal Emily (and I can call her that since we're the same age and have been friends since the 6th grade) is waiting to find out if she's going to be a mama to a girl or a boy. She and her husband are in the process of adopting a baby from Ethiopia, and they are currently sitting at the top of both the girl list AND the boy list, so it's truly going to be a surprise when they find out! Can't wait, Emily! Just think, you're ALREADY a mama. You just haven't found out who your awesome kid is, but he or she is probably already in this world somewhere!

4. This awesome new cookbook I borrowed from my library. Dang, girl. Not only can that Trisha Yearwood belt out some tunes, but the girl knows how to cook. Good ol' fashioned country delicious butter-up-your-thighs cookin'. I can't wait to try some of these out.

5. Right now is the cleanest, most uncluttered my house has ever, ever, EVER been. Oh man, am I ever enjoying it.

6. Good books to get lost in. I just finished this one a couple of weeks ago (so, so very good), and right now I'm reading this one. (Side note: as far as the happiness searching goes, I'm quite grateful for the fact that I know where to find the ultimate happiness -- in Jesus, and don't you forget it -- but this book, so far, seems to be a great read in discovering new ways to give yourself a kick in the pants and get your life more together. I could always use some of that.)

7. Pistachios. Yum. Oh, and avocados. Double yum. But not together.

8. My kid. He really is the best thing ever. Tonight, with tears rolling down his cheeks, worried about how we were going to get a splinter out of his little hand, he closed his eyes (no prompting on my part whatsoever) and prayed out loud that Jesus would help fix his hand and get that splinter out. (I guess he trusts Jesus more than his mama with the evil tweezers in her hand! Ha.)

He is seriously the BEST.

9. Did I mention that my house is CLEAN? And UNCLUTTERED? Even in the drawers and closets and everything? Ahhhh. It's so awesome and simple and relaxing right now that it deserved two spots on my top ten list.

Drumroll, please...

and without further ado, guess what I found tonight, while sitting in the field at my son's soccer practice?

10. My FIRST EVER genuine bonafide FOUR LEAF CLOVER!!!!

There was practically no searching, folks. I just looked down next to my toes, and there it was. I'm now a believer.

What about you? Anything making you smile lately?