*watching Madelyn's little feet dance on Jim's feet

*the way Madelyn puts our hands together when we say a prayer

*Gracie and Madelyn rocking together in the rocking chair

*swinging with Madelyn at the park

*admiring just how big Gracie is getting as she played at the park

*the way Gracie willingly helped me clean up the house

As I was telling Gracie at 6:49 this morning that exactly 29 years ago I was born, she patted my stomach and said, "Your tummy is big."

Thank you, Gracie.

*the loving way Madelyn pats her baby's back

*the girls combing my hair and trying to put it in a ponytail

*Madelyn's chubby cheeks and little pigtails

*reading on the blanket yesterday morning

*the presents waiting for me on the hope chest and my family who got them

*the cards that came in the mail and the people who sent them

*the Facebook wishes

*enjoying the first relaxing Saturday morning we've had in a long time and not getting dressed until lunchtime

*Gracie and me each reading a magazine on the couch

*seeing Madelyn laying on a blanket holding her baby, and Gracie curling up next to her (even if it only lasted for a minute)

*seeing Gracie's excitement over catching a caterpillar for her bug cage and showing her pictures of caterpillars on the computer

*hearing the grown-up way Gracie talks sometimes

*the way Madelyn takes Gracie hand and asks her to walk with her

*seeing the joy in the girls' faces when I brought home little bracelets for each of them from a fundraising event that I went to

*giving the girls their Valentine's Day gift--bubbles!

*taking pictures of the girls blowing their bubbles

*watching Madelyn pat Gracie to comfort her when she cried this morning

*Gracie pushing Madelyn around in a box

*blowing GIANT bubbles with the girls

*hearing Lily's foot flapping around on the floor and then realizing she had a post-it note stuck to it

Embarrassing Moment of the Day

*On a walk, Gracie saying very loudly, "That's a fat lady." as we walked by the lady. I really hope she didn't hear her.

*watching Gracie slide through Jim's legs as she danced with him

*taking pictures of the girls at the lake

*Madelyn's excitement over a picture of Jim I put up on my nightstand

*hearing Madelyn say "pretty" when Jim turned on his light-up Mustang clock

*looking out the window with the girls at lunch and Madelyn spotting a big hawk soaring in the sky

*Gracie's helpfulness washing the floor and sorting the laundry

*the girls having a tea party for their stuffed animals

*watching Gracie bravely handing out invitations to come to our church to two kids

Me: "Jim, are you going to take Gracie's birthday off?"

Gracie, in a very whiny and concerned voice: "No, don't do that because then I won't get my birthday cake."

Me, a little confused: "We're not taking your birthday off the calendar. Daddy's just going to take the day off from work so he can be with us on your birthday."

Gracie: "Oh. Then, I would like that."

*listening to Madelyn sing to herself all the time. It's just so sweet to hear her little voice as she sings.

*going to Bible study. Gracie is so blessed with a great teacher who does a Bible story with her and her friends while the moms do their Bible study.

*making silly faces with Gracie

*watching the sweet way that Gracie helped Madelyn slide down the little tree slide

*listening to the girls talk on the phone to Grammy. Madelyn had an actual conversation with her!

*the cute way Gracie wants to learn all the names of her friends' family members. She will say their names over and over until she has committed them to memory.

*holding Madelyn yesterday morning in her warm dark room

*Madelyn putting a bean bag on Lily's head and laughing

*Gracie: "I love God. He's amazing." Then, sniffing me, "You're smelly."

*Madelyn saying yellow

*watching Madelyn march around to the beat of the music