Copy-Cat Post: Things that Make Me Smile

Before I start, let me say that this type of post was not my idea. Lots of other bloggers have been doing "Things I'm Loving," or "Curious Ramblings," etc. But I've loved this idea since Mary Frances' first post, and nothing too post-worthy has happened of late, so please forgive my lack of originality as I "flatter" these creative bloggers by "copying" them. (Mom always says, "Copying is the best form of flattery." So bloggers, please be flattered, not mad!)

Things that make me smile:

1.) Our 4-H skit! I just went to my first practice yesterday, and the character I get to play is a hoot! The setting is a blind date, which just happens to be during an important football game. Melanie, (that's me) is devoted Bears fan... probably a bit too devoted. She almost has a split personality of sorts. At first meeting, she is very sweet and enjoyable, but very distracted by the Bears game. (She wants to check the score after she and Jake have barely met, puts on an ear-piece thingie to listen to the game, etc.) Then, as the Bears start losing, she stands up in restaurant and screams plays they should be doing. Realizing she is being a distraction, she sits back down apologetically, only to tear the menu and burst into tears when her team loses.  It is rather amusing... I just hope I can do her justice!

2.) Meat and Eggs! For years I have tried to choke down a few bites at a time at most. Mom always would lecture me about how I needed protein to grow, and I'd sit there chowing away at my fourth piece of toast. And now that I'm done growing and have stopped at 5'2, guess what? I like chicken. And eggs. And turkey. And... protein! Of course, it's a little bit late, but, hey, these foods stick with me a lot longer than bread and fruit, which I pretty much lived off of. And you never know, may be I'll have a giant growth spurt during college... hey, stop laughing! It could happen!

3.) Shoveling Snow! It's my new hobby! There is something so satisfying about seeing immediate, visible progress from doing a task! I like it when everyone can SEE I've accomplished something. Yes, I still have a lot to work on in the people pleasing arena, I know.
The only annoyance is when the wind undoes all my work. That took me a while to get over.

4.) New Stories to Tell! Natalie was playing airsoft for the first time ever with my dad and brother. I'm surprised they convinced her to, but they did! We only have three guns, so it was Blaize and Natalie against my dad. My dad was hiding behind our deck, and he heard the crunch of snow behind him. Immediately, my dad whirled and shot in the direction of the footsteps. Unfortunately, Natalie was pretty close to him, and though she was wearing eye and ear protection, she didn't have anything covering her mouth. He nailed her front teeth, which immediately chipped. Family reactions differed: Papa felt horrible. Mom immediately asked if she needed ibuprofen. Blaize seemed a bit worried but excited,  and I... I have a confession to make. I was immediately jealous that she had such a great war wound AND story to tell. I mean, I do way more reckless things than she does, and she always gets the war-wounds. The thing that gets me most is... they want to FIX her teeth?!?! In essence, they want to remove the evidence of that fabulous story, and erase that beautiful war wound. I will never understand this course of action.

5.) A Volleyball Practice Today! Will I be out of practice? Yes! Will I be sore tomorrow? Probably! Will I enjoy every minute of it? Is that a question?? It's volleyball!