10 Things to Smile About in December

Of course December was a month full of things to smile about.  The days leading up to Christmas were full of fun and cheer.  Unfortunately our 2010 ended on a sad note, as both Joe and I each lost a grandparent the last week of the month.  However, both deaths were somewhat expected and both grandparents were in their 90's so they had lived very full lives.  Looking back on December 2010, here are my 10 Things to Smile About:

Lauren's love for babies.  She is so in love with her two baby cousins it just melts my heart.

Daniel and Lauren playing together more and more everyday.

Seeing a "real" movie for the first time with my two kids (no one crying or fussing the whole time!)

Watching Daniel perform in his preschool Christmas program

A family picture!!!

A date night with Joe.  Wore my favorite dress and headed out to dinner in Newport Beach.  So nice to spend time with my hubby and feel like a couple instead of just parents.

Crazy cousin time.

Spontaneous dance parties with Daniel and Lauren.  Daniel's dance moves are a combination of break-dancing and karate, while Lauren seems to be a hippie chick at heart and looks like she is doing an interpretive dance.

The joy of Christmas through the eyes of children.  Everything is a little sillier, funnier and more joyful with a 2 and 4 year old around!

And lastly, although he is gone Grandpa is not forgotten.  I have so many memories of my grandpa and his spirit will live on in all of us.  His smile was contagious, his chess skills unbeatable, his tennis game unbelievable, his compliments plentiful, and his stories movie-worthy.

So as the year ends and a new one begins, remember there are always reasons to smile.  See what others smiled about in December at Emmy's Mom.