39 and Counting....

39 Thoughts on my Last Day of the Decade


1.  Always grant the "Just one more hug??" request.  Even the 11th time.
2.  When someone cuts you off in traffic...smile big and wave bigger.
3.  Take your contacts out every night.  Seriously.  Every night.
4.  One cupcake is always worth it.
5.  Two cupcakes are not.
6.  Separating your whites and darks is really a waste of time.  The clothes will wear out before they fade too much anyway.
7.  Turn your phone to silent and shut your laptop when you come home in the evening.  As long as your spouse and kids are at home....there's nothing that can't wait until after they go to bed.
8.  Wearing lip gloss when it's windy will never be good idea.
9.  Go ahead and make that call you have been putting off making.  You won't regret it.  I promise.
10.  Dance to crazy loud music in your car.  Your younger kids will love it... and you will love your spouse and teenagers cringing with abject shame.
11.  Smell the roses.  Literally.  It makes you slow down, breathe deeply, and relax a bit.
12.  Always Always Always smell the milk before you pour it over cereal.  Always.
13.  Take pictures of "normal moments".  Someday you will look back and realize that those were the most precious memories of all.
14.  When in doubt, send a thank-you note.
15.  After a shower get as ready as you can before attending to your hair.  Then it won't be as wet and will take less time to dry.
16.  If you forget someone's name,  just go ahead and apologize and ask them again.
17.  If you forget someone's name a second time....fake it.
18.  Make time for coffee with a friend.  MAKE it happen.  It's an investment that is totally worth it.
19.  Ink cartridges and staplers never run out at convenient times.  Just go ahead and replace them as soon as you know they're low.
20.  Cold soggy french fries are simply not worth the calories.  Put. Them. Down.
21.  Genuinely apologizing to your kids can leave a bigger impression then your bad behavior did in the first place.
22.  The cookie dough is simply better than the baked cookie.  Admit it.  Deal with it.  And eat it.
23.  Even when you don't feel like it at all....go ahead and exercise.  You will be happier.
24.  However...if you have to choose between being there for a friend and working out...choose the friend.  You will be happier.
25.  Actual tangible mail that arrives in a physical mailbox really makes people happy.  Send a real card.
26.  If you don't take time with God first thing in the morning...the rest of your day will go crazy and it will be very difficult to find time later.
27.  When you take kids out for ice cream--go ahead and get some for yourself.  You don't have to eat it all...but you need to participate in the activity.
28.  Doritos and fluffer-nutter sandwiches are still as good as you remember them being when you were young.  Bubblicious gum is not.
29.  When someone asks you for advice....take a moment before answering.  Chances are-that first response that popped into your head should stay in your head.
30.  Teaching your kids to clean a toilet is one of the greatest gifts you can give their future spouses.
31.  Gift bags are convenient...but there is something truly special about wrapping paper.
32.  Generic brand lemon juice is fine.  Generic brand toilet paper and cream cheese aren't.
33.  Sometimes things that interrupt a finely tuned schedule are actually beautiful opportunities from God.  Don't miss them.
34.  Always have your coffee maker ready to turn on.
35.  The music you have playing in your car WILL enter your kids' (and your own) minds and hearts. This can be a curse and a blessing.  Play wisely.
36.  If you're feeling sad...find someone who needs help and help them.  You'll both feel better.
37.  Pre-made chocolate milk out of a bottle tastes better than white milk mixed with chocolate syrup.
38.  You really truly might be the only "Bible" others ever read.  Think about what you're representing.
39.  Sometimes individual days stretch out for weeks....but time, overall, moves very very very quickly.