Moments that Brought me Smiles: January 2013

 “…The life that counts blessings discovers its yielding much more than it seems.”

(Ann Voskamp)

The 10,000 Smiles project has allowed me to take pictures I wouldn’t have normally had the chance to take pictures of because of the necessity of carrying my DSLR everywhere with me.

Below are moments that brought me smiles in the month of January.

One evening Denny and I were in the mall and out of the corner of my eye I see this little toddler that appears at first to be a mannequin, but with attention is a live girl standing like a model on the corner of the store. Her pose, her stillness and trance of looking out to the unknown brought a smile to my face. The camera took her out of her trance.

While Denny and I were on our way to our favorite hot spot in Qingdao, The Canvas, we ran into this woman and her puppy. The way she posed with the dog made me think of the puppy as a doll or accessory. The whole scene made me laugh. The picture below holds the essence of love. Gentlemen if you want to shower your wife with love, take some tips from my husband Denny. I had a really stressful day in China and when I came home from work Denny loved on me his bride.

5 TIPS On How to Care for Your Wife

1) Get a tub of hot water and scrub and lay it at her feet.

2) Prepare a platter of foods that she likes. Mine was cherry tomatoes, strawberries, chocolate, and cheese with wine.

3) Massage your love one with lavender essential oils.

4) Light a candle and have deep conversation.

5) Watch a movie you would both enjoy.

(God blessed me with an incredible caring husband.)

Join a CrossFit gym. Working out to these intense cardio and weight drills really makes a person feel good. My body is internally smiling. (Note to women: it’s healthy to lift weights, read this to learn why.)

Another person from our crossfit community sometimes sweats perfect hearts on his chest. The little things make me smile. Please leave in the comment box below a little thing similar to this heart that made you smile this month.

In the courtyard of our apartment complex and on my way to snapping people’s smiles I was entranced with this woman in quiet meditation. It was refreshing and a good reminder for me on how healthy meditating is for the soul.

 

 

Life is full of smiles, we just have to have eyes to see them. I would love to hear from you, my audience, what made you smile this month. It might also make another person smile. Smiles are contagious and I am a fan of spreading them.