Things that make me smile right now

• Getting some early Christmas toy shopping & gift wrapping done for my nephews...love that we get to celebrate Christmas so early with them (since they go to Japan for the holidays).  It's like we get to celebrate twice!
• And along those lines, still being able to buy a few small Christmas presents for Ryan right under his nose!  Even with him sitting right next to them in the cart, completely innocent and clueless...  I tell him they're for other kids birthdays...and he buys it!  :-)  
• My new running mama friend...love getting to chat about running and all the gory stuff that non-runners probably find just odd (pre-run, during and post-run bowel movements, the prolonged life cycle of a dying toenail, sodium intake, etc.)
• My brothers...one helped my son get dressed this morning & read to him since I was running late (Jon), one helped Rich with the yard work at our house this afternoon (Joel), and one made me laugh this evening, even from 2,500 miles away (Joey).  What would I do without them?  (I mean aside from inheriting everything...which is admittedly hard to top...).
• Lasers...they restored my eyesight almost 3 years ago, and have now zapped away the worst of the evidence of my 37 years of sun worshiping.  (It took seven painful treatments, but ta-da!  I am officially slightly less Dalmatian looking!)
• Our faithful, long suffering Realtor, Sue...she scored a huge one for Team R & J a few days ago.  Needless to say, I now have one very healthy, pink kidney up for auction!  I'd previously been saving it for my brother Joey (the one with a fondness for the drink), but it's now up for grabs to the highest bidder, or a bidder who can paint and/or lay new carpet and tile.  
• The huge ripening bunch of apple bananas in our front yard (that I've been liberally sharing with the birds).  
• That running ten miles mid-week is no longer as exhausting as it used to be.  Yes, after 8-9 weeks...I've finally crossed that threshold!  Please note that I am not any faster or lighter...just less tired once I'm done!