Joyful

Do you ever get that feeling of joy that is so strong it actually makes you feel warm inside?  It happens to me often, and sometimes for no apparent reason.  After a long day, when my little baby, Tess, crawls into my lap and I rock her to sleep, I am joyful.  When my little girl, Tatum, says something out of the blue that is so sensitive, profound and smart, I am joyful.  When I catch my husband snuggled on the princess couch, covered in a pink blanket, with a daughter in each arm, reading a LaLaLoopsy book, I am joyful. 

Today I had an overwhelming moment of joy on our way home from an uneventful trip to Lowe's.  Tess is in the monkey see, monkey do stage of life.  She tries to copy her big sister constantly.  So, my two girls were in the back seat playing a very loud game of "Who Can Make the Most Annoying Sound Ever".  I look over at my husband, who is driving, expecting to see him gritting his teeth with steam coming out of his ears, but no, he is calmly driving us all home.  Acting as if he doesn't even notice the two monkeys who have replaced his beautiful children in the back.  I suddenly got this intense need to scoop them all up and hug and kiss them, and thank them for bringing me so much joy.