Crosbi Says...

I haven't been the best about writing down all of the funny things Crosbi says. She makes me laugh daily, so I would need to follow her around with paper and pen. But, I did jot down a few of her funny phrases. This girl. She's so fun.

"Hey mommy, I need to speak to your ear." (Tell me a secret.)

Me: "What are you doing?"
Crosbi: "I'm painting a mustache so kids can laugh."

With a stuffy nose Crosbi said, "My nose isn't working."

Me: "Crosbi, on Christmas we celebrate Jesus' birthday."
Crosbi: "I just had a birthday. I turned 3! What's his number?"

Crosbi to another little girl at the park:
"What color are your eyes? Oh, brown? My mommy has brown eyes."

I love that she's paying attention to the small things.

 

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Thankful :: November 2014

November inspires all of us to stop and reflect on the many things we have to be thankful for, but this month has given us so many reasons to give thanks. Some big dreams are starting to take shape and prayers have been answered in big ways. Even if those dreams fall through, we feel so encouraged and excited about what the future holds. But I'll get into more about that after the holidays.

What a full month November was. The past few weeks we have felt thankful for...

Little friends who all have November birthdays.

Slow mornings and homemade oatmeal on chilly days.

The great privilege to live (and vote) in a country we love.

Birthday invitations that have become my favorite annual keepsake.

A husband who brings me flowers for no reason.

The last warm days of fall with this girl.

Zoo dates and train rides.

A thoughtful gift from dear friends.

 A future baker.

Another year with her. We celebrated Crosbi's third birthday in Missouri and felt so loved by family who think the world of our little lady.

A girl who knows what she wants. This year, she requested a Paw Patrol party and we were happy to oblige.

Our favorite gift of all.

Thanksgiving at home. It has been many years since we've been in our own home for a major holiday and it was wonderful. Such a sweet time spent with close friends. I can still taste the sweet potato casserole. Yum.

The first year Crosbi could put the star on the tree.

Close friends who mean the world to us and the adventure God has them on.

These people. My heart.

Hope you all had a wonderful November and a very happy Thanksgiving!

xoxo

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Thankful :: October 2014

Lots to be thankful for in October. I turned 32 and while life doesn't exactly look the way I thought would in my early thirties, I'm feeling right where I'm meant to be.

This month brought another round of family pictures. Crosbi refused to cooperate until she was bribed minutes before we wrapped up. But isn't she cute?

Free birthday cookies to be shared with my girl.

For first concerts and catching up with old friends.

For my favorite chili cook-off with some of my favorite people.

For lazy days being silly with this one.

For so many reasons to dress up as Elsa.

For first face paintings.

For fall events at Crosbi's preschool. This month has been such a sweet reminder of how blessed I am to have a flexible work schedule that allows me to be present. Wouldn't trade it for anything.

For trick-or-treating for the first time. She had so. much. fun. She just kept asking if we could do it again. 

October has always been one of my favorite months. Little did I know having a daughter would make it even better.

xoxo

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Thankful :: September 2014

It's October. How is it October? Summer ended and the days decided to go into overdrive. Now I'm having a hard time even remembering September! I'll do my best.

It's funny, I upgraded my phone last month for a better camera, but I took fewer pictures. I've been trying to be better about being in the moment and not pulling out my phone every five seconds. Apparently I've been doing too good of a job! 

In September we celebrated Todd's 31st birthday with close friends. Our group has become so large with the addition of kids that we basically took over a local park. The boys played bocce ball and the girls talked over coffee and hot chocolate. There was just enough chill in the air to make it feel like fall. 

BSF started back up and Todd and I are both working through the life of Moses. It has been really challenging already, but so encouraging. It's amazing to see how God works in the details. How he uses the unqualified and never gives up on us. Each week I anxiously anticipate what I will learn and what God will reveal to us.

My girlfriends and I kicked off a monthly girl's night. There's really nothing better than sitting around the table with ladies that know just about everything about you. Quality time with by best friends is one of my most treasured gifts. 

Luckily I didn't go the entire month without pictures! 

I'm thankful for the next generation. Hanging out with friends looks a lot different these days, but I love seeing smaller versions of all of us doing life together.

For family. Todd's parents visited this month and we had a great time exploring new places, eating good food, and just enjoying each other's company.

For amazing weather. Fall is definitely my favorite season. It has been wonderful to spend most of our days outside. 

For small town festivals. Our town has an annual Dog & Pony Show. For real. But it's actually super cute. Crosbi wasn't sure what to think about this guy!

For little girls. It is all Elsa all the time around here. Crosbi already picked out her Halloween costume and she wears it daily. 

For the cutest little firefighter you ever did see.

You were good to us, September!

xoxo

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Labor Day Weekend :: North Carolina Style

Todd and I took the long holiday to visit my mom, her husband, and my sister in North Carolina. Since we had to cancel our big beach trip this year because of home repairs, we decided to extend our usual trip to North Carolina and spend a couple of days at Carolina Beach. It may not have been a week on the water, but it was just enough. We felt rested and relaxed and Crosbi had so much fun playing in the ocean.

When we left the beach, our water fun wasn't quite over. We went out on my mom's boat and when it got too hot, we all jumped in the lake. Crosbi played and swam so hard that she fell asleep in my arms before we made it back to the dock.

This past weekend was such a great way to wrap up summer. I feel ready to pack up all our summer clothes and toys, pull out sweaters and scarves and welcome in fall. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to see my family, and the fact that they live in such a fun place to visit is icing on the cake.

Farewell, summer. See you next year!

xoxo

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