Spinach Berry Smoothie

Last Monday we sat in the hospital while Crosbi got her first cast put on. Would you believe me if I said we spent Friday in the hospital too? For me, not my girl. Thankfully. When it rains it pours and we're ready for sunny skies. With all of the challenges we've faced this month, it has been such a season of spiritual growth. As we've faced our struggles, I've heard a soft whisper reminding me that Crosbi is watching. She is seeing first hand what it means to surrender and let God take control. Never would I ask for hard times, but struggles can be beautiful teaching moments if we let them.

Since I don't have more hospital photos to share (I didn't look nearly as cute as Crosbi did), I thought I would share a few from a couple weeks ago. Crosbi got to attend her first VBS. We woke up early, made a healthy breakfast and enjoyed our morning together before going to church. I made my own version of a spinach-berry smoothie. I didn't have a recipe for the things I had on hand, so I just made it up as I went along.

I added the following ingredients: spinach, frozen berries, milk, plain greek yogurt, honey.

If I had to do it over again, I would have used vanilla yogurt or vanilla almond milk to make it just a bit sweeter. You could also add some flax or chia seeds too.

Blend and enjoy!

view post

Broken

If you happen to follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you know it has been a tough week in our house. This past Saturday while climbing and jumping on the couch, Crosbi took a dive over the back and landed on her left arm. She's teething and had been a little grumpy to begin with, so we weren't too concerned about her injury. We put her to bed and decided to keep an eye on it the next day.

The next morning Crosbi woke up in a fairly good mood, but wasn't putting any weight on her arm and was barely using her hand. From her mood alone we agreed it probably wasn't a major issue, and continued to watch her. By Monday she was using her arm even less, going out of her way to use her right hand for everything. Todd and I both knew it wasn't just a sprain or a bruise. I took Crosbi to urgent care on Monday afternoon where it was confirmed that she had broken her wrist in two places. I felt so awful for not taking her in sooner.

My girl is such a trooper. So much braver than me. I would have cried and complained the whole time, but she only got upset during her X-rays and just sat back and watched as her little hot pink cast was put on. I officially took my name off the Mom of the Year ballot. Having a toddler is tough! I love that she's fearless. I don't want her to be a constant worrier like me, but c'mon kid! I've never even had a sprain, so the experience was all new to me. 

I've posted many times that having Crosbi has made me brave, but a toddler with a cast wouldn't have been my first choice in toughening up. I have a feeling I'm in for a wild ride with my girl. I just hope it doesn't include too many trips to the ER. Sheesh!

view post

Quack Quack

I so badly wanted to title this post "Ducks" since my post before was titled "Chickens," but I just couldn't get myself to do it. Two posts in a row about poultry? I might lose some readers.

But this post actually is about ducks. Or more specifically, about a few famous people who have made killing ducks their claim to fame.

I had the privilege of helping some friends out at the first annual K-Love Fan Awards. I had a great time, caught up with old friends and artists that are close to my heart, and worked my tail off. Plus I met the Robertsons of Duck Dynasty. I would call that a gold star weekend.

I'm very thankful that although my new and most important calling is to be mom, God still gives me tastes of my old life and the career I was so passionate about. I don't take that for granted.

Now to go grab my Duck Commander duck call from my toddler's mouth. She loves that thing!

xoxo

view post

Chickens

Chickens are all the rage these days. Nearly everyone I know is building a chicken coop. From my friends to bloggers I follow, chickens are a hot topic. I totally get it. They're adorable as chicks and then they grow and lay the most wonderful eggs. My dad sends me home with fresh eggs from the farm nearly every time we're in town.

I wish I could adopt the idea of owning chickens, but right now it just isn't feasible. I'm not even sure our HOA would allow it. Darn HOA. Although, I know the neighbor kids would love it. Our next door neighbor just brought home a bunny and we're all a little obsessed.

Since we're not bringing home our own chickens, we're doing the next best thing. We're going to them. We joined a local CSA that we absolutely love and while I gather veggies, Crosbi chases the chickens.

It was all fun and games until the chickens started chasing us! I'm assuming they thought we had food, but I'd be lying if I said we didn't high tail it out of there! Still, a fun chicken-filled afternoon for both me and my girl.


xoxo

view post

Weekend Getaway: Huntsville, Alabama (part 2)

It's Memorial Day Weekend. Most people are hitting the lake, maybe even the beach. Some are lounging by a friend's pool or camping. Under normal circumstances we would have been doing some version of those things. Our intentions were to be lakeside with friends, but it has been crazytown at the Stepp house, so this weekend we were not like most people.

We spent 24+ wonderful hours in a shopping center. Just feet from H&M. Who does that? We do! And it's not the first time. Nearly four years ago I wrote a similar post. Funny enough, it's my most visited/searched for post. Anywho, with so much happening lately (traveling, family in town, work stress, etc.) I wanted to sneak away from home where I wouldn't be tempted to do housework or check e-mail. I didn't want to think about cooking, instead I wanted to have my choice of outdoor dining. So that's what we did. We packed our bags and headed to Huntsville. We parked at the hotel and didn't get back in our car until we were ready to go home. We did a little shopping, a little eating and a lot of relaxing. We may have only been a little over an hour away, but we crossed state lines, so our getaway felt legit.

When I was growing up, my mom was always surprising me and my sisters with little getaways to hotels where we would spend a night or two and play in swimming pools we had almost entirely to ourselves. I loved the spontaneity of those getaways and hope to have similar adventures with my family. There's just something that says "vacation" when you're not sleeping in your own bed.

Whatever you're doing this holiday weekend, hope you're spending it with the people you love.

xoxo

view post