The rest of summer

When we got back from our vacation, the rest of summer just FLEW by. On the Monday we got back, Patrick started his new job. He is back into building and is so happy. This is an opportunity we have been praying for for so long, and God is blessing our family through it already. Isn't this house he just finished so beautiful? It is in Nashville's Sylvan Park Historic District. Preview more at www.aspen-construction.net
We got to visit with the rest of our cousins, some of our most special friends, and had some swim parties.

We went to visit Amy, Eli, and Caroline, and meet new baby Camp, but sweet boy was sleeping during out failed photo session. These kiddos sure have fun!
We took another trip to the zoo and found the flamingos again!


We have gotten more settled in at Otter Creek since we began visiting there since April, and Addison is loving her Bible class.

Then, before we knew it, we were starting back to school. This year, Ansley got a new lunch box since she can now eat some foods! Yay, Ansley!
We were sad to see summer go, but FALL is our favorite! Come on, cooler weather, football, birthdays, and anniversaries!

When we got back from our vacation, the rest of summer just FLEW by. On the Monday we got back, Patrick started his new job. He is back into building and is so happy. This is an opportunity we have been praying for for so long, and God is blessing our family through it already. Isn't this house he just finished so beautiful? It is in Nashville's Sylvan Park Historic District. Preview more at www.aspen-construction.net
We got to visit with the rest of our cousins, some of our most special friends, and had some swim parties.

We went to visit Amy, Eli, and Caroline, and meet new baby Camp, but sweet boy was sleeping during out failed photo session. These kiddos sure have fun!
We took another trip to the zoo and found the flamingos again!


We have gotten more settled in at Otter Creek since we began visiting there since April, and Addison is loving her Bible class.

Then, before we knew it, we were starting back to school. This year, Ansley got a new lunch box since she can now eat some foods! Yay, Ansley!
We were sad to see summer go, but FALL is our favorite! Come on, cooler weather, football, birthdays, and anniversaries!

The Craft for Coffee Lovers

I love to sew, but this summer it was more of a favorite past time, unfortunately. I have had material and patterns to make the girls matching dresses since last summer, and they are still in my craft closet. Oh well.

With all the new babies in our friends and families' lives, I have enjoyed making burp cloths and bibs, but that was about it... Until I finally tried my hand at this:
I have 3 coffee-loving friends who had spring/summer birthdays, and so I made these coffee cozys as part of their gifts. Cute, aren't they!?! I used this tutorial, and it is very basic. It was my first time sewing on batting which is a little tricky, and the rubber band part was a little tricky too, but the pattern was very straightforward. I loved the way they turned out, and I think my friends did too!

I love to sew, but this summer it was more of a favorite past time, unfortunately. I have had material and patterns to make the girls matching dresses since last summer, and they are still in my craft closet. Oh well.

With all the new babies in our friends and families' lives, I have enjoyed making burp cloths and bibs, but that was about it... Until I finally tried my hand at this:
I have 3 coffee-loving friends who had spring/summer birthdays, and so I made these coffee cozys as part of their gifts. Cute, aren't they!?! I used this tutorial, and it is very basic. It was my first time sewing on batting which is a little tricky, and the rubber band part was a little tricky too, but the pattern was very straightforward. I loved the way they turned out, and I think my friends did too!

Favorite Summer Meal

We have a new favorite meal at the Crawford house, and I owe my friend Reid for this one:

Lime Butter Tilapia
Sweet Potato Fries
Zucchini Sticks

Salivate on this:
The first step in creating this deliciousness was making the lime butter. To do that, combine

• 4 T butter (I use this:)
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 2 T cilantro, chopped
• zest of 1 lime
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

It'll look something like this:

Then you use 1 T of the mix per tilapia filet.
Cook in skillet for 4-5 minutes on each side.
Then put another little dollop (1t) on your cooked fish. All of this=heavenly!

I paired it with homemade sweet potato fries. I just peeled the potato, cut into fry-sized pieces, and salted, peppered, and doused with olive oil. I baked them at 450 for 25 minutes and flipped them about halfway into it.
Then I made zucchini sticks by slicing each zucchini into 8 pieces. I doused them with olive oil, shook panko crumbs over them, and salted and peppered them. I cooked them with the potatoes at the same temp for the same length of time.
Patrick liked it so much he asked if we could have it again the next night. So we did. Hope you try it and like it as much as we did!

We have a new favorite meal at the Crawford house, and I owe my friend Reid for this one:

Lime Butter Tilapia
Sweet Potato Fries
Zucchini Sticks

Salivate on this:
The first step in creating this deliciousness was making the lime butter. To do that, combine

• 4 T butter (I use this:)
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 2 T cilantro, chopped
• zest of 1 lime
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

It'll look something like this:

Then you use 1 T of the mix per tilapia filet.
Cook in skillet for 4-5 minutes on each side.
Then put another little dollop (1t) on your cooked fish. All of this=heavenly!

I paired it with homemade sweet potato fries. I just peeled the potato, cut into fry-sized pieces, and salted, peppered, and doused with olive oil. I baked them at 450 for 25 minutes and flipped them about halfway into it.
Then I made zucchini sticks by slicing each zucchini into 8 pieces. I doused them with olive oil, shook panko crumbs over them, and salted and peppered them. I cooked them with the potatoes at the same temp for the same length of time.
Patrick liked it so much he asked if we could have it again the next night. So we did. Hope you try it and like it as much as we did!

I love it when we're CRUISING together!

Can't believe my sweet baby is getting so big. She is crawling, pulling up, and CRUISING!

(I am so behind on posts because after we got the MAC update, our camera software hasn't synced to upload pictures. These poor quality pics are from my phone, but I needed to document something for my little girl.)
Ansley's favorite toys are her pull up alphabet soup table, any ball she can sneak away from her sister, and she has recently discovered her Little People and the play kitchen.

Her babbles have picked up a bit. She is saying bye-bye, ball, and something that is working towards "bottle." She nods and says, "oh," and she still "ma-ma's" and "da-da's" indiscriminately.
She is becoming more interested in her stories, and her favorites this month have been Brown Bear, Elmo's So Big book, and Peek-a-boo Elmo.
I love this picture of Ansley. It was on our first day of school, and she's wearing her Jackson Hole shirt that says "Making Friends." Patrick said that was the perfect shirt for my daughter. I want to get her started off right, you know?!? I also love it because of her "poot" face and her new lunch box. The perfect back-to-school gift, but especially significant for sweet Ans because it indicates that she can EAT!

This month we have added many foods to Ansley's "CAN eat list." She gets nourishment and nutrition from the following:

• sweet potatoes
• bananas
• apples
• peas
• green beans
• squash (The first kind that I made her was summer squash and the texture was pretty coarse--she gagged and vomited each bite. This time I tried butternut squash, and she loves it. I love the fact that just one of these gourds made 16 servings for her.)
• me on my dairy free diet (4 times a day)

Just before she turned 9 months old, and after she had hive reactions to carrots and pears, we were referred to an allergist. Her doctor tested her for 47 things. No exaggeration. Her poor back was covered in markings and pricks, and she showed reactions to both milk proteins (casein and whey) and eggs (both the yolk and the whites). Surprisingly, she did not react to soy, rice, or wheat, and her doctor said that she definitely could have outgrown them by then... I have not had the courage to retry any of the things that she reacted to initially; instead, I have just wanted to add to the list of can's. Interestingly, Patrick was allergic to both milk and eggs until he was around 4 years old. Anyway, we try meats this week, so please keep thinking of her.

We did have a super-scary allergy-related moment this month. Addison's sippy cup spilled 2 drops of milk on Ansley's ear. By the time I had stripped her down to dunk her in the bathtub, she had hives all over her shoulders and down her back. It was 5:01, so my phone call to the pediatrician was forwarded to the Vanderbilt triage nurse. Thankfully she walked me through how to treat Ansley. Thankfully the benadryl worked, and I did not have to administer the epi-pen... Scary what 2 drops on her skin can do, and I am afraid of what 2 drops ingested would do. We are truly considering (at our allergist's suggestion) transitioning Addison to soy milk and removing goldfish snacks from our pantry. With Ansley's mobility and curiosity and the innocent swapping of sippy cups, we do not want to take any chances.

Ansley is a funny baby, and she really likes to make people laugh. She also is testing us--she loves to laugh at us when we tell her "no."

She got a good report at the doctor--she weighs just under 17 pounds which puts her in the 20th% for weight, measures 28 inches long falling around the 50th%, and has a large...brain :)... in the 90th%.

We couldn't love this little girl more.

Can't believe my sweet baby is getting so big. She is crawling, pulling up, and CRUISING!

(I am so behind on posts because after we got the MAC update, our camera software hasn't synced to upload pictures. These poor quality pics are from my phone, but I needed to document something for my little girl.)
Ansley's favorite toys are her pull up alphabet soup table, any ball she can sneak away from her sister, and she has recently discovered her Little People and the play kitchen.

Her babbles have picked up a bit. She is saying bye-bye, ball, and something that is working towards "bottle." She nods and says, "oh," and she still "ma-ma's" and "da-da's" indiscriminately.
She is becoming more interested in her stories, and her favorites this month have been Brown Bear, Elmo's So Big book, and Peek-a-boo Elmo.
I love this picture of Ansley. It was on our first day of school, and she's wearing her Jackson Hole shirt that says "Making Friends." Patrick said that was the perfect shirt for my daughter. I want to get her started off right, you know?!? I also love it because of her "poot" face and her new lunch box. The perfect back-to-school gift, but especially significant for sweet Ans because it indicates that she can EAT!

This month we have added many foods to Ansley's "CAN eat list." She gets nourishment and nutrition from the following:

• sweet potatoes
• bananas
• apples
• peas
• green beans
• squash (The first kind that I made her was summer squash and the texture was pretty coarse--she gagged and vomited each bite. This time I tried butternut squash, and she loves it. I love the fact that just one of these gourds made 16 servings for her.)
• me on my dairy free diet (4 times a day)

Just before she turned 9 months old, and after she had hive reactions to carrots and pears, we were referred to an allergist. Her doctor tested her for 47 things. No exaggeration. Her poor back was covered in markings and pricks, and she showed reactions to both milk proteins (casein and whey) and eggs (both the yolk and the whites). Surprisingly, she did not react to soy, rice, or wheat, and her doctor said that she definitely could have outgrown them by then... I have not had the courage to retry any of the things that she reacted to initially; instead, I have just wanted to add to the list of can's. Interestingly, Patrick was allergic to both milk and eggs until he was around 4 years old. Anyway, we try meats this week, so please keep thinking of her.

We did have a super-scary allergy-related moment this month. Addison's sippy cup spilled 2 drops of milk on Ansley's ear. By the time I had stripped her down to dunk her in the bathtub, she had hives all over her shoulders and down her back. It was 5:01, so my phone call to the pediatrician was forwarded to the Vanderbilt triage nurse. Thankfully she walked me through how to treat Ansley. Thankfully the benadryl worked, and I did not have to administer the epi-pen... Scary what 2 drops on her skin can do, and I am afraid of what 2 drops ingested would do. We are truly considering (at our allergist's suggestion) transitioning Addison to soy milk and removing goldfish snacks from our pantry. With Ansley's mobility and curiosity and the innocent swapping of sippy cups, we do not want to take any chances.

Ansley is a funny baby, and she really likes to make people laugh. She also is testing us--she loves to laugh at us when we tell her "no."

She got a good report at the doctor--she weighs just under 17 pounds which puts her in the 20th% for weight, measures 28 inches long falling around the 50th%, and has a large...brain :)... in the 90th%.

We couldn't love this little girl more.

Right on Time...

[via Tumblr.]

When I read these words, I can't help but just take a deep breath and say to myself, "Ok, Kristy. Stop over thinking. God's got this."

I am a perfectionist, and it makes me be not-so-gentle with myself. Sometimes instead of living in the now, I worry about if what I'm doing in the now isn't what I'm supposed to be doing in the now... Am I wasting precious time that I won't get back chasing the wind? Am I giving everything that I have of myself to people and things that need my time right now?

It is a never-ending vicious cycle if I let paralyze me.

Thankfully, the Lord is gentle with me.

He knows that while we all have just one shot at this life on earth, that every path for our greater good is just leading us to a closer walk with him.

And, and this is the tough one for me, HIS timing is perfect. Perfect. Without flaw. Unblemished. Unquestionable.

Even when I feel like my prayers are going unanswered, even when I feel like doors keep closing, even when I fear that I am missing something meant for me to see, God's ways and thoughts are so much higher than mine, and I rest there. Confused, I rest.

But I keep asking and seeking and knocking, and the right door will open at the right time in the right place that God has prepared.

RIGHT. ON. TIME.

In the meantime, I take joy in the journey and thank the Lord for His new mercies, His blessings, and the peace in being His.

Acts 17:26-27

New International Version (NIV)

²⁶ From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. ²⁷ God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.

[via Tumblr.]

When I read these words, I can't help but just take a deep breath and say to myself, "Ok, Kristy. Stop over thinking. God's got this."

I am a perfectionist, and it makes me be not-so-gentle with myself. Sometimes instead of living in the now, I worry about if what I'm doing in the now isn't what I'm supposed to be doing in the now... Am I wasting precious time that I won't get back chasing the wind? Am I giving everything that I have of myself to people and things that need my time right now?

It is a never-ending vicious cycle if I let paralyze me.

Thankfully, the Lord is gentle with me.

He knows that while we all have just one shot at this life on earth, that every path for our greater good is just leading us to a closer walk with him.

And, and this is the tough one for me, HIS timing is perfect. Perfect. Without flaw. Unblemished. Unquestionable.

Even when I feel like my prayers are going unanswered, even when I feel like doors keep closing, even when I fear that I am missing something meant for me to see, God's ways and thoughts are so much higher than mine, and I rest there. Confused, I rest.

But I keep asking and seeking and knocking, and the right door will open at the right time in the right place that God has prepared.

RIGHT. ON. TIME.

In the meantime, I take joy in the journey and thank the Lord for His new mercies, His blessings, and the peace in being His.

Acts 17:26-27

New International Version (NIV)

²⁶ From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. ²⁷ God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.

Her anatomical antics

Yesterday, when Addison woke up from her nap, she seemed sheepish.

Under bashful eyes, she said, " Mom, I need to tell you the truth..." Uh-oh.

I knew something was up. Addison has been telling a few lies lately to get out of trouble, and we have been trying to tell her that if she tells the truth, her consequences will be less severe. I knew she had calculated this risk because she immediately followed with, "Will I get in trouble?"

I can't remember how exactly I responded, but she eventually told me that she got out of her bed during her nap. I asked her why, and she said, " to get the purple marker..." Then she said, "you know how we are only supposed to write on paper?... Well, I forgot that rule, and I wrote on Dora."

I said, "why?"

She lifted Dora's shirt and replied, "because she needed a belly button and 2 boobs."

And there were 3 purple anatomically and proportionately correct circles on Dora's chest.

Ii thought, "What in the world? This is so hilarious...and yet so wrong. How do I discipline this child?"

I flashed back to when I was her age and drew eyelashes on my collector Raggedy Ann doll and when I got caught, I tried to blame it on my 6 month old baby sister. And I thought, she does have a point. At least she told the truth.

Yesterday, when Addison woke up from her nap, she seemed sheepish.

Under bashful eyes, she said, " Mom, I need to tell you the truth..." Uh-oh.

I knew something was up. Addison has been telling a few lies lately to get out of trouble, and we have been trying to tell her that if she tells the truth, her consequences will be less severe. I knew she had calculated this risk because she immediately followed with, "Will I get in trouble?"

I can't remember how exactly I responded, but she eventually told me that she got out of her bed during her nap. I asked her why, and she said, " to get the purple marker..." Then she said, "you know how we are only supposed to write on paper?... Well, I forgot that rule, and I wrote on Dora."

I said, "why?"

She lifted Dora's shirt and replied, "because she needed a belly button and 2 boobs."

And there were 3 purple anatomically and proportionately correct circles on Dora's chest.

Ii thought, "What in the world? This is so hilarious...and yet so wrong. How do I discipline this child?"

I flashed back to when I was her age and drew eyelashes on my collector Raggedy Ann doll and when I got caught, I tried to blame it on my 6 month old baby sister. And I thought, she does have a point. At least she told the truth.

Rainbow Party

It seems like "rainbow cakes" are all the rage right now all over the blogosphere, and my creative sister decided to put several ideas together and planned a whole rainbow-themed party. Of course it was a hit! Since she doesn't have a blog, I decided to document the event and brag on her here!

Some inspiration for parties like these are here, here, here, and here!

She decided to have 6 little girls get together. She invited Addison and let Addison invite her little best buddy Olivia and then had several more of Savannah's buddies come.

After 1 year of teaching preschool, Lindsay knew just what to do to engage these 2-4 year olds. They began by stirring their individual cake batter with their own color:
Then while the cake baked...they were given "rainbow manicures" by the mommies. This was Lindsay's original contribution to the party, and probably the biggest hit! (All 5 fabulous colors of polish came from the Dollar Tree.)
They even got to take turns under the dryer.Once the cake was baked, they iced their individual layers, ate lunch, and chowed down.


After it was all over, this was the best pose we could get of them in their aprons (also from the Dollar Tree) and their nails.Everyone had a ball--even the babies:I seriously could eat them up!

Thanks, Linds, for cooking this up and letting us be a part of the fun!

It seems like "rainbow cakes" are all the rage right now all over the blogosphere, and my creative sister decided to put several ideas together and planned a whole rainbow-themed party. Of course it was a hit! Since she doesn't have a blog, I decided to document the event and brag on her here!

Some inspiration for parties like these are here, here, here, and here!

She decided to have 6 little girls get together. She invited Addison and let Addison invite her little best buddy Olivia and then had several more of Savannah's buddies come.

After 1 year of teaching preschool, Lindsay knew just what to do to engage these 2-4 year olds. They began by stirring their individual cake batter with their own color:
Then while the cake baked...they were given "rainbow manicures" by the mommies. This was Lindsay's original contribution to the party, and probably the biggest hit! (All 5 fabulous colors of polish came from the Dollar Tree.)
They even got to take turns under the dryer.Once the cake was baked, they iced their individual layers, ate lunch, and chowed down.


After it was all over, this was the best pose we could get of them in their aprons (also from the Dollar Tree) and their nails.Everyone had a ball--even the babies:I seriously could eat them up!

Thanks, Linds, for cooking this up and letting us be a part of the fun!

Refreshment

I love the part of Proverbs 11:25 that says, "He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."

God has heard my plea for refreshment, and He does not disappoint. Patrick and I have been able to spend time with some of our oldest and dearest friends this month, and we have been blessed by them--as usual.

I was able to get with many of my best girlfriends from high school (This picture circa 1997 on our "senior Spring Break trip"):And our children. We are growing in number, but we missed those who couldn't make it.I am always thankful for these women, but I have been especially thankful for Kelly and Kristen during this season of allergy issues with Ansley. My two beautiful friends are also smart dieticians, and they have encouraged me and helped me with tangible plans, sent me articles to read, and just educated me on dealing with food allergies. What a blessing they have been.

Then, while at the beach, I got a phone call from this beautiful woman hoping to get together...
She and her precious family came down one afternoon, and we enjoyed an evening at Pompano Joe's and the beach. Amy and I lived together during graduate school. She taught me all I needed to know about "COMPS" and cleaning and I just love her. So does Patrick, and we love her Brady and their Rylee and Kade. No matter how much time lapses between talks or visits, we manage to pick right up where we left off. She is a speech pathologist and earlier, when Addison had just turned 2 and had her world turned upside down with a baby sister, Amy talked me through her stuttering and fluency issues. I have the smartest friends! Our kids acted like they'd always been friends:On our way home, we stopped for several hours in Montgomery (We drove by our old house, one of our rituals each time we drive through). We left Destin at 5 a.m. and showed up at Kevin and Britani's house at 7:45 on a Saturday morning. That in itself speaks volumes of a special friendship, and they are some of our dearest "couple friends." Brit and I joke about Patrick and Kevin being like David and Jonathan in the Bible. They just really love each other, and their friendship is special for us to observe. They help each other be better people, thinkers, husbands, and fathers. We have been blessed having both of our kids within weeks of each other, and they are already good buddies:
We went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast, and as we were walking through the parking lot, we said, "You need to hold somebody's hand." Addison and Oliver held each others.
Ansley and Poppy are just 4 weeks apart. They were so cute together.

We sure have been thankful for this good time with special friends, and I can't wait to keep it going when I go to Huntsville and see my other Amy and Baby Camp in a couple of weeks.

I love the part of Proverbs 11:25 that says, "He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."

God has heard my plea for refreshment, and He does not disappoint. Patrick and I have been able to spend time with some of our oldest and dearest friends this month, and we have been blessed by them--as usual.

I was able to get with many of my best girlfriends from high school (This picture circa 1997 on our "senior Spring Break trip"):And our children. We are growing in number, but we missed those who couldn't make it.I am always thankful for these women, but I have been especially thankful for Kelly and Kristen during this season of allergy issues with Ansley. My two beautiful friends are also smart dieticians, and they have encouraged me and helped me with tangible plans, sent me articles to read, and just educated me on dealing with food allergies. What a blessing they have been.

Then, while at the beach, I got a phone call from this beautiful woman hoping to get together...
She and her precious family came down one afternoon, and we enjoyed an evening at Pompano Joe's and the beach. Amy and I lived together during graduate school. She taught me all I needed to know about "COMPS" and cleaning and I just love her. So does Patrick, and we love her Brady and their Rylee and Kade. No matter how much time lapses between talks or visits, we manage to pick right up where we left off. She is a speech pathologist and earlier, when Addison had just turned 2 and had her world turned upside down with a baby sister, Amy talked me through her stuttering and fluency issues. I have the smartest friends! Our kids acted like they'd always been friends:On our way home, we stopped for several hours in Montgomery (We drove by our old house, one of our rituals each time we drive through). We left Destin at 5 a.m. and showed up at Kevin and Britani's house at 7:45 on a Saturday morning. That in itself speaks volumes of a special friendship, and they are some of our dearest "couple friends." Brit and I joke about Patrick and Kevin being like David and Jonathan in the Bible. They just really love each other, and their friendship is special for us to observe. They help each other be better people, thinkers, husbands, and fathers. We have been blessed having both of our kids within weeks of each other, and they are already good buddies:
We went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast, and as we were walking through the parking lot, we said, "You need to hold somebody's hand." Addison and Oliver held each others.
Ansley and Poppy are just 4 weeks apart. They were so cute together.

We sure have been thankful for this good time with special friends, and I can't wait to keep it going when I go to Huntsville and see my other Amy and Baby Camp in a couple of weeks.

Our First Vacation as a "Family of Four"

This free picture slideshow customized with Smilebox

Here is a slideshow of pictures from our trip last week to Destin. We really did have a wonderful time, and the girls were great travelers. It was our second year to go for the 4th of July, and we really enjoy this time of year--hot as it is.

A Top 10 of some of our highlights:

1. Fireworks and concert in Seaside, FL for the 4th--We always love visiting our honeymoon cottage ("The Honeybee") and strolling the shops and restaurants. My favorite bookstore, Sundog, never disappoints, and Bud and Alley's Taco Bar has become a family favorite. We got there early, reserved our spot at the ampitheatre with a blanket, and then enjoyed the town until the concert and fireworks began.

2. Destin Commons Playground--Addison begs to go there as soon

as we cross the Mid Bay Bridge. She always makes some friends and burns some energy.

3. 6:30 wake-up calls. Too bad she doesn't burn enough energy to sleep in... Addison came in our room the first morning (and every successive morning) at 6:30 with bathing suit in hand and a daily agenda. We talked her into laying down with us and watching cartoons until her baby sister woke up at 7:30.

4. Putt Putt Golf--This was Addison's first time to play, and while she was interested in learning how to swing the club, after the first shot, she would pick up her ball, put it in the hole, and clap for herself, saying, "Yay Addison!"

5. Evening beach trips--While we loved the beach at any time of the day, I have to say these times were our favorites. We didn't have to worry about sunscreen, and Addison was braver, and Ansley loved digging in the sand and smearing it on Mommy. Our best sand turtles were formed as the sun was setting.

6. The boat. Lindsay and Daniel let us borrow their boat, and we blew it up filled it with water, and put it under our umbrella in the shade. Ansley loved it, and it bought us at least an extra hour at the beach each day.

7. The pool--this was Addison's favorite, and each day she got braver and more comfortable in the water. Our pre-vacation swimming lessons fell through, so I was nervous about how she would do, but she was kicking, blowing bubbles, jumping to my arms, and going under by herself by the end of the trip.

8. Eating seafood--my diet restrictions didn't hold us back too much. I was able to eat grouper, mahi mahi, and amberjack at our favorite beach restaurants, and we cooked in several nights as well.

9. Reading--While at home, I rarely have time to dive into a good book. On this trip I read these three:

I finished rereading Mission of Motherhood and was just inspired in the way I spend time with my daughters, in the way I discipline, and in the way I hope to capture their hearts for the Lord.

My "beach read" was a little good chick lit by Emily Giffin. This one was a little heavier than usual, and in a strange way inspired me to invest even more intentionally in my marriage in the little things.

Patrick read Plan B last summer and has encouraged me to ever since then... You know how sometimes you read something at just the right time, and it just is one of those poignant moments when you know spiritual forces were at work, pricking your heart in the perfect way at the perfect time. Well, in tears on the beach during the girls' afternoon naps, I sat by myself and read Pete Wilson's relevant words which have touched my heart deeply. Everyone's Plan B is his/her own reality, and there's really not a better or worse scenario, I've come to learn. Your reality is your reality, and God equips us individually for our unique circumstances. Praise Him for using this life to draw us closer to Him... I have a lot to say about this, so I will just save it for a future post... But all three are worth reading!

10. Pandora--we enjoyed sitting on the front porch with our ipad using this ap, eating popsicles, sometimes reading, sometimes dancing, sometimes just sitting, listening to our favorite beach stations--for us, Michael Buble and Bob Marley.

It truly was a wonderful getaway, a time of reflection, celebration, the unknown, and changes for our family. (Patrick started a new job the Monday after our return, something we had prayed about since being down here last summer. He is back into building, and he is so happy.)

It was also a time of refreshment. We got to see some of our oldest and dearest friends, and I will include that in a separate post as well... Until then, enjoy the slideshow (for those of you who haven't seen these on Facebook already. :))

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Here is a slideshow of pictures from our trip last week to Destin. We really did have a wonderful time, and the girls were great travelers. It was our second year to go for the 4th of July, and we really enjoy this time of year--hot as it is.

A Top 10 of some of our highlights:

1. Fireworks and concert in Seaside, FL for the 4th--We always love visiting our honeymoon cottage ("The Honeybee") and strolling the shops and restaurants. My favorite bookstore, Sundog, never disappoints, and Bud and Alley's Taco Bar has become a family favorite. We got there early, reserved our spot at the ampitheatre with a blanket, and then enjoyed the town until the concert and fireworks began.

2. Destin Commons Playground--Addison begs to go there as soon

as we cross the Mid Bay Bridge. She always makes some friends and burns some energy.

3. 6:30 wake-up calls. Too bad she doesn't burn enough energy to sleep in... Addison came in our room the first morning (and every successive morning) at 6:30 with bathing suit in hand and a daily agenda. We talked her into laying down with us and watching cartoons until her baby sister woke up at 7:30.

4. Putt Putt Golf--This was Addison's first time to play, and while she was interested in learning how to swing the club, after the first shot, she would pick up her ball, put it in the hole, and clap for herself, saying, "Yay Addison!"

5. Evening beach trips--While we loved the beach at any time of the day, I have to say these times were our favorites. We didn't have to worry about sunscreen, and Addison was braver, and Ansley loved digging in the sand and smearing it on Mommy. Our best sand turtles were formed as the sun was setting.

6. The boat. Lindsay and Daniel let us borrow their boat, and we blew it up filled it with water, and put it under our umbrella in the shade. Ansley loved it, and it bought us at least an extra hour at the beach each day.

7. The pool--this was Addison's favorite, and each day she got braver and more comfortable in the water. Our pre-vacation swimming lessons fell through, so I was nervous about how she would do, but she was kicking, blowing bubbles, jumping to my arms, and going under by herself by the end of the trip.

8. Eating seafood--my diet restrictions didn't hold us back too much. I was able to eat grouper, mahi mahi, and amberjack at our favorite beach restaurants, and we cooked in several nights as well.

9. Reading--While at home, I rarely have time to dive into a good book. On this trip I read these three:

I finished rereading Mission of Motherhood and was just inspired in the way I spend time with my daughters, in the way I discipline, and in the way I hope to capture their hearts for the Lord.

My "beach read" was a little good chick lit by Emily Giffin. This one was a little heavier than usual, and in a strange way inspired me to invest even more intentionally in my marriage in the little things.

Patrick read Plan B last summer and has encouraged me to ever since then... You know how sometimes you read something at just the right time, and it just is one of those poignant moments when you know spiritual forces were at work, pricking your heart in the perfect way at the perfect time. Well, in tears on the beach during the girls' afternoon naps, I sat by myself and read Pete Wilson's relevant words which have touched my heart deeply. Everyone's Plan B is his/her own reality, and there's really not a better or worse scenario, I've come to learn. Your reality is your reality, and God equips us individually for our unique circumstances. Praise Him for using this life to draw us closer to Him... I have a lot to say about this, so I will just save it for a future post... But all three are worth reading!

10. Pandora--we enjoyed sitting on the front porch with our ipad using this ap, eating popsicles, sometimes reading, sometimes dancing, sometimes just sitting, listening to our favorite beach stations--for us, Michael Buble and Bob Marley.

It truly was a wonderful getaway, a time of reflection, celebration, the unknown, and changes for our family. (Patrick started a new job the Monday after our return, something we had prayed about since being down here last summer. He is back into building, and he is so happy.)

It was also a time of refreshment. We got to see some of our oldest and dearest friends, and I will include that in a separate post as well... Until then, enjoy the slideshow (for those of you who haven't seen these on Facebook already. :))

8 months...and away she goes!

My favorite 8-month-old is moving and grooving!And hamming it up with this signature goofy scrunched up grin...
At 8 months, Ansley is crawling and pulling up everywhere! She started rocking back and forth on all fours and doing the one, two, flat a couple of weeks before, and then she just took off!

Ansley's favorite new books at 8 months are Goodnight Gorilla, One Rainy Day, and anything she can swipe from her sister. Now that she is crawling, her favorite toy is the ottomon. She crawls to it, pulls herself up, and starts giggling and bouncing. She also crawls to her sister's Dora dominoes and her curly locks. I'm starting to have to break up some sister brawls. :)

Ansley babbles constantly, picking up new vowel/consonant combos daily. Her current fav is something that sounds like "I did." Addison believes she is saying, "Addy" when she does it.

We are still working through allergy issues in the nutrition department, and she currently feasts on 4 nursing sessions during the day and 2 servings of sweet potatoes. We have scratched squash, carrots, and pears off the list and are going to a pediatric allergist next week to try to come up with a plan to get this little girl what she needs nutrition-wise. Sweet Whitney encouraged me to try to focus on the things that Ansley CAN eat, so we are just praying to add to that list of one in the coming weeks. Thankfully, she still doesn't know any different, and we thank the Lord for her sweet sweet spirit.

Ansley still naps 2 times a day and sleeps 11-12 hours at night. Right now she is going through a napping slump though as her top 2 teeth are giving her some fits... Bless her. She is actually having a tough time sleeping right now, so I will sign out to go rock her. Hopefully, I will be back soon with an update from our beach vacation!

I'll sign off with a pic of me and my baby doll.

My favorite 8-month-old is moving and grooving!And hamming it up with this signature goofy scrunched up grin...
At 8 months, Ansley is crawling and pulling up everywhere! She started rocking back and forth on all fours and doing the one, two, flat a couple of weeks before, and then she just took off!

Ansley's favorite new books at 8 months are Goodnight Gorilla, One Rainy Day, and anything she can swipe from her sister. Now that she is crawling, her favorite toy is the ottomon. She crawls to it, pulls herself up, and starts giggling and bouncing. She also crawls to her sister's Dora dominoes and her curly locks. I'm starting to have to break up some sister brawls. :)

Ansley babbles constantly, picking up new vowel/consonant combos daily. Her current fav is something that sounds like "I did." Addison believes she is saying, "Addy" when she does it.

We are still working through allergy issues in the nutrition department, and she currently feasts on 4 nursing sessions during the day and 2 servings of sweet potatoes. We have scratched squash, carrots, and pears off the list and are going to a pediatric allergist next week to try to come up with a plan to get this little girl what she needs nutrition-wise. Sweet Whitney encouraged me to try to focus on the things that Ansley CAN eat, so we are just praying to add to that list of one in the coming weeks. Thankfully, she still doesn't know any different, and we thank the Lord for her sweet sweet spirit.

Ansley still naps 2 times a day and sleeps 11-12 hours at night. Right now she is going through a napping slump though as her top 2 teeth are giving her some fits... Bless her. She is actually having a tough time sleeping right now, so I will sign out to go rock her. Hopefully, I will be back soon with an update from our beach vacation!

I'll sign off with a pic of me and my baby doll.