Mom's Night Out

Mom's have a tough job. 

(I'm not downplaying a father's role but, I'm speaking as a mama here!)

We relentlessly compare ourselves, clean and cook, spend nights feeding & burping, kiss boo-boos, read the Clifford book just one more time this hour, whip up a batch of ooey oatmeal, and wipe another snotty nose on our pants at the grocery store when the boogie wipes aren't packed....

So, when my co-worker Aubrey mentioned that she'd watched "Mom's Night Out" over the weekend, I kicked into planning-mode. I texted about 8 of my mommy friends to come over for a mom's night out to watch "Mom's Night Out". There were 5 of us that ended up spending the evening chatting together with mugs of spiced cider, pumpkin goodies, and other yummy snacks! We shared stories of naked buns, struggles in life, and future babies... that was all before the movie started! As we laughed at the reality of the movie, our hearts filled to the brim -- with encouragement, love, and ready-to-do-it-all-over-ness  :)

As I crawled into bed that evening, I smiled.
God created a beautiful thing when he made girlfriends... especially my girlfriends :)

Fall is "officially" Here

I see blogs, photos, and pins that show me that fall is here. My calendar shows "first day of autumn" was today. The infamous PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE IS BACK signs are up. But, despite all of this, I'm still wearing shorts & a tank top, Chloe devoured a popsicle on the patio yesterday, and tomorrow shows high of 90.

Am I complaining about the weather? Not a bit. Do I miss the crisp, fall days in the Midwest? Yes, yes, yes.  Yet, I made the most of my weekend ushering in the new season and took on some fall crafting!

Friday night was CRAFT-izza night with Michelle… completed by crafting after filling our bellies with a super supreme pizza with white sauce…. and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

Then… BAM!

I hope when the weather starts to turn, we can take a stroll through an apple orchard and spend an afternoon at a pumpkin patch. But for now, I will enjoy my fall decorations + summer-like days!

-Crystal

20 months

Soooo, since you've come to my blog, it seems like I have the right to say this: 

my kid is the best.

Here's what is going on with my little munchkin...

1) She sings Jesus Loves Me...

"Jesus Me, Jesus So"

2) Counted to FOUR last week!

"1,2,3....3,4"

3) Every time I say "oopsie", she returns with "daisy". It's adorable!

4) Loves to talk about school but still cries every.day. when I leave

5) Sleeps 9pm-7:30am

6) Lives for her babies. She has 5 dolls plus numerous stuffed animals that keep her sooooo preoccupied: changing diapers, feeding, nigh night, bottles, rides in the wagon, everything!

7) I've been working with her on meeting new people and asking their names....

The conversation now goes  like this:

Chloe: Name! Name! Name!

Other person: Blah, Blah. What's your name?

Chloe: Toey. Meet you! (her best attempt at "nice to meet you")

8) This girl LOVES the park. We've been walking around the neighborhood each evening and end at  the "side"... and she meets a new friends each time too :)
 

9) String 4 words together like "I you too Mommy" for (I LOVE you too mommy) or "bear-bear diaper change poo-poo…. stinky"

10) Continues to be a great eater but is starting to ask for what she wants instead of just preparing her plate. My favorite is when I pack my lunch in the morning and she stands with fridge door open saying "umm…. ummmm…. dat. Pickle! Gapes. Boobies (blueberries!). Ham. Cheese. Nana". I love it!

 

 

{love her}

Glamping with the Gustafsons

Glamorous camping (AKA glamping) just happened! Kirk & Jill have a wonderful cabin up in Twain Harte that we got to enjoy as a family for the weekend. Campfire, dirt, and grilled food combined with a bed and flushing toilet makes for glamping!

  

So thankful for the time away to spend with our family!