::happy halloween!::

::recently::

the days over here are full.  gloriously full.  i have loved the rhythym of our autumn so far.  but sometimes need to stop and just savor these moments before they fly by.  

ryan had a conference at the greenbrier in west virginia for a stretch of days.  he so graciously let us crash his little room for a night so the whole family could enjoy the beautiful resort.

it was a perfect fall weekend and our kids soaked up every minute of it.  from walking up and down the mountain to our cottage room, to swimming, high tea and an a capella group, they thought it was pretty awesome.

lily was invited to go to her first movie while we were there.  we knew finn was too exhausted to handle it as he was almost falling asleep in his dinner.  i explained to him that it would be too late and asked if he would want to watch something on the ipad for 5 minutes when we got back instead.  i fully expected a huge meltdown.  but instead, he said, "sure mama!"   we tucked della and crosby in and snuggled on the huge king bed while he enjoyed his 5 minutes.  sweet boy.

getting ready for halloween!

our sweet little bit is growing and growing before our eyes.  EVERYthing is meant for her mouth and she works all day to get it there.

blessed.

::reminisce::

so, whit's in africa!!

i'm thrilled for her.
i'm so excited for her.
i'm proud of her.
i'm anxious for her return so i can hear every last story she can bear to tell me.
i'm in much prayer for her.

and while she is away, i am honored that she asked me to write a post for her blog in her absence.

she asked us to write about a time when we "followed our gut."
i brainstormed for a while about this topic, but always came back to crosby's pregnancy and birth.

it stirred up tons of different emotions as i wrote the post.
it made me so very thankful for the providence and love of our Lord.

 it made me realize how in some of our darkest moments, the Lord is so very near to us and we grow very much.

and truly, every day as i look at crosby, i am overwhelmed by the miracle he is.

and as i thought of my time in africa, i remembered how nervous i felt.  how i felt much further than an ocean away.  and how transformed my life was by the time i spent there.

i am thrilled for whit to be following her heart in uganda.  and i can hardly wait for her return!

::fall goodness::

we have been surrounded by love the past two weekends.  

my parents came to visit this weekend and it was so wonderful to be with them.  

we packed every minute to the brim with autumnal activities and made the most of a weekend that went by in a blink.

we started out with a bang as we went out for tapas and to hear drew holcomb and the neighbors the first night they arrived.  my mom and i both think that ellie is pretty entertaining and awesome to watch.  and they were really good sports to go with us.

we went to finn's soccer game, went to a pumpkin patch and a few vineyards, grilled out and of course my dad did a few home improvement projects for us.  

we even had a quick halloween party to attend that my dad so generously outfitted us for.

it was a wonderful weekend.  i am always so overwhelmed by how "at home" you feel to be surrounded by family.

we love you!!

::baptism::

our sweet della may was baptized on sunday.

it was beautiful and i was overwhelmed by how much the Lord loves us.
that he sent His Son for us.
and that he loves della even more than i can comprehend.

it was beautiful.

my camera is about to travel to africa, so forgive my lack of photos for all things life right now.  *but i am REALLY REALLY REALLY excited for said camera and even more so for whit!!*

but, in the mean time, we had a great weekend enjoying the company and generosity of kathy.

my kids relished her attention and love.  we snuck in some time outdoors and a walk in between rain.  we went to a great art festival right here in our new town.  and we ate delicious food.

it was a wonderful weekend of love and time together.

thank you so much for visiting!

crosby has officially graduated to the lower bunk bed.  it makes him seem so big.  he is doing a great job of staying in and behaving (surprisingly so!).  but, he has fallen out on numerous occasions.  this is how we found him a few nights ago...

::adventures in the neighborhood::

::delicious::

this little bit has figured out how to get her hands in her mouth. 

and they are constantly in her mouth now.  she rolls over now just to chase her hands with her mouth wide open.

this thumb is so delicious it requires a second hand to hold it steady so it won't fly away!

i'm wondering if she will suck her thumb like finn, or if this is just a new skill she is testing out.

either way, it is pretty adorable...