These are a few of my favorite things...

So, I was just thinking this morning about how much I really liked a few things in my life these days... Simple things. Everyday things. And honestly, this time around, perishable things... There are, of course, the deep, sentimental objects/times/memories/places that I could never put a price tag on.... BUT the things I am going to post about today do have price tags. They will fade. But they're some of my "favorites" for now anyways... I love to see what other people love & use everyday. I mean, let's be honest...Oprah's favorite things show is one of the most watched ever - I think we all love to go into the closets & pantries of people to see what they love! So with that, here are a few of my favorite things!

1. Numero Uno on my list these days is....... Mary Kay TimeWise Skin Care & make up line. Oh.my.goodness. I have had issues with my skin since the day I turned 13, and this is the first time in my life that I can consistently say "I love my skin!" I have a friend that is a new consultant for MK, so I wanted to be a good friend & support her by attending one of her parties. Little did I know that I would come out with the best skin care I have ever used. I love it. Seriously. love it. (PS the link is just so you can see what it looks like... I don't know who Sandy Johnson is). ha!
2. Next thing in line: Old Navy 5 in Perfect Khaki shorts. I've always tried to dress modestly, but as a mom, these are a must-have. Seriously these are the perfect length. And cute. And affordable.
3. JoAnn Fabrics. I could seriously spend all day in this store. I would like to say that Hobby Lobby would be my favorite fabric/craft store, but the closest one is about 35 minutes away... So for now, Mrs. JoAnn takes that first place spot.
4. And another beauty product on the list, would be my shampoo & conditioner. TRESemme Naturals. Radiant Volume. You're awesome. And (again) affordable!
5. A great hue for the nails this summer would be "Peachy" by Revlon. The perfect hue of a summer breeze. You may even be able to hear waves crashing & smell suntan lotion while you're painting your nails. Maybe...
6. Target sandals. These specifically. Seriously $15, and they are yours! So versatile. Wear them with a t-shirt & kacki shorts or a long maxi dress. Thank you, Target!
7. Camelback Water bottle. You're pretty. And pink. And you encourage me to drink more water. And my child can drink out of you easily too. You rock & you will join me on all my summer outings this year. :)
8. Elnett Hairspray. And Umberto Hairspray. I use hairspray almost everyday. I like a solid hold - but not sticky or one that will tangle my hair. Both of these are great holds & disappear when you brush. Love 'em.
9. So this is something that I got to splurge on a little bit... I received a watch for Christmas, that I LOVED, but when it was shipped, the face was cracked... The company my MIL bought it from did not have anymore watches, so she just gave me what she spent to pick out a watch on my own! I picked this one... Fossil never fails. Tortoise shell. Hello!!
10. My new best friend. This little lady. She has kept me company late hours in the night. She can get a little attitude, but she seems to straighten out pretty quickly. My sewing machine. Ahhh...

These are just a few of my favorite things lately... I'd love to hear of some of your favorites too!

on my mind...

Few things on my mind...

- First of all, I would like to say how inspired I am to look at other friends' blogs & see all their updates and pictures and stories about their lives/kids/etc... Then I realize that I haven't updated at all in months and have to laugh at myself! :) I have been journaling to Harper & writing down her stats/stories/etc there, but I wish I had the motivation to post here too! I get this weird perfectionist thing going when I think about it though... I feel like I would need to post back all the way to her H's birth, realize that was over a year ago, and so I just don't... Now, I know I wouldn't really have to do that, but I feel like I would? Silly excuse, if you ask me. :)

- Secondly, especially since it's Easter and it's so fresh on my mind, I'd like to say that I don't think the story of the cross & Christ's sacrifice will ever get old to me. I think of my life - how I've tried to glorify Him and how I've failed miserably... I think about His grace and how undeserving I am... I think of how He knows me, but loves me anyways... and I get overwhelmed. To tears. I think of God giving His son for me, and I cannot fathom that love! I am thankful everyday for that sacrifice, and I'm thankful that I can celebrate that gift EVERYday...not just on Easter!

- I'll have to say that growing up as a daughter of a pastor probably prepped me a little bit for this next thing on my mind... I have loving parents that brought me up in a loving home, provided for all my needs (and so many of my wants), supported me, were my number one fans, etc etc etc! I could go on forever and ever about how great my parents were (and still are)! I watched my Dad love & serve on good days...and on rough days too. I watched him step out on faith almost 12 years ago and start WCC...definitely a step out of his comfort zone. We've walked with him when things were great & encouraging, and we've walked through seasons of torment, gossip, and just plain junk as well. To say "I'm proud of my Dad" does not do justice to how I feel about him...and then let's talk about Mom too... Here's where I'm learning...(majorly) learning. I cannot tell you how many bible studies she's taught, powerpoint slides she's made, prayers she's prayed, songs she sang....all while working a full time job, waiting on me to finish (insert sport here) practice, taking me to piano lessons, helping with homework, counseling me, taking me shopping, (then later in life) helping me plan a wedding, (still) counseling me, spending time with grandkids, etc etc etc... And I'm one of FOUR of her kids! :) She did this all with a smile on her face and a "thank you, Lord" fresh on her lips. I covet that balance she displayed, and I'm thankful for the example she set for me. I just thought life was crazy before I had a child... Don't get me wrong, Bubba is incredibly involved and supportive. Like gets up with Harper in the middle of the night (he's awesome). He would do anything in the world for us, and I'm thankful to be his wife. I'm just in this new season of life - learning to be a full time mom & wife. Learning to find my purpose, joy, hope in Christ. All while wiping runny noses, working through teething, cleaning food off the ground, changing poopy diapers, and sometimes not showering until after noon some days. :) I am thankful, 100% thankful, to be a mom, but let's be honest...it can be a tough job! I find myself getting discouraged a whole lot easier, but I'm thankful for the foundation of faith I have. How do moms that don't know the Lord get through their day? I do not know what we would do if Christ was not the center of our home. Our rock. Our victory. Our peace...

- On a much lighter note, I am now a mother to a "walker." She figured out this whole walking thing about a week ago & has not slowed down a bit. We have already gotten a few bumps & bruises, and I'm sure there are more in our future! We love to see her walking around - even though she's almost 13 months, she still seems too little to be walking! :)

- We had her one year apt last Friday. Pricking the finger & shots were on the agenda as well. Poor kid. She hated it. Officially terrified of the DR now. She is weighing in at about 18.5 lbs, 29ish inches long, and I honestly don't remember her head measurement. Her stats are all still in the same percentage range... 5th% weight, 25th% height, and 30th% head circ. Wears some 9mo clothes, but mostly in 12mo. Size 3 diapers. Size 2-3 shoes. LOVES to talk & walk around. Extending her vocabulary. And we're attempting to wean her off the bottle (seeming impossible). :) Sleeps about 10 hours/night, but still wakes up once most nights. Eats & falls back asleep pretty quickly. We've tried everything we know to get more calories in her during the day, but she is just so small, I'm guessing she can't hold all of what she needs some days! :) I'm thankful she's just up once a night, if at all... She's starting to look more like a little girl to me - not so much a baby anymore. Her little personality is blossoming too. Loves to say "no no no" while shaking her pointer finger OR shaking her head 'no' if she's not in agreement with you. :) I promise I did not teach her that! She's a blessing. Couldn't be more thankful to be her mom!

it's been a while...

Well, friends, I've officially not blogged in a few months! Harper girl is 10 months old (& 1 day...but who's counting). She is really growing & changing so much!

We've got a cruiser, crawler, talker, eating, waving, patty-cake-ing little girl! She is still teeny tiny, but her personality is not! :) At her 9mo check up she weighed in at 16lb 5oz and was around 26 inches long. She can still wear some 6mo clothes, but is mostly in 9mo. Wearing size 3 diaper and size 2 or 3 shoe. Starting to get more hair on her head...which is great for BOWS of course! She got three teeth in 10 days at the end of Dec/beginning of Jan. She's been working on the fourth tooth since then too!

We battled the flu a couple weekends ago. By far the scariest time we've had with her. Fever spiked to over 104, seizures resulted from the fever... Tamiflu and Lebonheur Urgent Care were also involved. Thankfully she began to feel better within a few days... Only evidence that she even went through all that is a runny nose now... We most definitely praised the Lord for healing her little body!

As far as the rest of us... Bubba ran the St. Jude marathon in December. We weren't able to go cheer him on, because H was sick that weekend too! I promise she's not always sick.. :) Bubba has really been incredibly disciplined in running. I wish I had half his will power... He is going to try to run the Chicago Marathon this year! He is also staying really busy with church. Being the Media, Recreation, and Adult Discipleship Pastor means there are some 7 day work weeks... But we absolutely love our church family & are thankful for the opportunities the Lord has provided! I am still at home with our little girl & loving it. I'll be honest...it's alot tougher than I ever thought it would be! I wouldn't trade this time with her for the world though. In January, I also started watching my best friend's little boy! They live in our neighborhood & go to church with us, so it is really just the perfect situation! He is such a sweet & easy baby; we've enjoyed having him here with us! Harper adjusted well to him being here. I didn't know how she would handle it! Maybe it is good practice for her future siblings....

That's a little update from the Crowders. Sorry no pictures! I still haven't uploaded pics onto the computer from Dec - Jan... Maybe I can get that done today! Promise photos in the next update! :) I'll take any reason to show off my beautiful daughter! :)

Could this be your child?

I was just catching up on reading my friends' blogs & this one really stuck out to me. I wanted to share it with all of you, just in case the Lord was already working in your heart and within your family.

If it's not your responsibility to adopt this sweet boy, then please pray for the family that is supposed to welcome him in.

God is good.

Whit

4th Saturday in October

So much going on! I LOVE this time of year! This year has been a tad different for a few reasons. Obvious number 1 is that I have a daughter to love on! #2: I'm not teaching full time. And numero tres, it's 85 degrees outside! Don't get me wrong, I know that the longer it is warm outside, the longer I don't have to tackle the car seat with a jacketed Harper... but I do enjoy the cooler weather.

So the little girl is keeping us on our toes! She is definitely sitting up now and (almost) crawling. She gets around the floor to her toys pretty well, but I don't know if it would be classified as crawling...more like scooting/lunging? :) She is so much fun. She loves to say "Da-da-da-da..." over and over. I am still trying to coax her to say "MOMMA!" Her favorite foods are oatmeal w/banana, pears, and sweet potatoes. (Not) a fan of peaches. She's starting to drink more milk than I am producing, so we're delving into the freezer for what I've stored up. I'm thinking we'll probably start supplementing with formula before the end of the year. I'm hoping to at least continue to pump, so that she has my antibodies through the winter. (I always feel like a farmer or something when I talk about "getting her through the winter.") :) She doesn't have any teeth yet, but I don't think it will be much longer before we start that battle. In fact, I think we are in the beginning stages! She went for about 2 weeks of not sleeping well at night & being quite fussy. We've gotten three nights in a row of good sleep, so hopefully we're getting past that... I feel so bad for her when I can't tell exactly what's wrong. It can be a guessing game!

I can see her peeking through her bumper right now - one of her newest tricks. She is so funny! Time to go get her up & get ready for the day, but I will leave you with a couple pictures...

Happy Fall, Y'all! :)

PS The title of this post is in reference to the football game that will be played tonight at 6pm. TN vs AL. I think I know what the outcome will be, but it is always a (fun?) game for us to watch in our house! Determines the placing of the coffee table books for the year!

6 months 2 weeks.

Already. Another month has passed! Harper is growing. I really feel like she changes daily! She is LOVING Mother's Day Out and has only had one bad afternoon where she was just tired/fussy. Mrs. Holly & Mrs. Terri are so good with her! I never worry or doubt whether she's being loved on and taken care of. Harper got her shots yesterday...AND her first flu shot. Poor girl was so sad! We quickly pulled out the tylenol & bottle to soothe her...and her hurt feelings! She was a trooper! She dipped a little bit in her growth - didn't loose any weight, just dropped in the percentages a little bit. Dr. V said not to worry about it at all - that Harper was growing & healthy & active! Harper weighed 13 lbs 13 oz, was 25 1/4 in long, and head circumference was 16 3/4 in. Petite, sweet, healthy girl!

She is 100% interested in being mobile. She started rolling from her back to her belly on Wednesday. She has been trying to for a while, but would get stopped on her side. She finally made the plunge this week. She loves to spend time in her exersaucer & jumper. Propping her up in her boppy on the bed while I get ready in the mornings is a nice past time. :) She can sit up by herself for a few seconds...we're still working on that. I attempted to sit Harper in a buggy at Target...but she ended up lying down instead...then of course had me hold her shortly after.

She loves anything shiny or anything that makes noise. Her favorite video is Barney's Sing A Long songs, hands down. It's not uncommon to hear Bubba or I singing "Hey, Mr. Knickerbocker, Boppity Bop!" or "If all the raindrops were lemon drops or gum drops..." She loves it.

She loves making zerbert noises with her mouth & blowing spit bubbles (wahoo!)...especially fun when we're feeding her! She has grown an affection for oatmeal w/bananas and I think sweet potatoes are her favorite veggie. We've started feeding her some of the Gerber 2s too, just to give her more options. I offered a sippy cup to her yesterday with diluted pear juice. She very willingly drank from the cup, but wasn't a fan of the juice. I felt like I couldn't feed her enough last week!! Mark of a growth spurt, I think!

She's wearing size 2 diapers...and sometimes size 2-3. She wears mostly 6mo clothes but can definitely still fit in her 3/6mo outfits. She can wear most Carter's 6mo onesies, but the pants hang on her. :) Finding shoes for her tiny feet has been a feat, but Old Navy helped us out with some extremely cute gold, shiny slip ons!

I was just thinking this week how I have no idea how I had any time to work a full time job before! :) This little girl keeps us on our toes!! I wouldn't trade the last 6 months & 2 weeks of my life for anything in this world. I get so excited for my friends who are about to be first time moms - just knowing the brand new world that they're about to experience makes my heart jump! There really is nothing like it! I get sad when I think about how much Harper has grown & how quickly these 6 months have gone, but I am filled with joy when I realize that the Lord has protected and guided her every single second! We are more than grateful for His hand of protection over her and her health. I'm thankful for this journey of motherhood...especially now that I have such a sweet daughter to love on each day!

5 months 2 weeks

So I got an email with the subject line: "Your baby: 5 months 2 weeks" this week...and I almost cried. I know - crazy. I guess I just never thought time would really go this fast! Harper is growing and changing so much. I am so excited & thrilled to see her personality develop & watch her figure out her world, but my heart is a tad sad too - just knowing she is growing up so fast!

I always always always rock/pat Harper to sleep at night. Not the BW way to do things, but I am so thankful that I have gotten to do this each night. (and Bubba takes the honors if I'm not home at H's bedtime). But as I am doing this, I always take that time to pray over her & praise and thank the Lord for the blessing in my arms. I always pray that the Lord work in her heart - even now - to grow in Him and learn to love Him more. I pray for her day of salvation & that He give me the grace & mercy to help raise her in a Christian home. I am almost always moved to tears when I begin to just thank Him for letting me be her Mommy. I am so humbled that He has entrusted her to us! I sometimes pray for her future hubby (& his parents as they are probably rocking their sweet boy to sleep!), her future college roommates, her future best friends, her future teachers/coaches, etc, etc, etc. Then I always kiss her sweet cheek goodnight before I lay her down. I just don't think I will ever be able to thank God enough for giving us Harper! ....and to think He willingly gave His son for me...motivates this heart towards gratitude for sure.

This little girl is doing so much these days. I just started teaching 4yo at MDO at our church this week. Harper also started her first days of "school" in the baby room with Mrs. Holly & Mrs. Terri! We both enjoyed our week, but we were exhausted on Wed & Fri! I think Harper slept more on Wednesday than she ever did as a newborn! haha! She was wiped out from all the fun she had on Tuesday!

We give her rice cereal or oatmeal every night. I have begun to introduce foods to her this way too. I think she prefers the oatmeal over cereal... Her latest favorite is sweet potatoes + oatmeal, but I think her ultimate favorite combo is oatmeal with a spoon of apples, bananas, and pears. :) Dad LOVES to feed her each night, and Mom is thankful for a little break, of course! :)

She is pushing up - full extension - on her hands. She has started to scoot backwards some - which I know is the step before crawling! I have lots of friends with young babies, and I've been watching their little ones learn to crawl/pull up...and I know it's inevitably heading our way!! :) Again, such a great accomplishment to look forward to, but I know it's one step furthering her from being a baby. I know it sounds crazy, but you Moms understand the bittersweetness of it all! We love to give her tummy time, and she has really taken a great interest in her toys. Of course, everything (aggressively) goes to her mouth to chew on!! :) ...but no teeth yet!

One of my favorite times with her is when she starts to get sleepy. She has a "sleep talk" that is more than precious. She just uses her voice to sing - humm - "talk" - etc. I think it's so funny to watch her when she does it! Maybe I will be able to catch it on camera one day...

One of her favorite new-to-us toys is her Jenny Jump Up! She loves the freedom to stand/jump on her own. Bella doesn't know what to think about this whole set up! She barks at Harper and wags her tail - which in turn makes Harper laugh & jump - which makes Bella bark and wag her tail...you see the cycle! Keeps us laughing too!

She is still wearing size 2 diapers. Mostly 3 mo clothes. She can wear a few 3-6mo outfits. And amazingly...can still wear some NB outfits too. Everyone's first reaction after hearing that she is 5 months is, "She's so tiny!" And she is! But she's healthy & growing too. Her little bald head is starting to get some hair...I think it will be light brown? Her eyes have settled into being brown too, just like her Daddy's! There are 11 grandchildren now between mine & my siblings' families, and she's our only brown-eyed baby! I have a little brown hair/brown eyed/petite girl named Campbell in my MDO class, and the first day I met her I thought, "This is exactly what Harper will be like!" Campbell is mighty cute, so I'd be ok with that! :)

Harper's favorite songs are: I'm a Little Teapot and the theme song to Fresh Prince of Belair. She smiles so big every time we sing both of those songs! She loves to stand in your lap & see what's going on all around her, and we're working on getting her to sit up too.

I'm telling you...this season of blessing is really humbling me! I'm so thankful that the Lord has given us the opportunity to raise this little girl! And I know...people always quickly remind me to remember this when she's a teenager... :) I pray for those days some nights while I'm rocking her too... :)