Thanksgiving in the Country

We just got back from a blessed trip to Virginia for Thanksgiving. Sammy's extended family all lives up there in these gorgeous rolling hills and clear crisp nights. We had a great time down on the farm, driving up the 'holler and seeing turkeys, cows, and of course horses. Sid got her first look at a 6 point buck, of course it was dead in the back of the truck but still counts right? Here are a couple of pics from the trip. Hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving.

Fun at the Fair

Last Friday, we joined with the rest of Lee county and went out to the annual fair. I love the fair; the greasy food, the greasy people running the rides, just a good ole' time. Sidney loved riding the ponies (of course) and the carousel. Sawyer rode one of the rides and started crying in the middle of it, nothing like a screaming baby to liven up the fun! Midway through the night, the rain came pouring down which gave us an excuse to sit under the food tent and eat a funnel cake and some chili nachoes, yum!

Fall brings Changes...

So, my brother has been getting onto me for not posting in a while. Since the last month we have been packing, moving, unpacking, and getting settled in our temporary home, Grandma's, while we wait for our new house to be finished in November. The kids love it here, they spend most of their time out in the backyard or playing on the carport on their bikes. Plus, they have non-stop access to their Grandparents, which they love.

We also celebrated Sawyer's 2nd birthday here! We had a 'Cars' party and the kids all brought fun riding toys to play on. Only a couple of accidents, so not too bad for a party. Sawyer didn't know what to do with the candle on his cake, he thought if he just stared at it, it would just blow out.

Enjoy the pictures!

Spatula Fighting

My kids have resorted to fighting with spatulas or whatever else they can find out of the kitchen utensil drawer. They are always up to something....

Unexpected Kindness

Tonight we were blessed by the kindness of a stranger. Sawyer and I wandered into Old Navy on this tax-free weekend, it was crowded to say the least. He was on the move and found the big bouncy ball dispenser. He started looking it over and lifting up the lid to see if any would magically fall out. Well, his curiousity attracted some teenagers and we were laughing about it when one of the boys stuck in a quarter and let Sawyer turn the handle until one of the balls fell out. It was such a small thing but to Sawyer it meant the world. I was really touched at the thoughtfulness of this sweet kid and just wanted to share it with you guys. So, thanks out there to all of you that perform random acts of kindness, they really do make a difference.

Early 30th Birthday Trip

My Mom and Jess in the Rocky Mountains

My Brothers crossing the Closed Area, such rebels!

Here we are buying cheesy touristy stuff

My 30th Birthday is fast approaching and I am trying to celebrate it as many times as I can so that it will take my mind off the fact that I will no longer be in my 20's. So, this past weekend I jetted off to Colorado to visit my brother and sister-in-law with no kids. Thanks to my wonderful husband who kept the children while I was gone, love ya honey! We had the best time together and had a fun trip up to the Rocky Mountains. (Thanks Ben and Jess for everything!)

Happy 4th!

Hope everyone had a blessed and fun Fourth of July! We celebrated with our fun Aunt Jackie who was in town for the weekend. Sawyer was not a fan of the fireworks and spent most of the evening watching the festivities from the floorboard of the car. Oh well, maybe next year!


The kids have been enjoying their outdoor oasis on these hot summer days, only it is not so much fun when you are getting hit by your brother.


I thought that I would include some pictures of the our new house currently in the works. Sammy and I are so excited about it and love watching it change almost daily. Sidney already is excited about her new room and her new window. Sawyer enjoys playing in the sand and gravel. They always need a bath after we visit the house site. Just pray that our current house sells soon to the right buyer! We are believing God completely on this one.

Gone for too long...

It has been way too long since I've updated the blog, since Sid has given up on her naps I have had less free time during the day and the blog has suffered. Here are some recent pics of the kids and our trip to the beach last month. The kids both loved everything about the beach except for the ocean. More pictures to come soon I promise...

Rain Lessons

My daughter never ceases…you can fill in the blank here with a number of options. She never ceases to talk, play, create, astonish me, or inspire me. Today there was a rumble of thunder across the sky so we decided to go out and watch the storm come in. She sat in my lap for a moment or two and then just got down and walked into the rain, arms wide open, soaking it all up. She came back with this huge smile on her face. For the next ten minutes or so she kept going back and forth from the dry porch into the pouring down rain and thunder. She wanted me to join her, and my grown-up self didn’t want to get wet. It might be cold I thought or it might lead to another mess to clean up. Too many reasonable thoughts as to why I couldn’t get up out of my chair and into the rain. Finally under heavy persuasion I relented and stuck my leg out in the rain. When we got back into the house, she was wet and sure enough there was a mess to clean up, but in the end it was worth it. It was worth the mess and the wet and everything else to watch my daughter experience the thrill of life. It reminded me of how the Lord calls us to get out in the rain sometimes because it is in these places where life truly happens.

Easter egghunting fun

The kids really enjoyed the Easter activities this year. They took part in four different egg hunts and had a great time at all of them. They especially liked the colored chicks and ducks at our friends Annabelle's and Riley's hunt. We hope that you all enjoyed the Easter season and found a way to celebrate the true life that Christ gave us through His resurrection.

Day out with Thomas the Tank Engine

On Saturday we braved the impending weather and headed to Calera for a Day out with Thomas. The Lord was so gracious, the skies turned blue right before we got on the train and we had the best time! The kids both wore themselves out and were in bed that night before 7:30!

Just a Swingin'

Thanks to such beautiful weather we've been spending a lot of time in the back yard. Here are some pic's featuring the kid's favorite outdoor activity, swinging. Believe me, the swing is hot property at our house.

Wacky Weather

This past weekend we experienced some wacky weather patterns here in Auburn. On Saturday we had a tornado come within a mile of our house, a little scary to say the least. After the storms we loaded up the family to see the damage, here are some pics from the trip.


Then on Sunday we received about 3-4 in of snow. The kids had fun watching it come down. They also enjoyed getting all ready to go outside and then after about 2 minutes outside, they were ready to come back inside again. It was truly beautiful, especially because it is such a rare event here in southern Alabama. So, who knows what is next? But I'm bracing for an earthquake just in case...

Happy Birthday Sidney!

Saturday we celebrated Sidney's 3rd Birthday horsey style! We were blessed with an absolutely gorgeous day and spent most of it outside playing with friends. Sid got her first real bike and in turn her first bike wreck. It was such a surreal moment watching her take off on that thing, I almost cried. Then we headed over to the equestrian meet for Sidney to ride a real horse, which she loved of course. On Sunday we made a major step forward and said good-bye to her beloved pacifiers, they were sent to Tennessee with Gabi so there was no turning back. I have to say I am so proud of her, she is doing great and is such a big girl. We can't believe that our little girl is getting so big, she is such a blessing in our lives and we thank God for her everyday.

The Wonder of God

Life has been fairly routine for us here recently. The winter has brought some colds and ear infections (#6 for Sawyer) but overall we have enjoyed some peaceful days in the house building obstacle courses, finger painting, watching 'Cars' like at least once a day, and laughing a lot.

The cold weather has made me contemplative and recently I've been thinking about the absolute wonder of God. I am in constant wonder of the way He shows up in our lives. I have heard too many stories to know that it isn't just in our lives either, He is constantly at work in all of us, and around each of us. There are so many little things that fit together just right, like the right song on the radio at just the right moment, or running into a friend when you needed to see them most, or finding Scripture that speaks right to the core. God is amazing and to think that He has orchestrated so much together for us to experience these little moments is just awe-inspiring. I pray that as we seek Him more that we would see Him more in each of our lives.

Sawyer's First Hair-Cut

Before the Hair-Cut

After the Hair-Cut (and eating a tasty snack)

Today I finally took the scissors to Sawyer's man-bangs. I distracted him with cookies and he did great. I can't believe how fast that he is growing up, he is such the little man these days.


I couldn't post without including a picture of Sid. This is her and her horse/best-friend 'Pinkie Pie.' 'Pinkie Pie' goes with us everywhere and is one of the family.

Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009

We spent a great Christmas morning at my family's home in Nashville, TN. Sidney was so excited about opening her presents, especially her BIG old horsey from Santa. Sawyer just liked ripping the paper, such a boy!

Our second Christmas back in Auburn with Sammy's family, more presents!


This is Sawyer chilling out with his new tractor.

We tried taking the kids bowling. It lasted about 5 frames and then they were ready to go, but it was fun while it lasted. No professional bowlers in the Crim family it doesn't look like, oh well. Thanks to everyone who made 2008 such a great year, we are looking forward to seeing what is ahead in 2009.