Proud Wife!

When Josh came home from work today he was just beaming! He told me that a guy (Judson) that was a teenager when we were at Calvary in Henderson called him today. Then he started this long story about their conversation...



Judson recently went to the wedding of one of his best (girl) friends from high school. After the wedding he and a few of his friends were sitting around talking at one table and a couple tables over was the bride's father and some of his friends. He kept hearing the bride's father talking about this new youth minister in his town. Not knowing where he lived, he didn't really pay much attention. Here and there he would catch a thing or two that was being said about this youth minister. Things like, our principal loves him, our secretaries love him, even a few of the teachers have said great things about him. He is at the school all the time; at football games, volleyball games and he is seen doing stuff all over town. He also heard that he has been one of the greatest influences on the kids in his town and he is really making a difference in their community. When he got to the part about the youth minister's two year old son passing away about a year and a half ago Judson's ears perked up. He leaned over to their table and said, "Are you talking about Josh Croswell?" The man (the superintendent of Daingerfield/Lone Star ISD) said,"Yeah, that's who I'm talking about, how do you know him?" Judson went on to tell him that Josh is one of the reasons he makes the good decisions that he makes, and that he (and Josh King) was one of the biggest influences on him when he was a teenager!



Wow, what a compliment!! I am so proud to call Josh Croswell my husband and I am so thankful that he is allowing God to use him in such a huge way! I don't think I could be any more proud, even if something like that was said about me!

Fall is Here!!

It's that time of year again! I walked outside this morning and you can just sense that things are beginning to change. No more sultry summer days, no more dips in the swimming pool, no more sunburns, and no more sweat!
I don't know what it is about fall but it is definitely one of my favorite seasons. The smell outside, the beautiful color of the trees, the aroma of burning brush piles, and getting to snuggle up with a big cup of hot chocolate on the back porch! Something about walking outside and smelling all that fall has to offer gets me excited.
I hope that all of you have a wonderful fall season this year!

Have Fun!

This is for all the mommy's of young ones and the mommy's to be!
How many of you have ever said to your little one, "No, let me do it. I don't want you to get dirty." I am guilty of saying this on more than one occasion! As I was getting Ashby out of her bed this morning she was saying, "nummy?" Yes with a question mark, like can we go get some food cause I'm starving! So we went into the kitchen, I put her in her high chair and started making her some oatmeal. She waited patiently in her little chair until I was finally finished. I brought the oatmeal over to her and started trying to feed it to her, but she was wining and putting her hands in front of her face like she didn't want it. I have realized over the past couple of months that this doesn't mean I don't want any, but it means I want to do it myself! So I said, "No, let me do it. I don't want you to get dirty." She looked at me with those beautiful blue eyes and I thought to myself, "what difference does it make if she gets dirty? We have a bathtub, soap and time!" I gave her the spoon and the bowl and said, "have at it!"



A few minutes later she started saying, "Mommy, Mommy!" So I went over and she wanted me to help (picture me with a big smile on my face)! As I am typing this she is sitting in her chair with oatmeal all over her face, hands, hair, shirt and Kali (our dog)! It is one of the cutest things I will see today and she is so proud of herself for doing it all by herself!



Sometimes I feel like this is how we are with God. He tries everyday to help us do things and we don't want his help because we want to do it all on our own. But just like Ashby started calling for me because she needed help, we call for him because we need his help! He is always there to pick right back up where he left off. I know with our kids there will come a day when they really don't need our help anymore. They will be all grown up with kids of their own. But there will never be a day when we don't need the help of our Savior! Even when we think we can do it on our own he will be right there to pick up where he left off! Isn't that a wonderful feeling!!

Marriage

7 Years!!! Sometimes it seems unreal that Josh and I have been married for 7 years, but other times it feels like we have been married forever! For our anniversary we really didn't do much. Josh went to go play golf so me and Ashby stayed home and baked some sugar cookies for him.
When I was growing up, one very vivid memory I have is from my Grandma Brown's house. Every time we went to her house the very first thing we did was run into the kitchen to see if there were any sugar cookies in the cookie jar....of course there always were!

Every time I smell or taste those cookies it brings back great memories of my Grandma. So to get back to our anniversary...we spent most of the morning measuring, mixing, rolling and baking the sugar cookies. I had lots of fun and I think Ashby did too! Josh had lots of fun eating the finished product!

We have always heard that the 1st and 5th years of marriage are the hardest. For us it has been the 6th and 7th. During the past 2 years there have been times when we just wanted to strangle each other, but God wrapped his arms around us and held us until we knew that there was no one in this world that we loved more than each other.

We can see how a major tragedy could cause a marriage to be stressed and even end, but we are living proof that with God all things are possible. I know without a shadow of a doubt that Josh is the one for me and I love him more today than I did 7 years ago when I married him!