September travels!

September was a busy month for us for travel.  First, I went to the northeast to see a friend who I haven't seen in over a year!! She had never met Anna and was about to have her first baby too! We had a great time shopping, entertaining Anna, and touring her town.  It was great to see her and see where she is living now. I wish she lived here!!  Here is a pic from the trip:

Next, we went to TX to visit for Labor Day. I already posted a few pics from that trip.  I was also able to attend a baby shower of a dear friend while down there!! So fun!! Roomie Reunion:

 



I love those girls and we had a lot of fun in the short time we visited.


Now, here are a few pictures from our time in Michigan. Unfortunately, I didn't really get a lot of good pictures, especially when it came to taking pictures of Anna with family members. :( 

But, here are some cute shots my mom got of Anna playing.  My parents' place is perfect for kids to run around. They have a LONG driveway, perfect for pushing around your grocery cart:

 

Guess who was jealous of Anna? 

 





Tippie! Poor baby...  Here we are on Grandpa's tractor.  Anna found it fascinating. He took her for a ride on it.  There is GiGi in the background too!

 

 

Anna also got her hair did:  

She was probably laughing at my dad, who loved to make faces at her while she ate.  Too cute.

And finally, look what happened when I took a nap one afternoon:

Don't worry, this was her first and last twizzler for a while.

We had a great time visiting everyone, even though it was short.  Anna especially had a great time!

4 Years!

Josh and I celebrated 4 years of marriage this year! Our wedding day was quite possibly the happiest day of my life.  Everything seemed right in the world.  All of our friends and family were supporting us and loving us.  We had a blast.

I love that in the first year, we never fought - we just were happy to be under the same roof! In the second year, we moved and got involved with a new ministry - and what do you know, we had some disagreements (shocking, right?)!  In the third year, we welcomed little Anna into our lives - and again, more stress and battles!  But, through the struggles in our own lives, we've learned a lot about each other and the need to show grace on each other EVERYDAY. 

Afterall, that is what God does for His children!

Speaking of grace, we celebrated our anniversary with a trip to the beach (after the busy summer season). Here are a few pics:

 It was our first time to be away from Anna.  We went big - meaning we flew on a plane and went to Florida.  It was tough to leave our little one, but she was in good hands, and we may not have a chance at extended couple time for a while.  So we swam in the pool, discussed the future while gazing at the ocean, did some reading and watched TV (cooking channel and some guy movies - we compromised ;)).

It was sooo refreshing to get away from the everyday and reconnect as a couple.  We try to take a get-a-way every year, and we are always so glad that we did. 

I don't know about you, but I need constant encouragement for my marriage, because it's so easy to let stress and everyday things get you down. I came across some great encouragment from Kristen over at We Are That Family:

You've got to do more than just love your spouse, you've got to like them too. Let's be honest, that line between crazy passion and white fury can be fine. One of the things I love most about my in-laws and parents is that they generally like each other.  They enjoy eating together, talking together, and just being together...

I know it may sound simple-minded, but I know a lot of couples who air-quote love each other, but treat one another pretty badly...But, we did choose our spouses, and that choice is for the good, bad, and ugly times.  Making a concious choice to hush when we really want to say something negative or thank them when it cost us something or putting our dreams and plans aside temporarily to make theirs come true - that's what makes this whole thing work.

Anna is 15 months & can call the Hogs!!

Our big girl just keeps getting bigger (and sweeter).  Here are some pics from the past month or so:

Learning to color!



Daddy's little helper :)



Playing with sweet cousins at Grandma's house

We almost got them all to smile at once!!

Anna loves to carry things around in her mouth!

Semi-naked baby after bath.



Putting ice on a boo-boo.

Well, we've had a few changes this month: Anna is a VERY good walker, who is aspiring to be a runner.  Also, she is saying more words this month.  Here are a few of her words:

Dog

Bug

Gack (her pronunciation of "snack)

Bear

Momma

Daddy

Shoes

Socks

She has also added another tooth on the botton. 

She is TRYING to go to one nap a day, but some days she still needs two. 
 

On a sadder note, Anna has had 2 colds this month, and currently has one now.  I have stopped breastfeeding, which I think is why she is getting these colds.  I think it will take some time for her body to get used to all the germs that she was protected from when she was breastfeeding!

She is still doing well with discipline, though each new month brings new challenges.  This past week, she didn't go to the nursery at church (because of her cold)  and was able to sit with us in the service with no melt downs.  We've been working on this, and we were really proud of her for listening when we said no without immediately crying!!

She is learning to obey commands like "come to mama" "take it to daddy" and "go find your shoes".  It's pretty adorable and MOST times she follows your command!

 

We had her 15 month appt yesterday and here are a few stats:

over 90%ile in height

around 75%ile in weight

35%ile in head circumference!!

 

 

Other adventures Anna had this month include visiting our friend in New Jersey, staying with Grandma Lois without mom and dad, and visiting Michigan with mom.  Anna is a great traveler and it was great to see family, friends, and take a vacation for just Josh and I. September was a full month for all of us!! 

 

Next posts will have travel pics.  I leave you with a video of Anna learning to call the Hogs.  We still cheer on the Hogs despite their bad season :)