Priceless!

This morning's status report from Daddy:

 

"Ava said when she grew up she was going to marry me.

I told her she could not marry me. So she said she was going to marry you.

I told her that she could not marry her mom, so she said she would marry her parents.

I said you have it all figured out don't you Ava..."

 

 

Perspective...

• I am so tired… but I’m thankful I had a warm bed to sleep in last night
• I don’t want to get up and go to work…but I’m thankful I can take a hot shower before I go
• Yuck, it’s raining and cold outside today… but I’m thankful I have a warm coat AND covered parking at work
• I am so tired…but I’m thankful for a sweet hubby who made coffee for me, complete with yummy white mocha creamer
• I hate packing my lunch…but I’m thankful that I’m not hungry and wondering where my next meal will come from
• I am annoyed that my kids are whining… but I’m so very thankful that I have two healthy children that go from whining to giggling in 10 seconds
• I don’t like the way I look in the mirror…but I’m thankful I can stand at the mirror on my own two legs
• I am so tired…but I’m thankful that I got to wake up before Isaac did this morning, beating him to the punch!
• I hate driving 2.5 hours every single day to work and back and then to get the kids from school…but I’m thankful that we have 2 cars and I don’t have to drive even more by taking Jason to school first!
• I wish I had some PTO at work so I could take a day off…but I’m thankful that I have a job and that I had a splendid 10 weeks off with each baby after they were born
• I wish I was a stay at home mom…but I’m thankful that I have a job.
• I am so tired…but I’m thankful to wake up period AND that my sweet hubby gave me a little back rub before I had to get out of bed.

It’s all about perspective, don’t you think?  There are soooooo many times that I get caught up in thinking negative, degrading thoughts about life.  I know that most of it has to do with the fact that I’m sleep deprived and not always able to choose my own priorities because of things I can’t control.  Which normally leads to a not very good feeling of being overwhelmed and then I start to feel bad.  Bad that I’m not focusing on the blessings that I’ve been given, that life could really be so much worse, and that all this time spent whining is really quite pointless! And then I’m mad at myself for being sad and overwhelmed and it really is a vicious cycle that is no fun at all, but I’m certain I’m not the only mommy out there dealing with this!  That is a tad comforting in itself.  What are some things you’ve said to yourself lately that you’ve got to put a little perspective on?

Motherhood

I promise to write a real blog post soon but time is of extreme value these days so you're gonna get this!

A quote I am in love with: "Motherhood is about letting go of perfection and just going with the flow!" Can I get an AMEN?!

And some pics to get you by....

Storing up that energy, seconds at a time!

Lovin like there's no tomorrow, you really should see this...it's incredible

Bringing this mama so much joy sometimes I wonder if I'm either gonna cry or explode with squeals of thanksgiving!

And in case you missed it, we welcomed another blessing from Him into our world: Mr. Nathan Patrick.

 Ava thoroughly enjoyed him, to say the least.

 And finally, a sneak peak of the Halloween festivities.. Hopefully there will be more before Thanksgiving rolls around but I can't promise anything!

More to come soon!   And also, I'm curious; would you rather have a quick pic post with some random thoughts or a real blog post? Leave me a comment and let me know!  One more thing, I want to wish a happy anniversary to the best parents around, you know who you are! Love you Mom and Steve.  Enjoy your day.  And to the rest, have a fabulous day!

I want to be this!

 Please take the time to watch this before reading below...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2F4SABpfUpI

I want to inspire....

I want to encourage...

I want to encourage confidence....

I want to dream...

I want to surprise...

I want to bring joy and happiness...

I want to love...

 I want to treasure...

I want to never take a single moment for granted.



Works for me Wednesday!

Got one little boy gigglin in his high chair at Daddy's goofy faces, one little lady having a very in depth conversation about being naked and a sweet hubby bringing me java. Works for me Wednesday!

What's working for you this fine Wednesday?!!

And what's that lil man?!

It's a bird....it's a plane....It's......

It's the cutest little bright eyed, chubby cheeked baby boy I've ever done seen!

Boy, God sure doesn't mess around does he?  These little blessings make my world go round!  What about you?!

Hoping you could answer this

If anyone would care to answer our 3 year old's question of the night, take a stab!  Cuz I sure didn't know how to reply when she asked.....

Mama, how many eyelashes do I have?!

Well, Ava, I am not really sure!  But I do know that you light up my world little girl. Happy Hump day all!

Typical...

Here's an email trail between me and Jason that paints a typical picture of our lives these days, balancing work, family and play!  I'm sure some of you all can relate all too well!!

Jason: what are we doing Saturday morning?
Crystal: Remember I was going to get to go do something by myself from 8:30-2:30 like you did last Saturday

Jason: how about you get to do something after I do something. You can go from 11-5

Crystal: nope, Saturday 2:00 Braydens party- Dont worry about it, what do you want to do this week?

Jason: I have to consult a client. I can do it early.

Crystal: time?

Jason: I'm going to try to do it at 7:00am

Crystal: Sunday I am sleeping in

            and I mean it

            and I need you to take the kids away so I can actually sleep,

            not hear them crying/getting in trouble/beating down the door or each other..
            PLEASE?!!?!!!!!

Jason: ok sounds good

Crystal: go team Kusick

Jason: right

            We are going to see the buffalo

Crystal: fabulous

At just the right time

Yesterday morning, as Ava and I were embarqing on our weekly grocery run, I heard the sweetest, most inspiring little voice. "Our God is for us, our God is STRONG!"  That little three year old, my baby girl, just about made mommy break down in tears right there in the Price Chopper parking lot.  Tears of joy and hope. Tears of relief, for knowing that everything was going to be okay because of Him!

Romans 8:31: If God is for us, who can be against us? 

After a long week of working lots of hours, a long weekend of being on call and getting called quite a few times, and after a morning of children rising at 6am after going to bed at midnight, I knew that He was with me.  To know that she's hearing these words, through songs on the radio, based on His word is awesome.  It's permeating her little mind and she wants to sing about it!  I know that this little event happened for a reason and that this message that came out in my baby girl's sweet, innocent child voice was something I needed to hear, and at just the right time.  Right there at 7:40am, on a Sunday morning, just me and my 3 year old daughter, standing there breathing in the cool, crisp temps of a fresh fall morning in the parking lot. 

Happy Monday all, may you know that God is with you today and always, no matter what you are going through.  Seize the day!

Life is...

Definitely not perfect...

And no, I'm not getting ready to elbow him in the face, I promise!

But you know what, even though life isn't perfect, it is warm and cozy And full of life and joy

And rich and plentiful

And amazing

And just plain friggin awesome!

Saw this on a friend’s blog and thought I’d copy- what a great idea! In no particular order, here I am!

I like early morning snuggle sessions and breathing in the joy that is my children

I like bear hugs from my family

I like knowing that God has my back

I like hot and spicy cheez-its and jalapeño poppers

I like making out with my hubby (Grandma, ignore this one)

I like McDonald’s hazelnut iced coffee

I like it when my family is healthy and not missing school/work

I like it when I get to see my children show their love for each other

I like when I get more than 7 hours sleep (this is rare)

I like the dimple on Ava's right cheek and Isaac's left cheek that shows up when they smile

I like walking into Isaac’s room at 4:30am in the pitch black and not having to turn a light on cuz he’s reaching out for his mama and he knows I'll be there

I like baby soft skin that smells so incredibly yummy

I like watching my children’s eyes dance

I like Jason’s dreamy blue eyes, his broad shoulders and fabulous abs and calves and bum ;)

I like lasagna and garlic bread with a salad on the side when the ranch barely touches everything and mixes together

I like pumpkin and apple pie candles

I like when Ava says to me, tell Daddy I did a good job mama

I like hydrangeas, calla lilies, fall mums, gerbera daisies, brown eyed susans, lavender, and azaleas

I like singing out loud in my car with Air 1 turned up as high as I can stand it without blowing the speakers (warning, no kids ear drums were harmed in this situation)

I like no traffic days

I like quiet time in the morning with a fresh cup of coffee and God’s encouraging word

I like dancing with my children

I like hearing Isaac growl like a tiger, do what the gorilla does and hop like a bunny rabbit

I like watching Ava prance around in her high heels, princess dress, and butterfly wings as we go for our evening walks.

I like foot rubs and getting my hair played with

I like Isaac’s mean face

I like Jason’s jokes and random thoughts, and inspirations and ability to dream of our future when all I can think about what will I make for dinner

I like Ava’s bounce in her step

I like fudgy brownies with ice-cream and a cup of coffee.

I like how Isaac swings his left arm side to side when he walks and how it moves faster when he runs.
I like how Ava nurtures her baby dolls and rocks them while singing to them

I like sunrises and stepping out into the cool with a robe on while listening to the quiet morning

I like taking pictures of my family and venturing out of Auto into the world of a bazillion settings and trying to learn them all

I like how my pup crawls in my lap anytime he knows I’m upset

I like it when Jason makes the meal

I like anything girly: lip-gloss, hot pink or bright red nail polish, perfume, flip flops, long dangly necklaces, big earrings, and flowers in my hair

I like it when laundry is caught up (btw, this never happens!)

I like to thank God for everything he’s given me every single day

I like it when I have a big presentation or meeting that I’m so nervous about speaking publicly and that huge feeling of relief when it’s over

I like encouragement and appreciation. A kind word gets me through just about anything.

I like how Jason makes me laugh and gets me to loosen up and when he doesn’t say, Just relax Crystal!

I like the smell of fresh coffee brewing

I like going to bed with a clean kitchen

I like lifting my arms up in the air as high as I can praising God during Sunday morning services with a child on my hip watching and dancing at the same time.

I like talking to my mama almost every day

I like 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Philippians 2:13, Romans 12:11, Matthew 6:27, and James 1:3-4 just to name a few

I like to laugh, that really deep gut laugh where you can’t stop it from just coming out

I like to imagine what my life will be like in 5, 10, 40 years

I like team meetings with my hubby

I like to pray for my family, that God will protect them and help me to show them how very much I love them What do you like?! Leave me a comment with something you like. Have a great day all!

This is the day!!

So many days I wake up feeling utterly exhausted but I try to tell myself, wait a minute Crystal...Are you going to let exhaustion take away from the joy of the day that God has given you? Are you going to give in to the excuse of poor me, I'm so overworked and tired and underappreciated? Remember, that's the devil speaking to you, you know? Are you going to remind yourself of all of those things that were on yesterday's to-do list that you didn't get done and the 10 more things that you've added on for today? Or are you going to take a deep breath, stop hitting the snooze (even if it's 4am) and think of all the blessing's you've been given. Are you going to look over at that dreamy man in your bed *insert husband with a pillow over his head* and lean over to kiss him good morning and tell him how very much you love him and all he does for you? Are you going to think of those sleeping bundles of awesomeness that are snoozing away, storing up endless amounts of energy so that when they wake up they are READY for the day! And boy do I mean READY!! (sorry, breaking out the exclamation points, and it's only 5:27am) You need to jump out of that bed because Crystal Ann, you are so blessed. You're gonna thank Him for such a comfy bed (complete with egg crate mattress from college days), your job that will have never ending job security with all the EMR changes coming along, your healthy, beautiful family who will be waking up any minute now, and the espresso machine, just dying to be touched for the morning.

You've been given a beautiful new day to start over and thank God. For this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! Psalm 118:24

Happy Thursday friends, seize the day!

Top 10 Reasons Why...

It's nice to have kids that get up at 5am on Saturdays....
1. You dont ever have to set your alarm clock
2. The day is full of hours...
3. More time in the day for snuggling and giving extra kisses
4. Coffee tastes really good at 5am
5. You get to see amazing sunrises
6. Your kids are extra snuggly and cozy which is much better than waking up to that annoying alarm
7. You dont have to worry about people driving by seeing your bedhead in the window at 5am
8. Dance parties where you crank up the music and watch your kids shake their groove thang
9. Listening to giggles echo from back bedrooms as they play together nicely...often followed by a screech and fighting over who took what toy from who (we'll ignore that for now!)
10. Photo ops!!

And I know I said 10 but I can't forget the most important reason which is...drumroll, please!
My kids still think I'm COOL and amazing and worth wanting to wake up at the crack of dawn to see me and wake me up to play, snuggle, and take care of them. Reason 552 why it's awesome to be a mommy and I wouldn't trade extra minutes of sleep for anything!

Are we ready?? Yes, we are!

Just do it! Go Team Kusick! Are we ready? Yes, we are!! These are all things that I’ve said many times around our house and boy do they apply to my new adventure in the blogging arena. I’ve wanted to finish up a little diddy for Ava and Isaac’s totsites that I’ve maintained the last 3 years and you know, life just seems to be so crazy! It could be that I’m a working mommy who has a family full of little ones but who’s really thinking about that?! And yes, I did just use my favorite punctuation symbol, the exclamation point, at least 6 times so far. Sorry…

Anyways, needless to say, I’ve yet to write those wrap up journals on the kids sites and that was my hangup for starting this new blog, but what the hey….I’m doing it! I can’t wait any longer to start up a new thing and get rocking and rolling. So, hang on tight, this chick’s ready to rumble!! Make that 10 exclamation points. I promise, I’ll stop soon. Stay tuned kids. There's so much more to come!