Not Much Going On

Not a whole lot going on here. Andrew is so incredible active that I am scared of him coming into the world. Yes Yes I know he has to be to keep up with the other two boys but wow if he's this active in the belly just imagine how active he is going to be. Yes Grandma and Grandpa I know he will be perfect I am just stating that he's active! The boys are cute as ever. They have a small cough right now but they are amazingly cute. They are excited about seeing the christmas lights. They love driving to church because they see alot. I am also currently teaching them the true meaning of Christmas. Sorry so short will try to write a better one next week. Love you all.

What's Going On!!

Alright so I know that it has been a while and I apologize for that.

First and foremost It's A Boy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Andrew Ryan Crosby will be his name. RC and I are very very excited. In the sono room RC did admit that he was a little disappointed it wasn't a girl but like he pointed out we have no wedding to pay for! The boys are absolutely excited about another brother. When you ask either one of them who's in Momma's belly they will tell you Andrew Ryan. It's really sweet.

Another really cute story about my boys happened last night. They had a late nap and Daddy (their's not mine) got home early. Well Daddy was in the kitchen talking to me and AC tell's Trace, "Hey Trace that sounds like Daddy!" Well then he opened the door and told Daddy, "Hey Daddy its your favorite boys, AC and Trace!" It was so cute that I called my mom immediately just to brighten her day. I have to say I am really lucky to have God's glorious riches shown to me through my amazing boys. God is so good!

Finally planned our Thanksgiving plans. Thursday we will go over to my in laws and then the boys will spend the night over there. Friday morning RC and I will get up and meet my parents at Walmart at about 6 am to do Christmas shopping. Then I think the guys (Dad and RC) will probably go for a bike ride and I will go get the boys from NaNa's. We will then meet back at Mom and Dad's for our Steak Thanksgiving Dinner and hang out and play.

Well anyways I don't know what else to write about. My next doctors appointment is November 30 and they may change my due date. The doctor says April 7th but the sono tech said she thought I was about 2 weeks farther along. Oh well only God really knows what Andrew's birthday will be. I am just glad to see everything is going really well. My breathing problems have subsided for the most part. The one thing that I ask for prayer is my migraines have increased and the only thing I can take is Extra strength Tylenol.

But all in all, everything is well on this end I pray that the same is on your end. I love you all.

Real Quick!

Not much to say, I haven't received any results from my echo. They had to cancel my appointment due to Hurricane Wilma. I go to the doctor today at 4:30pm. I feel really blessed to have my parents close by because they go to my appointments to help keep up with the boys for me. RC doesn't know if he will be able to go to my appt. so it really is nice to have someone else go with me. I am hoping to find out today if I can schedule my next sono so that I can find out if it is Andrew Ryan or Alexys Dyan. Well thats all for now I will try to get back sooner.

Update!

Hey everyone just a quick update. I had my sonogram on Monday, Oct. 10, and found out that I am actually about a week farther along. The doctor said my due date was April 7th but the sonogram says April 2nd. I don't know if the doctors will officially change my due date yet but hey either way it will be awesome. I did have my echo on Tuesday, Oct. 11, they also gave me a halter (or something like that) to wear for 24 hours. My boys called it Mommy's machine and it monitored my heart to see what it was doing during my episodes of shortness of breathe. Horrible, a) it irritated the heck out of my skin and b) it was really difficult to sleep. I will not get my results until Oct. 24th and then I meet with my ob-gyn on Oct. 27th. So I will definitely keep you updated.

The boys are doing very well. They kiss mommy's belly every night and tell the baby night-night. They are growing up so fast. Trace no longer looks like my baby any more he is definitely a little boy now. He is in the stage of Me do it me self. His big brother is quickly learning the difference between respectful and disrespectful talking. I said he's learning the difference not that he is putting it into action yet. He does come back and apologize generally and it could be a day or two later. So I know he is learning the difference. He can recognize his name any where. He is also learning to write it.

RC is doing great. He is participating in a race at the end of this month. He will be riding across the state of FL. Unfortunately I do not get to watch him because of a previous commitment I had made to Judgement House. He still works all kinds of hours, and plays guitar at church and plays softball and rides his bike. But it has definitely made our family time all the more meaningful.

Oh yeah Mom and I joined the choir at our church to sing in the Christmas Eve service. Not something we would normally have chosen to do by ourselves so I know its God saying time to get out of you comfort zones.

Well that's all for now, I love you all and hope that all is well with you!

I'm Pregnant!!!!!!

Wow God really works in mysterious ways. Recently I found out that my family is getting bigger than RC and I planned. But God reminds me constantly looking at my family that he is just blessing me even more by giving me another child to raise up walking in Christ. One of the coolest things is that both my boys have their own verses given to them. AC's verse was given to him unintentionally by his NaNa. She quoted Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." as she saw him for the first time during my sonogram. Trace's verse came in a card from RC's Aunt Marilyn (Ede's sister) and it just touched my heart. It is Psalms 127:3 "Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him." So now I am on the look out for another verse because I think it is really cool to teach my children the importance of God's word and especially pray these verses over them.

Some things to please pray for about this pregnancy and others:

1. Morning Sickness - it has definately come full force with this one.
2. Headaches - they seem to hit atleast every other day.
3. Rest - especially after last night I am already struggling through the night.
4. RC - he is dealing with the unexpected surprise and he is also trying to figure out balance everything.
5. My boys - they are adding another child to the mix and they already get jealous of my spending too much time with the other.
6. Vehicle - my car won't hold three car seats so we are having to look for a new vehicle, we are hoping for a mini van.
7. My parents - they have been wonderful but they are like every grandparents in the fact that they take on the worries as well.
8. RC's parents - the same as above.
9. The baby - a healthy baby and no complications during his/her life.

I am truly okay with a boy or a girl, I just pray that God will give me another healthy happy child. Both of my boys weren't planned and they have blessed my life beyond measures and I know God will allow this one to do the same.

Mommy and AC's Special Day!

Wow! Yesterday was a pretty cool day! Well I'll start with Trace and where he was...

Trace got to spend an afternoon, just him and NaNa (RC's Mom). They went to the beach. NaNa had her hands fool because Trace isn't thrilled with water: bath water (he does ok with), swimming pool (near death grip) or pretty much anything else. So for the first little bit she had to get him use to the water. Well he finally warmed up to it and they got to enjoy a nice time playing in the water and sand (sitting right next to NaNa, of course).

Now to AC's and my special day. Since Trace was with NaNa, that left AC and me to a day to ourselves. Well I gave him a few choices: the park, swimming, the mall or Chuckie Cheese. He of course jumped on the chance to go to Chuckie Cheese. We had so much fun eating pizza, riding rides and playing games. AC figured out that he likes sprite and cheese pizza (he doesn't get sodas very often so that was a treat for him, and no caffeine so a treat for me). We rode tons of the rides, actually he rode the rides, I only got to ride one. The one I got to ride was a giant rocking horse. Yes I do mean giant, as AC put it, "It's even bigger that Uncle Shawnie." Then after riding the rides we went to play some games. We had to win tickets for prizes. Yes people I did let him play most the games (HEY I like them too!). We ended up winning 381 tickets. So AC got Smarties, a Chuckie Cheese puzzle and 3 Chuckie Cheese cars. He gave one of his cars to his little brother. Isn't he a good big brother. I almost forgot one a AC's favorite parts, he got to dance with Chuckie Cheese himself. That was really cool.

We then went and picked Trace up from NaNa's. Then we met Grandma and Grandpa for dinner at The Tampa Ale House. Grandpa had been whining for that place and so we finally gave in. For those who have never heard the old man whine it can be pretty convincing. (Hey Dad I am just kidding I love you!) AC and Trace were really excited to get to spend the evening with Grandma and Grandpa. We all then chose to walk through Micheal's and found some really great crafts for the kids to try. Of course, the boys were bought some candy and I'll give you 3 guesses as to who bought it for them and it isn't a she. Then we sent them home so Grandpa could play with his bike. We went home and trust me when I say the boys were "ready" for bed by nine. Normally they try to stay up to see Daddy but not last night. They were both, actually we were all exhausted.

Speaking of Daddy, you may all have been wandering where he was during all this. The amazing man was at work. He is still working a lot of hours, but I am really trying not to be upset (not mad, just really missing him) about it because he is doing this to provide for our family. God is really going to bless him in full. I am a lucky woman to have a man that is willing to sacrifice his rest to allow the boys to have a stay at home mom. Well anyways this is a long blog so I'll sign off. Tune in next week and you can hear about AC's day at the beach with NaNa and Mine and Trace's Special day. Love you all and God bless you!

The Shopping Trip

Man! I have to get my computer fixed, Mom always beats me to posting the fun stuff. And she always does it better than me.

The shopping trip was absolutely awesome, exhausting, but awesome! I had taken 4 of the girls to see the movie The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, good movie I thought and then we decided we needed to go shopping. I had a lot of people tell me I was crazy and after the shopping trip I think they're right. The craziest thing is I would do it again in a heart beat, next time Renee needs to stay longer. I believe we all had a blast. I had taken 2 of the entire group shopping a few weeks before because they didn't think they would be able to go, well I got in major trouble because I didn't buy anything for me only for my kids. Well this time I wasn't going to get in trouble especially since they had told the rest of the group to make sure I bought something for me. I love the back to school sales, I got a Black cute little shirt for $10 and a pair of kahki capris for $12.99. Sales are good. Julie and I even joined in on the whole dress thing we had fun trying on the dresses but learned that 2 kids really do a thing to your figure. I was about an hour late for my bible study which I took the girls with me but still my husband kept calling, "Do you know what time it is?", "Where are you?", and my favorite "Do you realize that everyone is waiting on you?". I didn't realize that when I got married I got another father. No just kidding, even though I do seem to get grounded everytime I am out with these girls. :) :) :)
RC and the boys got some really great bonding time. They spent most of Sunday just the three of them. They played and played and I think RC was just as tired as I was.

Well anyways I'll write more later Love you all

PS: RC says thank you to the girls because they cured my wanting a girl of my own. I love the girls to death but I realized boys are less dramatic. I do mean the drama in a good way but there is enough drama in me for my husband to deal with he doesn't need any more!

Just a Quick Hello

Hey all, don't have a whole lot of time. Busy weekend planned. Going to RC's cousins going away party tomorrow. (3 hour trip) He is going into the Navy, so please keep Japheth in prayers. Then Saturday we are hoping to go take dinner to a friend who is being induced today. Another prayer request, Rosie and Russell. Then Sunday while the boys have a boys day, my mom and I are taking some girls from church out shopping. Pray for us they are all 11 and 12. The boys are doing great. AC informed his NaNa that he didn't want to grow big because then he might scare Trace. Isn't that sweet. No Uncle Shawn that does not mean he is scared of you. RC is good looking as ever. Anyways just a quick note. I promise to write better next week. Love you all.

I didn't mean to be defensive!

Hello everyone, I just wanted to start by saying I'm sorry if I sounded defensive. I have been told by some that it sounded really defensive and none of my previous post was meant to be defensive. I write these blogs not as journaling but as a special way to keep those who I love and care about updated in my life. I have my own journal, the one I use for my quiet times that I use to journal for myself. I thank all that have responded and I will look into getting a counter because I do feel better knowing that people read this. I am glad to know that you all do care :)

AC is feeling much better. Now he and his brother are fighting over every little toy (No Grandpa I am not telling stories on your little boys!) The weekend is going to be packed. Tonight I have plans to go out, RC has a double header (softball), tomorrow RC wants to get a ride in and then we have to get him fitted for his tux (for his cousins wedding), and then we have a birthday party for our friend Donna (my parents are taking our little guys THANK YOU!), and then Sunday we have church and bible study. AC and Trace are excited to spend this afternoon with NaNa (pronounced Naw Naw, that is RC's mom) and tomorrow with Grandma and Grandpa (my parents). They will have a busy weekend as well. But I do believe we will all have a blast.

Well I will try to get by early next week to update this again, if not it will be next Friday. I love you all and ask God to bless you.

Hey Everyone!

Ok I am going to start with the fact that my computer is broken and so I can only post from my mom's house. (Yes mom I am over today just so I could watch Amber Frey: Witness for the Prosecution.) That was kind of interesting. Well anyway now that that is out of the way. I agree with mom and the comments she made about the comments. I am curious if anyone but my mother and sister in law read this because I can just as easy talk to them on the phone.

Life is good here, exhausting but good. RC is working lots of hours but that has just made our family time go from quantity time to quality time. WE both use to say oh well we can just talk tomorrow and he and I would sit on the couch watching tv instead of really talking but that has changed. He came home from Band practice last night and He had plans to chill out on our balcony just us no tv. The boys were already in bed. Because I was to the last 20 minutes of my show he instead chose to finish the movie with me and then we laid in bed and read his bicycle magazine together and then went to bed cuddling. To those who don't believe it when people say studying God's word together brings you closer I am here to tell you it really does. RC and I have an incredible marriage that is not for anyone else. It is our marriage and we are incredibly happy with it. Not everyone agrees with our arrangements but it is our unique arrangements that makes our marriage ours not the worlds. He and I have really opened up and are accepting constructive criticism from one another and we are willing to make the changes that God and one another alone ask us to make.

Well now about the boys. Cute as ever. I know I know you all are probably tired of hearing that but it is true! AC isn't feeling very well today, he is running a low grade fever. He went to play in his bedroom last night and when I hadn't heard from him for about 10 minutes (normally he is in and out of the room atleast every 2-3 minutes) I went to his room to check on him. He had climbed into his bed and was sound asleep. Poor pumpkin, He woke up just long enough to take some tylenol and tell his daddy good night. Trace was in a good mood last night. He was all about his laugh. Every time I turned around he laughed and laughed. Well I gotta go I love you all and may God bless your daily lives.

Life's Crazy

Hey everybody. I hope life is finding you all well. I have to say if it isn’t go to God, he will provide the comfort needed to get through life. Life is so crazy. Everything going at once, and the season doesn’t seem to have an end is sight. You will hear me talk a lot about seasons because I believe that God not only has seasons for the weather but seasons for our life. The season God has me in now is being so hungry to learn His word and how to demolish the strongholds that satan has deceived me with. As I told you I am in different bible studies and am extremely active in Vacation Bible School. On Sunday nights RC and I are attending one that is Extraordinary Marriage, on Tuesday mornings I am in one by Beth More called Living Free, and Wednesday mornings I am in one by Cynthia Heald called Loving Your Husband. Yes it seems like a lot but as I said earlier I am just hungry and I know that part of defeating the lies that Satan tells us is by replacing them with the truth of Christ, the truth is revealed to us via the Word of God. God has also placed me in a position of leadership, as of this last Sunday and am a co-vessel (I am referring to it this way because I by no means am qualified to teach someone, God is doing the teaching and I am simply one of the vessels he is using) of a class for young mothers. We have a few young girls in our church that have come into the role of motherhood sooner than planned. Yes I do qualified to be a member of the class, the advantage I have that these girls don’t is that I have the support of a loving husband to help me raise my precious little boys. I was approached about this and before I had the chance to even think about it the word yes was coming out of my mouth. I know that was the Lord because had I had time to think, my fears of inadequacies would have come into the play. I am excited to see what God does through this class so that the girls of the class can learn that they have the support of God to get through their raising of children.

Any ways wow sorry about the rambling about me, now about my kids. They are cute as can be and at the same time onery as can be. They are at the stage of beginning to fight with each other and being tricky about it. AC gets up every morning and his first words to me are “Mommy it’s a wonderful day outside” and Trace is all about the snuggles in the morning. They play together even though they don’t necessarily play the same thing it’s really kind of cute. Yes I think my kids are cute, not that I am bias or anything. They look a lot like their Daddy and yes I think their Daddy it cute. :)

About their Daddy, RC is doing pretty good. He is working the two jobs and that is exhausting to him but he is handling it all right. He still has time for fun, on Saturday mornings he tries to get a ride in with the guys, he still plays guitar at church and family time has become more important to us all. He loves the fellowship of the bible study on Sunday nights. It is really cool to see that as I better fulfill my wifely duties, he stands up more and shines as the head of our house hold. By no means are we to the point of the perfect marriage but we are to the point of trying to have a God driven marriage.
Well I guess that’s all for now. I send out my love and prayers. May God bless you all.

I Really Don't Know What to Say...

Hey everybody, I just don't know what to say. I guess I will start with I'm sorry for not updating my blog. My computer is broken again (hint hint Daddy!) and I went out of town. So anyways well lets see what's going on in my world....?

RC is working a second job. He had this job fall into his lap and it helps us out. It is taking a lot of prayer on my part because he works his 40 hours at Signs By Tomorrow and then another 15-20 hours at the other job. There are a lot of lonely nights until he gets home but I know he is doing it so that I can continue to stay home with our boys. We do have special Family times and this makes the time with him so much more special. I love him and ask for you guys to pray for our family, for him so that he has the strength to continue until God tells us to stop and for me and the kids to support him and let him know that we love him and appreciate all that he does for our family.

Now onto my boys. They are getting so big. I don't know what to do with them. They both act like they are the kings of the world. They both love to pray. We will be doing just about anything and they will ask to say AMENS! It is really sweet listening to them talk to God. They love to go to Sunday School and bible study. They love to play and eat. If you want to see them My mom has pictures of them on her blog. I haven't figured out to do the whole picture thing. (Mom - Tasha y'all have to teach me!!)

Me well lets see I am feeling a bit overwhelmed. We are having issues with our car, we had a family of racoons take residents in our attic, the air conditioner started leaking, and our dish washer is leaking. Now let me tell you I am not whining I am simply telling you why I am feeling overwhelmed. I am also trying to handle preparing things for Vacation Bible School, writing skits, putting together packets, planning things for Family night, and getting things together because I am teaching. Then there is Wednesday morning bible study, It is on a book by Cynthia Heald called Loving Your Husband. I am really enjoying everything individually but together it is a little rough. I am very thankful for a Heavenly Father who loves me so much that he gives me His Strength to get through everything that He places on my plate.

I hope and pray that all of you have the comfort of the knowledge that Christ will be your Stronghold. He will protect you and love you no matter what idiot thing you did today, yesterday or even tomorrow. I ask for your prayers for my family and I pray for yours!

The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1

The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. Exodus 15:2

Do You Know What's Going On?

Dear Friends and Family,

As you have probably all seen on the news lately, there have been too many abductions of children by pedafiles and others. There are also a big push to pass laws in congress for harsher punishment for sex offenders due to these unfortunate incidents. I pray that these laws pass. But there is one thing not being said, everyone is blaming the offenders and that they are the only ones who need to be held accountable. But I feel very strongly that one major point is being left out of the media coverage. The protection and changes must first be made in the home. We must be better aware of our surroundings, we must be home more with our children, we must take a stronger stand in the knowledge of our childrens where abouts. Come on these all sound like common since things but you would be surprised how few parents even know what their children are currently studying in school. I am not blaming parents for the abduction of their children but for us to protect our children we have to open our eyes (both Father and Mother) and know what's going on. They are trying to pass a thing about being able to send porn to picture phones. Well hello the majority of phones are in the hands of 9 year olds and older. We as parents have to take a stand and it has to start in our homes.

What's going on in your home, in your neighborhood, in your church, or even in you kids school? What kind of music do your kids enjoy, tv shows, or even food? Do you know the answer to these simple questions? Take time out for your kids and let them know you care. Because as I said before The Changes Must Start in the Home!

A Very Concerned Mom,

Brittney

Bible Study

I went to one of the coolest bible studies today. It is CBS, Community Bible Study. This group meets all over the world. The group started in the 1975 as an answer to the heartfelt prayers of a group of women who asked the Lord to provide many effective Bible studies for people in the Washington, DC area. It has since grown abundantly. In 1992, there were 3 meetings in Florida and in 2000 there were 24. In 1992, there was about 100 throughout the United States and in 2000 there were about 500. In 1992, there were 3 nationally, and in 2000 there were over 1000. Isn't God amazing. Wow to have it grow so rapidly. God is just awesome.
Well about why I thought it was so great. My moms best friend Julie invited me to go with her because it was an answer to prayers for her. It is a place to truely open the bible and study the bible. We are currently studying the book of Colossians. One thing that strikes me as great is that the childrens program is not just babysitting they have there lessons too. They are learning as well.
I am at a place in my christian walk that I am yearning for more knowledge. I want to learn the bible and know what the Lord says in His book of truth. I have found that in this place and what a blessing it is. I would recommend this CBS to anyone. It is nondenominational, it is strickly based on the truths of the bible.

I cooked!

Can you believe this I cooked dinner last night? First I made dinner for a family in our church- Pork chops baked in cream of mushroom soup, potatoes chopped and seasoned with butter, Lowry’s season salt, and cheese, and green beans. The mom in the family had surgery last week so we got the privilege of helping out. Then we came home and I made the pork chops and potatoes for us. For those who don’t know what the big deal about this is I don’t cook very often. I don’t think I cook very well but I made the pork chops for Mom and Dad not too long ago and they really liked it. So evidently that’s one thing I can cook.
Don’t get me wrong I am not completely useless in the kitchen. I love to bake. I enjoy making cookies, brownies, cheesecakes, and so forth and so on. Desserts are my things. We don’t do desserts very often because it is not really great on the curves.
That’s why our kitchen is called RC’s kitchen. We just don’t do enough desserts so RC is our cook. He is a really awesome cook. He did say he liked my dinner last night and went back for seconds so maybe I will try something else and see how I do with that.

What's going on!

Hey Everyone!
Okay as you can tell I am not as good as Tasha at keeping my blog updated. We went camping this last weekend. It was a lot of fun. Our Sunday School classes go camping like twice a year. It will now be opened to the entire church and is an official ministry of the church. Life has been so busy. We celebrated AC's 3rd birthday last week. Then the camping trip. It is just crazy. We have WOW (for those who don't know that is Women of Worship) this Friday night where Mom and I will be doing a song in Sign Language. Then the following weekend we have some really great friends bachelor/bachelorette party. The weekend after that their wedding. I really will try to keep this updated more because trust me I get "When are you going to update your blog?" from Mom and Tasha all the time.

It's Been Crazy!

Hey everyone! Wow things have been crazy. First of all everyone who reads this probably also reads my family's blogs. So you all know that we (actually Mom and Dad) had a house full this last week. Shawn and Tasha made there way to Nyki and Jeremy's on Thursday March 10. They spent the night and then Shawn, Tasha, Nyki, Jeremy and as my son says Baby Rylee all hoped in the car Friday and drove through out the night to be in Tampa Saturday at about 10:00 am. It was so cool because I knew they were all coming but with Mom and Dad it was a different story. Dad knew Shawn and Tasha were coming but expected them late Saturday night. Mom knew Nyki, Jeremy and Rylee were coming but expected them early Monday morning. (Dave mom's boss new about Shawn and Tasha so he was prepared for Mom to take all but Monday off). It was great. Mom cried as I knew she would and Dad came off the trail to see Mom holding their granddaughter so he thought that was pretty awesome.

The week was crazy. We had to deal with rain and then on Wednesday we went down to Venice beach. (If you want to see a picture of the beach click on The Hubbard's on the side of the screen) Only a couple hours in the sun and we all had a sunburn. Unfortunatly the pictures are minus one. RC had to work everyday except Friday. Thursday we took it easy because we had a few crispy lobsters in the family (no offense Shawn!). Friday we went and had pictures taken. Wow try putting 11 people in one picture. It turned out awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!! RC and I even liked our family photo. Friday night we went over to Clearwater Beach and went to Frenchy's Rockaway Grill. It is one of mine and Mom's favorite restaurants. While we waited to be seated AC asked to go see the snow. (He has been watching Rescue Heroes and they work in the snow a lot.) Shawn and Tasha told him that it was cold but not that cold. He just didn't want to hear it. They took him out on the beach and he kept trying to make "snow balls". It was pretty cute. We got to watch the sunset from our table. It was pretty. We celebrated Nyki's birthday (April 2) and AC's birthday (March 30) that night. Not a big celebration just a small family thing.

They left early Saturday morning. It was sad, lot's of crying and prayers for safety. I had explained to AC before we went over there, that Grandma and Uncle Shawnie might cry and others but I know those two, but that it just means that they are going to miss everyone and its okay they just need extra hugs! He dealt with it okay.

Oh while they were here Tasha took us ladies with her to work out at Curve's. I worked out on Monday and Mom on Tuesday. It was a lot of fun. Saturday we left the house right before they did to go to join curves we enjoyed it so much. We were only able to do the weigh in and had to go back Monday night for the first work out. It will be great to reach my goal!!!!!! After work out we joined the guys who God bless them had taken the boys down to Chuckie Cheese to pass the time, at Chili's for a quick dinner. Then RC and I went to the workout room in our apartment complex, we did some weight training and all I have to say it I am not ready for that. I hurt so bad!!!! I didn't actually until I tried to work out at Curve's last night. Ouch! Well any ways thats all for now. Love you guys.

Why We Have Free Will!

Many of you have seen Veggie Tales. Well in their latest creations they have come out with
A Snoodle Tale A lesson in ... Self Worth. In this movie the young snoodle asks, "If you made the land then can't you make the Snoodles obey your comand." God's reply is, "A gift that is demanded is no gift at all."

We have all wondered why God gives us the right to make our own choices and well here it is. A gift that is demanded is no gift at all!

Our Honey Moon!

Hey Everyone! RC and I just got back from our Honey Moon! Yes Yes I know we have been married 3 1/2 years but our weekend after the wedding we didn't count as a honey moon. We went down to the Florida Keys. We had so much fun!!!!!!!!!!!

First of all the boys spent the weekend with my mom and dad, they stayed from Thursday to Sunday (it was planned for Monday but I will explain that in a few).

We left about 9:00 on Friday and started on the rode. We spent a few hours in a little town called Venice. It is a very beautiful little retiree town with crystal clear beach water. Then we kept on truckin'. We chose to take the Tamiami Trail (Hwy 41). That is the coolest by far. You are able to stop and walk on board walks to see alligators in the wild. We saw probable 20. We got to Key Largo where we stayed at the Sheraton Resort (Thank you Daddy!) about 6:00pm. The view from our balcony was absolutely gorgeous. We could see the ocean and the trees and wow it was just beautiful!!!!!

Saturday we woke up and were out of the hotel by 8:00 for the 2 hour drive to Key West. I could live in Key West!!!!!!! We rode on the world famous Conch train. For those who don't know it is a train that takes you through out Key West explaining the History behind the island. It was a 90 minute ride and was really interesting. Then we chose to do what the locals call the Duval Street shuffle, that is just simply walking up and down in the local shops and just taking it easy. We went to Jimmy Buffetts Margarittaville for lunch. The cheeseburgers are served just like the song says. Then we went down to the Southern Most Point and took our pictures. We later walked along the board walk until sunset. They had an amazing sunset celebration where a bunch of locals put on some cool shows. It was great. We then walked down and went to a restaurant called the Conch Republic. We had a table with a great view of the Harbor. (Oh and I found out I am allergic to jerk spice). Then we walked back to the car by way of the Harbor. RC found it neat that the Tarpon were just basically stacked on top of each other in the Harbor.

Sunday morning we got up and went swimming or actually I got up and went swimming. RC joined me about 20 - 30 minutes later and we sat in the Hot Tub. We then checked out by 10:30 and got on the rode to come back home. We just took our time and enjoyed the trip. We took the Tamiami again and there is an extra 18 mile scenic loop that RC and I chose to take. We seriously saw over 100 alligators on the drive home. It was so cool!!!!!!!!!! We got to Fort Myers which is about 2 hours outside of Tampa, and the oil light came on. (We were in my parents car) We pulled over let it cool and checked the oil, it said it was fine. So we got on and by the very next exit it was making a loud clunking noise so we got off. We turned left to go to the Pilot Station there and the car just stalled! This was about 4:00 pm. We called Mom and Dad and they were finally able to get to us about 9:30. The tow truck was there by about 10:00 and we got home about midnight.

Yes it was a crazy ending. Mom had planned on us just picking up the kids on Monday but after they had seen us they had to come home with us. We had never left them for that long. Even with 6 hours of waiting RC and I made lemonade out of our lemons. We bought a deck of cards and just played cards while we waited. We had a great time even with the car problems!

PS Everyone Pray for Mom and Dads car, we have to figure out what is wrong with it.

F A M I L Y

I ran into a stranger as he passed by,
"Oh excuse me please" was my reply.

He said, "Please excuse me too;
I wasn't watching for you."

We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way and we said goodbye.

But at home a different story is told,
How we treat our loved ones, young and old.

Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My son stood beside me very still.

When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.
"Move out of the way," I said with a frown.

He walked away, his little heart broken.
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.

While I lay awake in bed,
God's still small voice came to me and said,

"While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use,
but the family you love, you seem to abuse.

Go and look on the kitchen floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.

Those are the flowers he brought for you.
He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.

He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise,
you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes."

By this time, I felt very small,
And now my tears began to fall.

I quietly went and knelt by his bed;
"Wake up, little one, wake up," I said.

"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"
He smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree.

I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.
I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."

I said, "Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;
I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."

He said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay.
I love you anyway."

I said, "Son, I love you too,
and I do like the flowers, especially the blue."

FAMILY
Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than into our own family, an unwise investment indeed, don't you think? So what is behind the story?

Do you know what the word FAMILY means?

FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU

SLOW DANCE

SLOW DANCE

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask How are you?
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say,"hi"
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....
Thrown away.

Mama Bear

In this life, I'm a woman...in my next life, I'd like to come back as a bear.

When you're a bear, you get to hibernate. You do nothing but sleep for six months.

I COULD DEAL WITH THAT

Before you hibernate, you're supposed to eat yourself stupid.

I COULD DEAL WITH THAT, TOO.

When you're a girl bear, you birth your children (who are the size of
walnuts) while you're sleeping, and wake to partially grown, cute , cuddly cubs.

I COULD DEFINITELY DEAL WITH THAT.

If you're a Mama bear, everyone knows you mean business. You swat anyone who bothers your cubs. If your cubs get out of line, you swat them too.

I COULD DEAL WITH THAT.

If you're a bear, your mate EXPECTS you to wake up growling. He EXPECTS that you will have hairy legs and excess body fat.

Yup......gonna be a bear.

The End

If You Never Felt Pain

If you never felt pain,
Then how would you know that I am a Healer?

If you have never prayed through,
How would you know that I am a Deliverer?

If you never had a trial,
How could you call yourself an overcomer?

If you never felt sadness,
How would you know that I am a Comforter?

If you never made a mistake,
How would you know that I am forgiving?

If you knew all,
How would you know that I will answer your questions?

If you never were in trouble,
How would you know that I will come to your rescue?

If you never were broken,
Then how would you know that I can make you whole?

If you never had a problem,
How would you know that I can solve them?

If you never had any suffering,
Then how would you know what I went through?

If you never went through the fire,
Then how would you become pure?

If I gave you all things,
How would you appreciate them?

If I never corrected you,
How would you know that I love you?

If you had all power,
Then how would you learn to depend on me?

If your life was perfect,
Then what would you need me for?

Thank you JESUS.

Our Life!

RC and I don't believe in taking it easy. We keep our lives pretty busy and have had a major event every year in our marriage. We got married in 2001 and bought a home, then in 2002 AC came to join our family, then in 2003 Trace expanded our family even more.

Now in 2004 No! we did not add to our family (as in the Crosby's) but we did add to our family. My Sister and Brother -in -Law (Nyki and Jeremy) added our wonderful niece Rylee. She is the sweetest most amazing little girl there is only on problem SHE LIVES IN TEXAS! My brother Shawn added another girl to our Family. She is the bestest Sister - in - Law in the world. I hope She knows how much she is Loved and Welcomed to our Family. Oh yeah there is another problem with her THEY LIVE IN TEXAS! Okay yes I have issues with my family living so far away!

Some people say hey that's not a major life decision for you and RC well in the midst of the year RC and I moved into our new place. We decided that the house wasn't right for us and so we now live in a great apartment and love every moment of it.

We are hoping that 2005 slows things down for us but we know it won't. I think we would get bored if we didn't go go go!

Well for now we have to go! We love you guys and hope everyone is doing well!

Hello

Hey Everyone Just thought we would create this way of keeping everyone updated and start with a simple Hello!