There's a chill in the air!

We decided to walk down to Ivana & Evie's house to drop something off and we were chilled to the bone by the time we got there (only took about a minute and a half). Winter's on the way! Thankfully, Evie let Noa borrow her hat and blanket since Mommy was a little unprepared for how cold it actually was. Definitely going to have to buy some warmer things for our trip to Michigan after Christmas... Look at how sweet this girl is!

Room Service Please!

The week before last Russ had a class he was taking in Charlotte, so Noa and I decided to live it up while he was working away. This girl LOVED crawling all over the king size bed!

We brought her pack 'n play, but somehow she ended up in our bed. I made the bed all around her and she didn't even wake up! Every once in a while when I look at a picture like this, I'm just amazed how small she is. Like, she's not even as long as one of those pillows on the bed. Weird. What a precious season. :)

On a different note... One of Noa's favorite things to do is dangle things. We don't really know what this is all about, but we always catch her with both arms up, dangling something in the air (which had just fallen to the ground when I snapped this picture). She is extremely focused when she does it, and I'm beginning to think that she might be just like her Daddy with the whole focus thing (which happens to be his superpower). This incredible ability to block out anything and focus can be used for good OR evil (you know what I mean if you know Russ). Anyway, I'm not sure why, but I love when she dangles - it always makes me laugh...

Cup of Joe

Noa and I both love mornings. If you want to see this girl at her best, take the morning shift and let us sleep in! :) Anyway, everyday we laugh and giggle and talk about all sorts of things. No, not politics or the economy... important things like diapers, bottles, spit-up, our favorite colors, Daddy... On Sundays we get to share our morning "cup of joe" as we're riding to church. Noa is almost able to hold her bottle by herself - what a big girl!!!

Cousins!!

We love when Lorann and her crew come to town! Yesterday we had so much fun playing with Joshua and Caleb, and they were so nice to include Noa in the fun. I think Noa especially liked pulling on Joshua's face. We tried and tried to get a picture of the three of them smiling (or at least looking at the camera), but you know how those things go...





Noa has really been getting around lately! She hasn't transitioned into a full, fluid crawl yet, but she somehow gets where she wants to be. I think it is through a series of sitting up over and over again. She also LOVES to stand. This week as we've gone in to get her after a nap, she's been proudly standing up in her crib! And yes, she thinks she's hot stuff! (Side note: Notice she's totally destroyed the crib bumper- ugh!)

Noa & Mommy

I can't explain how incredible it is to be a mother. No one can. I know all those flower pink cards try to explain it, but I think it all ends up being a little too frilly and dainty. Simply stated, in my opinion motherhood is a gift from the Father, wrapped up in countless little moments in time - both sweet and frustrating - that is unlike anything else. I'm so glad to be Noa's Mommy. She's my girl...



Here we have "CeCe Winans" or "Cranks" starting to manifest...

Trip to Lake Lure, NC

What I really wanted for my birthday was to get away and see some fall color. I would rather make memories than get more stuff that I don't need any day. So, we decided to take a little trip to our friends' cabin in Lake Lure, NC. The colors were just starting to come out and I imagine the trees will be beautiful in about 2 weeks, but it was enough for me. I think our lives are too complex. The simplicity of this trip reminded me of the beauty of God's creation in so many different ways. Family. Nature. Lakes. Windy Roads. Small town people. Board Games. Ice Cream Shops. Honey and Homemade jam. I loved it. I'm so glad we had the chance to go.



We decided to take a little tour of the lake to see all of the beautiful houses that you can't see from the road. We also wanted to take Noa on her first boat ride! Even though the tour was an hour long, she was perfectly content until the very end. She loved feeling the wind when the boat would go faster, and she entertained everyone on the boat with her contagious smiles. There were a few older couples who didn't have grandkids yet and didn't think they would anytime soon. I thought to myself, 'This is right. This is good. Children are a heritage from the Lord and there is no greater joy.' What a blessing our little Noa is.




This was a view out the front of the boat (obviously). Some of the homes on the lake had this view and while a picture could never capture it, it was spectacular. I bet they're on their porches constantly when the leaves are at their peak and the sun is setting... What a beautiful God.

Here we are eating at an Italian restaurant for my birthday lunch. I wanted to stay and have the Tirimisu (I'm totally not into birthday cake - yuck), but Noa wouldn't play along. She would fuss unless we were standing up with her - and that got old even in spite of the view. But the food was GOOD! And Noa liked my pop. :) (Just kidding. I didn't give her any. She's been really into cups and bottles lately though...)

Homemade Dipes!

I'm so proud of my latest creations. Check out Noa sporting these cloth dipes! I made them from blankets that she's never used. How's that for saving money? We'll see how it goes...