25, 3, and 17...

Pop quiz!
What do these numbers stand for?

25-my age as of tomorrow. A quarter of a century old! I've never really even considered my age before; at least not in the way of, "Wow! I'm ** years old!" But this year I actually have thought about it quite a bit. I never dreamed that at 25 years old I would have gone 2 years without seeing my dad. Not having his jokes, love, help, hugs, and wisdom is something I honestly didn't think I could live without. And somedays I still don't think I can.
But God has given to me a loving husband, a job, a house of our own, and a beautiful daughter. I couldn't be more thankful to be where I am today!

3-the number of years RJ and I will have been married. Tuesday marks our 3rd anniversary! We've been through more than most couples in the first few years of marriage I would say. Losing Dad when we'd only been married 6 months, moving 3 times and then becoming 1st time homeowners together, and in a year and a half welcoming Emma Rae into our lives... They have been some of the hardest but the some of the BEST times of my life! RJ is truly my other half and I still can't wait to see him when he gets home from work each day, and we LOVE our home together. Having a baby is far from easy, and there are moments when we honestly don't think we have a clue what we're doing and are just praying to make it through the next hour, but together we make it. And I truly believe that we are the BEST parents in the world that Emma could ever have. God chose US to be her mom and dad and we continue to thank Him for this, and to continue to guide us in the process of raising her up.
Speaking of which:

17-the number of months Missy Moo has been in our lives:) She's amazing. That pretty much sums it up. This is probably the last time I'm going to actually list some of the new words she is saying because there's just no way I could actually keep up anymore;P She mastered "up" quite awhile back, but up until this point it has also served as 'down' too. Now she actually specifies if she wants "up" or "down." :) She loves the Dykstra boys to death and loves the attention she gets from Collin. She says his name clear as a bell now, and I'm impressed at how well she even pronounces the L's in it.
Other words worth mentioning are: thanks, open, baby, cool, ball, and car.
She has a new enthusiasm for blowing kisses with a dramatized "mmmmmmmmUAH!" Pretty adorable. And she will give them to any kind soul who takes the time to give her a smile or a wave:) She's discovered her legos, she loves her baby stroller, and she's fascinated by bracelets, necklaces, and hair accessories. Yep, we still want to keep her;)♥
Still plenty going on, and all 3 of us are currently fighting off colds. Boo! oh well, 'tis the season!

Happy 3rd anniversary on Tuesday babe! I love you!

Look at us on our honeymoon:)

Our Crazy Little Girl:)

She is such a goof!
Showing Otto her trashcan:) Bahahaha!
Filing her toenails:D
"Singing"about the wonderful leaf she found:):):)
"Dis"

We have spent several evenings lately, just sitting back and watching her go! All the talking and playing she does with such a silly sense of humor. We just sit and laugh:) We've honestly wondered why we have a television!

She's starting to repeat just about anything that come out of your mouth, and saying more words than I could ever hope to remember. Just a few of the newest would be: help, mess, kitty, go, Auntie:), Papa, and she now calls herself by name when she sees herself in pictures.

She loves putting things away and packing bags full of random things. Yesterday in the trashcan in her room I found: the remote for our bedroom tv, a wet wipe, one of my headbands, a clean diaper, and a book. And today she was packing a package of wipes, her dirty clothes from yesterday, her stuffed kitty, and the newspaper into her princess suitcase! She is just too funny:)

I think I say it every month, but seriously this phase is my favorite! Her personality is just shining through, (although sometimes it's more like screaming through..:P) She's very talkative and friendly, and getting more independent every day. She has been sleeping great ever since we got home from Carroll and you can tell in her attitude during the day. She is sweet as can be, (90% of the time:), funny as all-get-out, and full of energy. I'm exhausted as ever, but loving it! She is worth every bit of it:)

Hope you are all enjoying this BEAUTIFUL weather as much as we are! Yay Fall!!!!!!!!!

My Favorite Month

It's no surprise why September would be my favorite month of the year.... Not only does it generally hold beaUtiful weather, but it is also my birthday month and the month of RJ and I's anniversary. September also means harvest time (my favorite time of the year.) Since my daddy has been gone, harvest time has definitely been harder. Living on the street we do, just down from the Coop, it is a constant stream of tractors and machinery. It is hard to watch and not see Dad driving by, but it is also a bit therapeutic for me as it brings back all of the happy memories of my childhood. It seems like just yesterday we were out in the cornfield waiting at the end of the last row to cheer for Dad as the harvest was completed! Or meeting him out in the bean field to celebrate my birthday since he would be out in the field late into the night. My daddy was and will probably always be the hardest working man that I will ever know....and during the month of September, the memories seem to flood my mind more than ever.