How easily 6 months can change your life.

This picture caught my eye the other day & made me smile.  It brought back so many memories of 2013.  Thirteen has always been 'my' number.  I was born on the 13th, met my husband, got engaged & got married all on the 13th.  I was just sure Hazelnut would be born on the 13th- a week early (but she wasn't).

So my entire life I'd been looking forward to the year 2013.  I mean-- a whole year of the number 13?  What could be better?

I'm not sure what I expected to happen, but I am thankful for the year that we had.  Each negative thing had a positive right behind it to overshadow it.  I crave stability in life & this year has been full of stability.

Back to the picture.  It was taken in April at our old apartment.  If you had told me in April (the month taxes were due. mind you) that we'd be in our own house right now I would have laughed.  Even Josh, the big dreamer, probably would have laughed.  Some unexpected taxes had battered our savings & although we knew we could save it again, a down payment & mortgage was just out of the question.

But six months later, we were signing a large stack of paperwork & painting our new house.  Two and a half months later I'm still in shock.  God's blessings have been so great this year, I can't even understand it.  I'm so thankful for it.


The apartment seems like it was years ago.  Our house has only ever know one other owner.  We hear stories about the family that lived there-- all wonderful, heartwarming stories.  They raised their children there, grew old together, and you can feel it as soon as you walk in.

I can't wait to continue that tradition & I'm honored to be a part of it.  Here's to many more fantastic years.

Six months can easily change you life-- for the better or for the worse.  Life is fragile, and I'm thankful mine was for the better & pray that continues.

Us lately.

Lately?  I've been a bit busy.  You know, buying a house & such.  But in typical Fowler style, we make sure to make time for each other.  So even if the house is a disaster (which bothers me more than it used to), we're still going to make those family memories.  

Which is why I jumped out of bed at 9:30am this Saturday morning.  Normally, we lay around the house like lazy bums on Friday and Saturday until one of us has something to do in the outside world.

But this morning I realized... this is our last chance to go to the pumpkin patch together!  It closes at 5pm, so we can't go after work, and next Friday is when our friends are getting together to carve pumpkins.  AND WE'RE MOVING NEXT WEEK.

So at 9:30 I realized this.  I also felt the strong urge to find a Halloween costume for the little one today.

We're strange.  We play biting games.  It's strangely cathartic for the person biting.  :)

I know.  A+ parents right here.

Go ahead... find something cuter in this world.  I dare you!

And then there's this.  I'm sorry.  What?  How did she grow up so much in one little year?