This Summer

I realized this week that August is quickly coming to an end and my favorite time of year is just around the corner!  It's hard to believe how fast the summer has gone already.  It's been a good summer with a couple of family visits and other new things.

In May we headed to North Carolina to see my family and celebrate my Grandma's 96th birthday.  I always like to make it back for her birthday because she's one of my favorites.

My parents visited us back in April and again just this past weekend.  Casey's mom came at the beginning of July, but unfortunately I don't have any pictures from her visit!

Visiting the Slugger Museum in April

This summer I have enjoyed the Big Four Walking Bridge over the Ohio River.  Casey took me for a Saturday morning walk there over to the Indiana side and back.

When my parents visited last weekend, we took them exploring in Indiana and back to the Big Four Bridge at sunset.  We walked over during the sunset, got ice cream, and came back with the bridge lit up.  We had a fun time!

 Somewhere along the way this summer I got a hair cut :) I have wanted to donate my hair for a while and I finally got it long enough to send! I had around 10 inches cut total and 9 inches given to Pantene Beautiful Lengths.

We have still been working hard at our jobs with Casey picking up extra hours while he was out of school this summer.  Casey has now settled back in to his semester of seminars. Please be praying for him as he tries to finish up most of his course work this semester.

We also have big changes on the way in the Croy house--we are having a baby in January!  This summer has been fun watching my belly grow and getting to hear the heartbeat at doctor's appointments.  We find out this week (20 weeks!) whether we are having a boy or a girl!  I have been so fortunate not to have any sickness or problems so far.  Please pray that baby Croy will be healthy and pray for us as well. We are so very excited but also want to soak up this time before baby comes. 

The Pacific Northwest

At the beginning of May, I got the opportunity to visit one of my dearest friends and see a part of the country that I had not seen before. I was not disappointed.  Washington and Oregon were gorgeous!  Though the Pacific NW is known for rainy days, I had the best possible sightseeing weekend with sunshine and clear skies.  It was also so exciting to see my friend, Letha, and to visit with her and her parents--though I wish I had longer to spend catching up! 

When I arrived in Seattle, we went to Pike Place Market.  I loved the flowers, especially all the tulips they had!  We also saw the original Starbucks.

Then we went to Wally's, a seafood and burger place, near the Puget Sound.  

Best burger ever.

Saturday was Oregon Day-- Tillamook Forest, Tillamook Cheese Factory, and the Oregon Coast, but not before eating at the infamous Pancake House in Longview, WA.  Yum!

Cheese!

Then we made our way to Astoria where we climbed the Astoria column and saw amazing views!

On Sunday afternoon, we went to Mt. St. Helen's.  We were there just before the 35th anniversary of the eruption in 1980.

 I had such an amazing trip and am thankful for Letha and her parents being gracious hosts and tour guides.  I wish I could go back!

Snow and Birthdays Take 2

We are right back where we started last year.....

We just moved to a new apartment (which we love!!!)

We just celebrated Casey's birthday with carrot cake.

We just had a big snow (bigger than last year) that has stuck around all week and is still on the ground. 

I still love the snow and Casey still hates it.

Some things come back around every year and we look forward to them....birthdays, anniversaries, special visits with family and friends, holidays.

Some things are just the everyday norm....not anything special, neither good nor bad, just life.

Over the last year we've had a lot of just everyday normals. I have a wonderful job at the seminary that I enjoy, and Casey is really enjoying his PhD program so far. We love our church here and are so thankful for it! These are the things we've been up to. 

We had a few visits from family and were able to go visit them for the holidays, but we really wish we weren't so far away.

Even still, we are thankful for the big things and the everyday normals that this new year brings to us in KY....

For a few of my favorite everyday moments from 2014 (and before), I'm on Instagram as travelingcroy.

Snow and Birthdays

We've been here one month this week. We can only think of three days where there hasn't been snow on the ground. I (Autumn) love snow. Casey hates snow. Casey usually doesn't hate anything and even tells me not to use the word hate, but he hates snow. I will admit that the snow and cold have been a little more than what I would normally love this year. We had another "big" snow last Monday and I got the snow-hater Casey to go outside and build a snowman with me. He must love me more than he hates snow. :)

We enjoyed the snow but I think we can safely say we are both ready for spring and some warmer weather. 

Last week was also a milestone for Casey. He turned 30! I bake him a carrot cake every year for the special day. So thankful for him!

We've Moved!

A week ago today we left Raleigh and started heading toward Louisville, KY.  We arrived this past Monday afternoon and have gotten settled in nicely.  Casey started his classes on Thursday and we're in the process of looking for jobs and a church.

My (Autumn) parents made the trip with us to pull the trailer and get us packed and unpacked.  We took them to see a little of downtown and the Louisville Slugger Museum on Tuesday before they headed home.  We really appreciated their help and couldn't have done it without them!

Louisville Slugger Museum 2014

I traveled to Louisville for an FBLA trip my senior year of high school.  My favorite things were the Louisville Slugger Museum and Churchill Downs. I recently ran across the pictures I took and thought about the fact that 13 years ago I had no idea we would be moving to Louisville, KY.  However, God knew every step I would take and every path He would lead me on and I take great comfort in knowing that He is in control.

Autumn with random bronze bench man in 2000

Recreation of above in 2014....also learned that random bronze bench man was a former mayor of Louisville, Charles P. Farnsley

Oh, it has snowed at least three of the days that we've been here.  Here's a view out our back door on Friday....

Looking forward to what these next few years in KY will bring and how God guides our way.

Joy to the World!!

For the third year in a row my favorite word at this time of year is JOY.  Christmas has approached quickly this year.  It has snuck up on me and I don't feel like I've dabbled in all of the usual holiday cheer.  But, my presents are purchased, wrapped, and under the tree so I guess I'm in good shape.  I just have been trying to soak in the wonder of the season and not be carried away with busyness and frustration.  JOY keeps coming back to my heart and mind to draw me in to Him.

As we sang Joy to the World today I couldn't help but feel such an overwhelming understanding of the words to the song.


Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the world! the Saviour reigns;
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Wikipedia (yes, I wiki) says that "Isaac Watts wrote this hymn glorifying Christ's triumphant return at the end of the age, rather than a song celebrating his first coming."  This is the joy we sing about!  Christ came as a baby to live, die, and be raised to life again so that we may have eternal life with Him. He is coming back to make all things new and to rule and reign on His throne!  What amazing promises for those who believe!

This year has been an interesting year...not by way of adventures, but just in the everyday things of life.  We've had the blessing of good jobs and getting to see our families a bit more but we've also been unsettled at times.  Since moving back to this area, we have known we were probably just "passing through" for a time before moving somewhere else.  So, we've reached the point where we are moving somewhere else--Kentucky to be exact--and we are excited.  We are moving forward pursuing future goals and dreams with Casey starting his PhD program!!  Please pray for us as we pack up and start over again in the next few weeks.

"And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."  Luke 2:10-11

Merry Christmas from the Croys :)

A Quick Recap of Summer So Far....

We've been busy this summer......

At the end of May we celebrated my Grandma's 94th birthday!  As I have mentioned before, she is one of my favorites and I love getting to spend time with her.

Autumn with her sister, niece, and Grandma

Autumn getting to spend a little time with her niece

Autumn's mom teaching Maddie to shell garden peas

In June, we went to the beach twice....first to Emerald Isle, NC...

Bridge over to Morehead City

We enjoyed our time on the beach

We went to Fort Macon on our last day

Autumn got to spend Father's Day with her Daddy!

Then a week or so later, we went to North Myrtle Beach, SC....We stayed at Autumn's brother-in-law's family beach house....

Casey with Maddie

A view of the pier

Us with Autumn's mama

Autumn's Daddy photo-bombing us :)

Then we went to the Durham Bulls game and fireworks show on the 4th of July!

It's been a great summer so far!