Kaitlynn's prom pictures, Micah's hospital stay, visiting a goat farm, and lots of recent updates

Why I haven't sent an enewsletter recently Hi, Friend! It's been a bit of a wild few weeks and I didn't get a chance to send a personal email newsletter the past few weeks! We headed to Kansas for Easter with all but two of our kids (Kathrynne and Silas stayed back home to celebrate Easter with Kathrynne's boyfriend's family). We loved getting to spend time with family, celebrate Jesus' resurrection, and go play with goats (Jesse's family took us to a goat farm!) It had been over a year since we'd traveled with all three younger kids and we weren't sure how it would go, but they did amazingly well! It was so nice to have Kaitlynn with us, too! She was such a great help and I'm not sure that we could have gotten everyone on and off the plane + our carryon bags (we don't check bags) without her! Plus, we loved getting to hang out with her as the only older child with us! We got onto the first plane and David immediately got a little scared. It had been over a year since he’d flown and all the newness and people he didn’t know around made him feel nervous. But instead of crying or panicking, I watched him reach his little hand out and cling to his daddy. He knew he was safe with his daddy. He just needed to stay close and hold on. And that’s what he did the entire flight. It was a beautiful picture for all of us of how to respond when life feels scary, things feel out of our control, or there are a lot of unknowns: get close to your Heavenly Father and hold on tight. Trust His love for you. Trust that He is looking out for you and that He isn’t taking you on this journey without knowing where you are going or how you are going to get there. And He won’t leave you at any time for any reason. Just like David knew that he was safe with his earthly daddy, may you know that you are safe with your Heavenly Father. Even when you don’t know where you’re going, the way to go, or how you’re going to get there: cling to Him. He’s a good, good Father. Micah was obsessed with the goats! He was basically like a little farmer out in his fields tending to his animals! It was so fun to watch! David was more timid and it took him a bit to want to go touch the goats. Once he did, though, he was all in! Kathrynne and Silas went to Easter service with Will (her boyfriend) and his family. While we were gone, Kathrynne took Silas shopping to get some Easter clothes (since he has grown so much this past year and almost none of his dress clothes fit him!) So when WIll's mom sent me this picture of Kathrynne and Silas at Easter, it took me a minute to recognize him since he's so grown up and was wearing clothes I hadn't seen before! Side note: After having two teen daughters, it's a whole new experience to have a son and to have another man in the house after all these years!! We didn't end up getting a very good picture of the kids all dressed up for Easter, but here's one my mom took with their cousin, Owen, at church. I took this picture right after Kierstyn said, “Look mom! I made a heart for you!” And I realized that she did, indeed, use her *tongue* to LICK the shape of a heart on the airport glass. 🤢🤭 I feel so loved! 🙃 But hey, we’re building immune systems over here along with experimenting with creative ways to express one’s love. 😆 = There were tears and there was laughter on [this recent episode of the podcast,](=) because we talked about the vulnerable (and sometimes difficult!) topic of belonging. And my guests were Chris and Julie Bennett, the authors of [Fighting for Family: The Relentless Pursuit of Building Belonging.](=) As the title of their book would suggest, Chris and Julie are passionate about relationships and community. In the conversation, they share about how family isn’t just the people who you are related to, it can also be people who become like family because of your deep friendship. The Bennetts share their story of a very crazy and chaotic season in their lives — uprooting their lives to move to Los Angeles without a clear plan, not being able to find housing, moving again and again, while facing the completely unexpected diagnosis of stage three breast cancer for Julie. They share how hard it was, but also how good it was. How God used this space where they felt like they had nothing to offer and were so needy to teach them powerful lessons about belonging. In this episode, they share some of what they have learned and provide encouragement for anyone who is feeling lonely or like they are an outsider. If you are craving deeper connections, longing for a sense of belonging, or simply seeking inspiration to navigate life’s challenges with grace and resilience, this episode is for you. I think you will be so blessed by this heartfelt conversation! [LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE](=) [This week's episode of the podcast]() is a reminder to trust your God-given intuition. If you feel something is wrong or off, get it checked out. In this podcast, we share the story of Micah getting really sick recently and how it ended up landing him in the hospital. We got so many questions from you all about his illness and how we knew when it was time to take him to the hospital/what we experienced, that I thought recording a podcast episode sharing in-depth might be helpful. We’re so grateful that Micah is doing better now and fully back to his sweet, busy, silly self! We missed all his smiles and laughter and singing while he was sick! In this episode, we also give an update on what we’re reading, share a reader’s response to last week’s episode, and we have a fun and friendly “argument” over audiobooks. [LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE]() While sitting and holding Micah at the hospital for hours, I was able to finish two books -- both that were good reads. [Only the Beautiful]() is a heart-wrenching and heartwarming story of lives that people deem not really worthy of treating with compassion and value. There is one rape scene in it that I felt was more in-depth than it needed to be, but overall it was clean and it opened up my eyes to parts of history I didn't know about. I would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a good fiction read. I also finished [I Want God](=) by Lisa Whittle and it was very good -- well, if you want to be challenged in your faith and have your toes stepped all over! Silas had three baseball games this past week -- one that was out of town. Since Jesse is the assistant coach, it means there's a lot of baseball going on around here right now. And middle school ball is wrapping up in the next few weeks, but then travel ball is just getting ready to start! I'm excited to have Jesse available to help me with kids on the sidelines since he won't be coaching travel ball! I went to visit Kathrynne last week in Murfreesboro. She is thriving and just stepped into a leadership role in the campus ministry that she's really involved in there. She's also figuring out whether she's going to take an out-of-state internship or have a local job and live at home this summer. We're just praying for wisdom and clear direction for her and are grateful for so many great options! (Also, [watch this adorable video of Kathrynne and Micah together]().) We went on a double-date axe-throwing last week with our friends, KC and Olivia. They are literally young enough that I could have birthed them, but we have so much fun with them! I think it's important to have friendships with people who are in very different life seasons and situations -- not only does it add more life to your life, but you learn and grow so much from being friends with people in different life seasons! We also went on another ABC date... only we ended up taking the three younger kids because we didn't have babysitters! :) It was our F date and we went to the Farmer's Market, the Factory in Franklin, TN, we ate doughnuts at Five Daughter's Bakery, and we went to a shop called Fork of the South. And since we had the kids with us, we'll just say that we also had a Family date to incorporate the F theme. Kaitlynn had her senior prom last week and she looked absolutely gorgeous. She and her best friend, Kate. What a joy to get to celebrate this girl who brings so much laughter and beauty to our lives. 💕 If you have the privilege of knowing Kaitlynn well, you know that this dress could not have been more perfect for her (it was her dream dress and we found a worn-once, already altered in her size dress in the exact color for WAY less than the original price on Poshmark!) At the school she goes to, senior parents are invited to the first part of the prom, so we got to get all dressed up for Jesse to do a first dance with her, take pics at the Photo Booth, and pretend we were 17 again for a bit (though we were homeschooled and didn’t do dancing or proms 🙃). [See more pictures here.]() She’s walked through a lot this year and I’ve seen her make some really hard decisions in order to follow God’s leading — even though it meant letting go of some big hopes and dreams. And I’ve seen God honor her faithfulness and obedience in ways she never could have manufactured on her own. We are so proud of you, Kaitlynn! And we can’t wait to see what the future holds for you! ❤️❤️ = Amazon has this [Women’s Casual Long-Sleeved Ruffle Blouse for just $19.59](=) when you save an extra 30% off at checkout! (Psst! Use the promo code 30U74P7C at checkout if the price doesn’t automatically drop.) There are lots of beautiful color options available in sizes S-XXL! I have [this blouse](=) and love the design on it. It’s feminine and can be worn tucked in or left out. It’s the perfect way to dress up a pair of jeans. Or wear it with dress pants or a skirt and nicer shoes for a more dressy look! Did you see this? [I’m giving away these checklists to you for FREE](! When you download the [FREE Simplified Home Checklists](, you’ll get: - An easy set of regular household tasks for you to quickly go through and check off each morning, afternoon, and evening so you can feel more on top of things all day long. - Extra space and some ideas for you to personalize your lists with tasks that are unique to you. - Two versions to choose from for those who are home most of the day and those who are away from home most of the day. (You get both versions, so that you can decide which is best for you!) - Weekly, monthly, quarterly, and even annual checklists for your tasks that need to be done regularly, but not daily. [These simple lists]( will not only help you simplify your life and save you time, but they will help you start your day with a few quick and easy wins! And here’s the thing I’ve learned: when you start your day with a few quick wins, you’ll usually be inspired to follow those with even more wins and productivity! Sign up for your [FREE Simplified Home Checklists]( to help save your sanity and streamline your day — starting today! Links You Might Be Interested In: - If you love deals, don’t miss the [Top 10 Deals From This Past Week post!]( There’s a hot deal on a Sam's Club membership, a great deal on a Ninja Creami, COACH outlet wristlets for just $25, and hot deals on gluten-free snacks. - My [best tips for going to college debt-free (be sure to check the comments for more!)](=) - Jesse and I [shared a podcast episode answering your burning questions on marriage.](=) This episode also includes a story about a recent travel mishap where we ended up locked out of our own house at 2 a.m.!!) - Recently,[I did an interview on the Faith and Finance Radio Show. I talked about the 4 practices that help me have better time managemen](=)t to help you have more space in your life to invest in what matters most. Just a reminder if you missed it: [I started a brand-new account on Instagram]( two weeks ago that I’ve been thinking of doing for a little while now. So many of you have loved when I’ve done my cleaning challenges and have asked if I could share them in a way that you could refer back to them. This account will be just that! Every week day, I’ll be [sharing a reel with a very simple cleaning challenge]( (usually that you can complete in 5-15 minutes!) If you need some motivation to keep your home more clean, organized, and decluttered, be sure to follow along. And in my typical style, it will not be perfect or magazine-worthy, but I hope that it encourages you to just do something because something is always better than nothing! [Go follow my new cleaning Instagram account.]( _______________ I hope you have a wonderful weekend! -Crystal P.S. If you love deals, don’t miss the [Top 10 Deals From This Past Week post!]( There’s a hot deal on a Sam's Club membership, a great deal on a Ninja Creami, COACH outlet wristlets for just $25, and hot deals on gluten-free snacks. [Unsubscribe]( Money Saving Mom, LLC 2020 Fieldstone Parkway, Ste. 900 #313 Franklin, Tennessee 37069 United States