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crystal@moneysavingmom.com
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Mon, Apr 24, 2023 12:33 AM
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Pictures, details, answering your questions, a peek into our upcoming week Hi, friend! It was prom w
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Pictures, details, answering your questions, a peek into our upcoming week [image]() Hi, friend! It was prom week at our house this past week and that means lots of texts and conversations about dresses and hair and flowers and after parties and so many fun things! This year, since Kathrynne is a senior, it also meant Senior dinner for us to attend as parents, a blessing to write for her to speak over her at the dinner, a lot of other little extra details, and figuring out outfits for all of us older ones and babysitting for the little ones. It was a lot of moving parts, but it all came together and God was so faithful to give me clarity to remember all the last-minute details and be able to be fully present for the day. We had a house full of teens prepping for the prom beforehand and I just loved it! And then the dinner was so incredibly special and meaningful. You can [see a little peek into it here, if you missed it.](=) [image] Kaitlynn borrowed her dress and wore shoes she already had and did her own hair and makeup. She got to go as a friend date for one of the senior guys and they had the best time together! It was raining when we went to do pictures before the dinner, but that didn't stop us! They took this cute picture with Ryan's baseball umbrella and it might be one of my favorite pictures of the night! [image] Kathrynne went with her boyfriend, Will, who is also a senior at her school. Last year's prom was their first time to do something "official" as a couple and it was also both of their first dates so they were both pretty awkward. It was special to see how much they've grown this past year and how God has continued to lead them! I've loved getting a front row seat to it all! [image](=) Our First Prom Jesse and I realized the day of the prom that the Senior dinner was being held at the same place the prom was and that we'd get to be there for the first part of the dancing. And then it hit us: we'd never been to prom before so this would be our first prom! (We both grew up homeschooled in a very conservative culture and weren't allowed to dance or date, so prom wasn't part of our upbringing.) Parents were supposed to just wear nice clothes but not formalwear, so we wore something we already had. Kaitlynn picked out t[his dress for me to wear](=) that I got from Amazon last year and have worn for multiple occasions. It's versatile and I've dressed it up with heels and dressed it down with a jean jacket and booties. It snaps in the front so is nursing-friendly. [It comes in a variety of colors here.]() Answering Your Questions Every Saturday, [on Instagram](, I put up a question box and answer 8-12 questions in my Instagram stories. There are always many more questions than I have space and time to answer, so I thought it'd be fun to answer a few that I didn't get to in my weekly newsletter. Question 1: "Do you have a recommendation for a book on bringing up boys?" I highly recommend [Raising Emotionally Strong Boys]() by David Thomas. If you haven't read it, that's one of my top recommendations. [Listen to my podcast with the author here to get an idea of what the book is about.]() Question 2: "How to navigate when a kiddo closes up when talking about big topics?" First off, I think to know that this isn't uncommon. Oftentimes, some kids (and adults!) are just more private or uncomfortable talking about big topics or sharing their big feelings. I think the biggest thing is to develop trust and to not pry. Look for ways to have fun with your kids. Step into their world. Care about what they care about. Show interest in what they are interested in. Ask questions about things that they are passionate about. And have lots of shoulder to shoulder activities (as in, things where you aren't having conversations but are just hanging out and having fun). Many times, kids will open up at the least expected times -- when you are driving together or playing a game or doing a project together, etc. The more that you can build a foundation of trust and the more that they see you modeling being honest and open and vulnerable, the more they are likely to be willing to open up. [image]( We've been going through [The Ology](=) with our little ones every morning at breakfast. Jesse or I just read one page and then discuss it a little bit. We've really been enjoying it and Kierstyn is really asking a lot of questions -- which is so fun! If you're looking for a devotional to do as a family -- [this would be one I'd recommend](=) and it would work for a wide age spread. Looking Ahead to This Week Kierstyn's 3rd birthday is tomorrow! We're excited to celebrate her -- and we actually started celebrating her birthday a few days ago by giving her a few presents over the weekend to spread out the fun. It makes it more exciting and she can enjoy her presents more when she opens a few at a time. My episode with Focus on the Family is supposed to air on Tuesday. It should be on their daily radio broadcast + podcast and online. Collectively, each episode is heard by millions of people, so I'm praying that God will use my words to encourage all those who listen. I'm headed to Florida on Thursday. It will be a super quick 14-hour trip or so (at least that's the plan!) for my to record some episode for the FamilyLife radio show about [my new book](=). It will be my first time to leave Micah -- I'm bringing the breast pump and will just pump and dump and I've got some frozen milk for him stashed + he's doing pretty well taking formula and table food, so I'm hopeful he'll be okay. But it's still really hard to leave him! Friday night we have a big fundraiser for the nonprofit I'm the board president of and then straight after the fundraiser, we are supposed to head to a campsite to go camping with a few other families for the weekend. It's supposed to rain and be somewhat cold, so we'll see how it goes. That said, we rented an RV to keep things simple so even if the weather isn't great, we won't be roughing it that much. :) Stay tuned for all the details on how our week goes down[by following along on Instagram stories](=). I'll be sharing a day in my life on Friday, like usual, so be sure to tune in for that! Have a wonderful week! -Crystal P.S. This last week on the podcast, we dropped an episode on how to get your spouse to change their mind. Only, we took a different approach to the question than some might think. [Listen in here and I hope it encourages you!]( [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe]( Money Saving Mom, LLC 2020 Fieldstone Parkway, Ste. 900 #313 Franklin, Tennessee 37069 United States
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