I was barely 26 years old at the time. I remember watching the news before I left for work. Ray was supposed to fly to Salt Lake that day for work. It was reported on the news, I was watching the Today Show, about the first plane hitting the towers. I thought it was some horrible freak plane wreck. Then the second plane hit, I saw people jumping from the highest floors of the world trade center, a plane hit the pentagon, flight 93 crashed. My country was under attack. My view of the world began to shift. Ray wasn't going anywhere that day, after all flights were grounded. I left for work with my little portable radio to keep up on what was happening. I got to work and everyone was talking about it. An older lady I worked with said that she was sure it was the work of Osama Bin Laden. I didn't even know who Osama Bin Laden was. I was blissfully unaware and uniformed.
I was shockingly ignorant.
I had voted for Al Gore in the presidential election the previous year. I had been so proud of myself for voting at all, exercising my rights as an American. I had no clue what that really meant. I voted for Al Gore based on sound bites I had heard on the network news and my liberal leanings, which were aided and abetted by my bleeding heart. That is the day I changed. My idea of a safe world was shattered. I could not believe that something like that could happen in my country. Before then, a terrorist was some abstract idea about someone who perpetrates a plane-jacking in some foreign place that was not America. Terrorism was an idea that I had never given much thought. I began to realize everything I had taken for granted up to that point in my life. Every freedom. I began to understand that there are people in the world, through some perverted idea of God, who hated me because I was an American, and they would never rest in their attempts to destroy everything I had taken for granted.
I began to realize that I deeply love my country. Up to this point, with the help of my shiny new college education, I had kind of been an America basher. Big Bad America, was how I saw it. Always trying to get one over on the little guy. Breathtakingly Ignorant. As I said, my view of the world shifted on that day. I began to see America clearly for the first time. Being an American means being one of the lucky ones. The hope and opportunity that America gives is unparalleled in the world. The idea of America was inspired by God. I will never take that for granted again. I began to love my country. I still can't hear the national anthem without getting teary eyed.
Say what you will about President George W. Bush, and I have given him a fair share of criticism, I am forever grateful for his leadership in the days after 9-11. He led this country in the worst crisis it has ever known, he united us, and he took the threat seriously, to the detriment of his eventual political career. I am also grateful to President Bush for keeping us safe for the next 7 years, something for which he gets virtually no credit. In fact, because we have enjoyed such safety, people have become comfortable and have started to forget the unreal horror we all felt in the days after 9-11.
Something positive came out of this horrible tragedy, for me. I figured out who I really am. Who I am became crystalized. I am an AMERICAN! I am a citizen of this country that is Divinely Inspired. I began to pay more attention to the world around me. I got control of my bleeding heart. I have tried to become more thoughtful and informed about the country in which I live. I will never take my freedom and liberty for granted again.
I will never forget.
Asher Matthew Scott Croshaw entered the world on Friday September 19. He was born about 4 weeks early after it was discovered that his mom, Crystal, had preeclampsia. He was in the NICU for about a week with some respiratory problems, but finally got to go home on Sunday and is now doing very well!! He is so adorable, and I think he looks just like his dad. Congrats to Matt, Crystal and Valerie. Good job, guys!!
Ray is such a good dad, the kids absolutely adore him. When he gets home from work they all totally freak out, climb all over him and I basically become chopped liver!! He treats them like the little people that they are and has genuine conversations with them, showing genuine interest. He also plays with them all the time. He is definitely a hands on dad. He wrestles with them and throws them around on the couches. Even Maggie has always been anxious to get in on the action! I have always known that his family is his number 1 priority and every decision he makes is made with our happiness in mind. It is so important for little girls to have a good relationship with their father. If they don't, it can leave a hole in them that they will constantly try to fill, sometimes in destructive ways. I am so grateful that my girls have a dad like Ray! 
This is also just a random picture of Grace and Elliot playing together, building something, and making a big mess!! 
Outside our house as we were walking to the bus.
Waiting for the bus.
Notice how she is sort of waiving without turning around, she was very excited to ride the bus!
Getting off the bus at school.
She sits by a little girl named Zoe, and another little girl named Grace. She told me that she sat by Grace on the bus ride home. :-)
So, Maggie had a stomach bug on Saturday. I had run into the store while Ray waited in the car with the kids. I came out and knew immediately from the look on Ray's face that Maggie had thrown up. He does not do well with throw up. I had to go home and clean her car seat (BTW, I love Britax car seats, but I hate that you can't remove the straps because nothing gets the smell of puke out except a washing machine). She proceeded to throw up for the rest of the night, even in her crib once-yes, even more cleaning for mom!! She seemed to be over it in the morning, but Ray stayed home from church with her because I had to teach primary. Well, Ray had an emergency with work and had to leave about 1 yesterday (his assist. manager was doing a fumigation and almost blew up the building- lots of messy stuff for Ray to work out-eventually the DEQ was called by haz mat and was told that it was a meth lab :), but that is a whole other story!) and didn't get home until almost midnight. I wasn't feeling very well all night, but when he got home I started throwing up- I will spare you the gory details but it lasted ALL night. Grace came up a few minutes after my sickness began and she started throwing up. There is nothing sadder than your child throwing up and crying at the same time!! Luckily she is old enough to understand throwing up where you are supposed to. About an hour later Ray starts throwing up!!! Needless to say, it was a very long night. I am praying that Elliot doesn't get it, but he probably will!
Poor Grace!
