Curt and Carrie and Fam

Curtis:
One of my favorite things about Curtis is that he refuses to run a marathon like me, so I’m not the only one not participating in the marathon this October! J/K. But really, I love how easy-going and funny Curtis is. He is so good at seeing the humor things and not taking things too seriously. It has always made me so happy that he and Nate will poke fun at me a little from time to time, because it puts me at ease around them. Both he and Carrie are refreshingly real, and I love that. It really makes you feel like you can be yourself around them. Also, Curtis is so patient with his kids and good at playing with them. And he has been such a good big brother to Chad. I can tell Chad really trusts Curtis and feels that he is a resource and strength to him during rough times, which means a lot to him and me.

Carrie:
Carrie (and Curtis) has been the most gracious host to Chad and I on countless occasions. We have shown up to their house on short notice so many times, and she has always made us feel like we weren’t a burden, when I’m sure we made more work for her! We really appreciate her graciousness and selflessness. Carrie is someone that is so easy to talk to. She is a great conversationalist and is very good at asking you questions about your life. She can always get Chad talking about his work—sometimes I think I learn the most about Chad’s work during conversations with Carrie! Carrie is an extremely hard-working, motivated, and intelligent person. Get this—she’s training for a marathon, working part-time, and raising two energetic boys all at the same time. Not to mention all the canning and reading she’s done, either. I admire Carrie so much for her tireless giving of herself to others.

Brady:
I love this kid! He is so much fun. He has the best belly laugh—I can never help but smile when I hear it. I feel like this laugh captures the essence of sheer, undefiled delight. I absolutely love it. Brady seems to experience life really intensely, and so it’s fun to experience his intense enjoyment over the things he loves. But he actually seems to have mellowed out a little over the last six months or so, and it’s been fun to see him become more of a big kid and less of a toddler. It makes me feel so good about myself when he talks about me and gives me hugs!

Landon:
This little guy is a talker! He will just talk and talk, and most of it Chad and I can’t understand. Chad calls it Landon’s “chirping.” It is so cute to see how much he is growing up. He seems to just soak everything in. He used to be our sweet little mellow baby, and now he has turned into a super active almost-two-year-old. It is really fun to see his wide-eyed and fast-paced excitement over life. I wish I had as much energy as he has!