family

This moment will never come again

This was my Christmas morning view last year. Boys who came running down the stairs in delight to see if Santa came and begin rummaging around under the tree, on the table (I know, that’s a whole other story). They were so excited and full of joy.

I barely remember it.

Thankfully, I took pictures. I was so tired. We were in the thick of our new house project with deadlines and all the rest. We stayed up to the wee hours wrapping all the gifts and the kids woke up at the crack of dawn. I remember that I was barely functioning. I needed so. much. caffeine. that day.

Christmas day came and went in the flurry of all the things and the pace of life just kept charging full speed ahead.

This past year was chock full – of not only all the house activities, but record growth with HeartStories, which brought …

I spent the day yesterday hanging around a hospital, while my beloved Daddy had a (long overdue) knee surgery. It had been a family juggling act for me to be able get down to the hospital before they took Dad back.( Thankfully, I made it and Dad did great!) But while I was trying to focus on my laptop and the final preparations for our “Holiday Ready” GNO tonight, the funeral of President Bush was airing live on all the waiting room TVs. The focus of almost everyone in the room was up on those screens. I wanted to listen to the eulogies of the legacy of such a wonderful man, but I needed to prioritize my work. Then I noticed an elderly man, a couple of chairs down from me, he must have been more than 80, who was waiting for his wife to come out of surgery. He was …

by Crystal Gornto Girl's Night Out Inspiration Inspirational Women Love In Action Love in Family Loving Others Loving Yourself Priorities The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat

Last night the grandkids gathered at Mom & Dad’s for the annual tradition of making shoeboxes for “Operation Christmas Child”, where they put together shoe boxes full of toys and other items to be sent to children of less privilege, all over the world. It’s a meaningful tradition, coordinated by GrandMaMa, that brings awareness to just how privileged we are and opens their eyes to the needs of others in a time of year when it’s easy to focus on wanting more. When they see the shopping list of items, that includes things like a comb, fingernail, clipper and a playground ball, combined with the videos of the pure joy on the faces of the receiving children, it quite a reality check. Operation Christmas Child is an intentional tradition, I’m so grateful GrandMaMa started.

Sometimes, we begin unintentional traditions as well.

As I arrived to pick up the boys last night after …

by Crystal Gornto Inspiration Love Love In Action Love in Family Loving Others Priorities The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat

These kids have been trick-or-treating together since before some of them were born. Literally. Halloween 2006, I was 39 weeks pregnant, dilated to a 6, and walking the neighborhood with this crew. Grant it, a couple of them were being pulled in wagons, and sweet baby girl wasn’t even part of the plan yet, but we were all together.

It’s Trick or Treat tradition.

The Collins are friends-like-family. They’re one family in our core group of friends, some of which, we’ve been doing life with since we moved to Frisco. They’re the reason we moved to Frisco back in 2004, after living one street over from them in Dallas. (Apparently, we like them a lot!) Even as the kids are becoming teenagers and going through the changes (in body and in friendship) that teenagers do, there’s still a familiar level of comfort that makes it easy for our families to spend time together. Over …

by Crystal Gornto Love in Family Love in Friendship Priorities The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat

I love this picture for so many reasons. I have to start with the fact that this is from our last Girls Night Out, with a 70’s theme. Dress up is always optional, of course, and in this picture you can see some of the gamut of outfits. Our party girl Krystin (our new HeartStories Marketing Maven), is in her gold sequins disco dress in the background, matching shoes and all. Me, in my “Made in the 70’s” t-shirt with bell bottoms and flowers in my hair. And my beautiful friend Vanessa, our beloved HeartStories photographer, in her svelte 70’s glamour girl pantsuit, capturing all the fun. There were ladies in everything from their normal street attire, business casual, yoga pants and Dezi, who arrived decked out from head to toe in full disco gear.

It’s become one of my favorite things about GNO.

Watching all the ladies show up the way …

by Crystal Gornto Girl's Night Out Inspirational Women Love In Action Love in Friendship Loving Others Loving Yourself The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat

I remember this day. Maybe not quite like it was yesterday, but I remember it. I remember the cabin we stayed in on that trip, it belonged to a friend of a friend, who graciously offered it to our family for a road trip to Colorado in the summer. I remember sitting inside, at the log table eating, what felt like millions of grapes, until my stomach felt like it might explode.

Aren’t we a motley looking crew of sisters?

With an 11 year span from oldest to youngest, we were in completely different life phases in this photo. (But at least our fashion game was on point!) Back then, I was a self-focused 12-year-old. One look at this picture now, as an adult, I have so much understanding and empathy for what each of those girls must have been going through. It brings back so many memories. It reminds me …

by Crystal Gornto Inspirational Women Love in Family Priorities The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat

This moment will never come again

“Holiday Ready” is more than meets the eye

How traditions are born

Let it be scary

Look and you will see

Nothing gets in the way of family