You surely can’t beat a good ‘ol apple pie on a crisp fall day… or can you? What if I told you it was a good ‘ol apple pie, without any sugar? I hear ya, I hear ya – Oh, then it must not taste nearly as good as a regular apple pie. FALSE. This pie is party-approved, dessert-lovin’ husband-approved, and grandparent-approved, which are three of the highest qualifications in my book!

Before you start, don’t let the “total time” scare you. This recipe is ridiculously simple. If you must must must shorten the time, you might be able to get away with taking the crust out of the fridge a half an hour sooner (and please oh please don’t use store-bought crust!). You might even be able to slice into your fresh-from-the-oven pie 30 minutes after you take it out of the oven (remember: patience is a virtue!). They’re not hard-pressed time estimates, but even if they were, it’s 100% worth the time it takes to make!

So light up your favorite fall candle and get baking!

It’s hard to believe Lily will be one year old in a month. It’s been a wild ride, but we have loved every minute! She has grown so much, especially in the last month, and it has been so fun to see!

Lily started crawling the day she turned 10 months old, and she hasn’t stopped since. I love seeing the personality she has gained through learning this new skill – she’s so much more content now that she can move on her own, and it’s adorable seeing her fascination with normal, everyday things!

A couple days after Lily learned how to crawl, we noticed a tooth making its debut right in the middle on the bottom! Teething has most certainly begun, but she’s a champ!  

Lily loves to eat, loves to snuggle, loves to babble, and it never ceases to bring a smile to our face. Nothing beats a messy-faced grin, warm baby cuddles, or her sweet little coos!

The most important thing Lily has learned recently is the fact that she’s going to be a big sister! Though she may not fully understand the implications that come with it yet, Nick and I are so so excited! Lily has been such a joy – a puzzle piece we never knew was missing in our lives – so growing our family is such a blessing to us!

I want to thank everyone for all the love you have poured out on Nick, Lily, and I. It takes a village to raise a child, and our village is the most loving, encouraging, and faithful village I know! ❤

Looking forward to all the ways we grow throughout the rest of the year,

Nick, Leah, and Lily

Admittedly, Lily turned 9 months old almost two weeks ago and I’m just now getting around to posting. Whoops. That’s life with a baby!

Lily is seriously such a joy. Her smile is contagious, her laugh is adorable, and she loooooves to cuddle. Not to mention she never stops eating (though you wouldn’t know that by looking at her!). She still loves applesauce and has definitely come around to sweet potatoes, but I gotta say her favorite food is pork. Not exactly what I expected a 9 month old to like so much, but it is no doubt her favorite!

She hasn’t started crawling and no little teeth have made their debut yet, but she does thoroughly enjoy being on her belly and trying reeeeally hard to reach anything in front of her. Unfortunately this usually has the opposite effect – she ends up scooting backwards about 100% of the time. But it hasn’t affected her determination!

Her favorite things are Daddy, Bruno, music, splashing in the bathtub, and eating – honestly, what more could anyone ask for? All in all she is a ball of fun and we are thoroughly enjoying our little family!