Does that make this a fruit bowl?

| Stacy

I told Stewart a week or so ago that I wanted to take him out for a Stew and Mama date.  “Why?” he asked.


”Stewart,” I replied, “I told Dad the other night that if I saw more any more good fruit coming from you I’d be inclined to open a farm market.”

While I may be employing a bit of hyperbole, I in no way want to minimize the J*O*Y we have known in this house the last 6?-8? weeks or so as far as this young man is concerned.  To be sure, he isn’t perfect; his parents bring far too many flaws to the table to even get close to perfect.  But he’s been so stinking GOOD lately it deserved to be acknowledged.  And I’m a big fan of positive reinforcement (I ♥ Michelle Duggar for making me not feel guilty about that, too.)

So, what kind of fruit am I talking about?  Little things.  But little CONSISTENT things.  Like after a meal is done hanging in the kitchen and asking, “Do you need anything, Mom, before I go?” before he returns to his school work.  Or speaking up and saying, “Here, I got her,” as he offers to hold his sister so I can get my coat off.  Or speaking kindly to Tabitha when just a few short weeks ago he’d be plowing over her.  I know, I know… when you type it out, it doesn’t sound like much.  But did you catch the part about the consistency? 

How about him accepting his school assignments without complaining?  Or voluntarily taking notes as I have suggested for the last two years.  And just generally manning-up about responsibilities.  And modeling it for the others.  Did I mention the help in the kitchen?

The miserable excuse for a spring we have had barred us from any outdoor fun.  So he asked if we could do Pizza Hut and bowling. 

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He and I agreed no one needs to know which S is which. 

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I will tell you that bowling is EXPENSIVE!  Yowsers.  Two games and shoes came to $32! 

Oh, and I drove him to Marketplace to the costume shop so he could buy a wig for his next project. 

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And it was so nice to have some time with my dear son. 

This is where I’d love to insert a photo from when he was a baby or toddler, but we just got our computer back last week and haven’t hooked it back up to the external hard drives with the old pictures. 

Urgent care

| Stacy
The knife won. 

Actually – so much to praise God for.
It was my left hand.
I did not need stitches.
I did not cut it off.
It was not Nigel who got hurt; he had been the one helping me in the kitchen.
My mother was already here.
Dinner was already made.
John walked in the door just was happening.
Urgent care rocks.

a (picture-heavy) birthday fit for a DUCK-Y

| Stacy

The house was full.

FULL-full.

FULL of people we love who love us and have blessed us with their support and prayers.

How many people were here?  39 people including our family of 8. 

We were in the kitchen…

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We were in the living room…

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We were in the dining room…

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We were in the basement…

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We were in the family room…

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We were in the laundry room… ?

Yup… we had to move the piano to the laundry room to make room.  And some three year old second cousins hit it off especially well. 

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There was a lot of eating.  A lot of visiting. 
And I was SO blessed.  BLESSED, BLESSED, BLESSED.

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Oh – there were presents… not that there needed to be.  But she enjoyed them and it hasn’t been lost on our family or friends just what our baby girl’s nickname was before she was born.

 

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DUCKS, DUCKS and more DUCKS!

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And some fancy-girly-stuff, too. 

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Our duck cake before…

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during…

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and after serving began.

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When the party was over Katriel went down for a nap and the big kids and adults were caught exploring her gifts.

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What can I say.  It’s been a while since we had a FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY.

Thank you, Alana, (my SIL) for taking photos for me. 

OH – check out the favors!

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Ducky SOAP! 

(John just shook his head… he’s convinced I’ve lost my mind.)  ♥

*Honk-Honk*

| Stacy

This picture just had to be shared.

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Look at that smile.  It’s enormous. 
Look at those eyes.  That is GLEE.

Don’t blink.

She’ll be driving too soon.

Thank you, God, for this person.
When I see her my heart feels like the way she looks.

Our Ducky is ONE!

| Stacy

Katriel turned one with a tremendous amount of celebrating in our home.  We woke her with our family’s tradition of waking the birthday child with the birthday song.  I’ll try loading that later… YouTube doesn’t like me much these days…

Here she is in her birthday-girl outfit.  ♥ 

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And crown!

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She loved the balloons her brothers and sisters put on her chair.  We don’t think she’s ever seen them before. 

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She loved the presents tissue paper, bags, and tags. 

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She didn’t love the group shot…
(look at Johanna! ROFLOL)

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She LOVED being sung to…

And I’ve never met a Butler that didn’t like a cupcake. 

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She’s looking at that cupcake like I look at the last twelve months: “Where did it go?”
Praising God for His mercy and generosity.  Ducky is here.  She’s here and it’s okay. 

I’m hoping I can muster up the strength to share her birth story one of these days.

But even if I don’t, I’m sure to have some more photos of this awesome crew I get to do life with.

Redeeming February…

| Stacy

February is a weird month for me. It’s the shortest by a few days, but it comes at a point where we’ve been doing winter for three months or more. Our church stopped doing Winter VBS a few years ago. That used to help give us a boost to get through the last month of heavy winter. We don’t take off a week of school like public schools do. It just doesn’t make sense to us to do that. What would we do with ourselves? Visit area attractions that are teeming with other people who have the week off? Nah. We just push through.

The last few Februarys have offered some Hard Things to navigate. Too many dates pop up in my mind with sad recollections. Highs and lows too close together.  I’ve had some of my worst sicknesses in Februarys.  After months of GRAY these thoughts can threaten to spill over and engulf a fighting-not-to-hibernate-mind…

I’m trying to redeem February. I worked hard this month to notice the longer days and the sunlight warming the kitchen all the way through our dinner prep.  From where I sit in the dining room I watch the sun set behind the trees in field behind us.  I savor that beauty.  I count the cardinals and bunnies.  I thank God for the rich deposits of snow that will fill our water reserves for the year to come.  I praise Him for the solid walls that surround us, the municipal electric, the hot water heaters, and a closet full of clothes.  I thank Him that I don’t have to bundle up the kids day after day, and for making it possible for us to sit together on sun-drenched sofas and snuggle close as we read, “Understood Betsy,” “Emily’s Runaway Imagination,” “Rabbit Hill,” and “The Year of Miss Agnes.” 

And last year God gave us something special to be excited about in Februarys.  Our Ducky turns one in a few days.  I’ve enjoyed planning a party for her.  Actually, I just enjoy her and I am looking forward to celebrating the gift God gave us in giving her life with some of the many people who prayed her into our world.  It was a H.A.R.D. pregnancy and a vicious delivery.  Replaying the delivery over in my mind for months after her arrival kept me awake at night and took me to my knees over and over again.  And now, a year later, I still shake my head in awe of the One who knit her together. 

I’m grateful God gave us our Ducky.  I think He was so kind to send her to us in February.