Family Update

Hello friends!

It is hard to believe that I havent been able to sit down and finish a blog for over a month and a half! *whew* Well, I guess I better get started with this update, huh?! You've waited long enough!

1. Scott, Ady, Charlie, and I have felt so busy lately. I guess that is to be expected with all the holidays, but this year we had some added family things going on, so it felt even busier than usual. In fact, since the first weekend in November until the end of December, we drove up t0 Northern Colorado 7 out of 9 weekends! Scott and I have also driven up a couple times in-between! We both think that we could make the drive blindfolded now. Maybe next time we go that way we'll try just to keep things interesting.

2. Adyson is officially able to walk, and she is loving her independence! Every day she seems to have a new word, sound, or skill. It is mind blowing to watch her. She can also climb onto things, so she now has earned the name "Monkey". She loves climbing on just about everything, and she will certainly try. At my parents' house she started climbing onto their coffee table and then jumping off. She likes to climb up onto the guest bed at our house and pridefully shriek with delight. She has monkey printed pajamas, and I would say they are rather appropriate for this new stage she is in. Ady now is saying lots of things, and she continues to crack us up. Her newest word is "WOW!", which she uses especially when there are Christmas lights to be seen. She can also say "ickk", "No", "Yeah, yeah (for yes)", "meow", "brr", "hot", "ma-ma", "da-do", "issch (izzy)", "car (charlie)", "baba", "ney, ney (blankie)", "mmm", and "hmm, hmm, hmm (charlie's whine)". She also can do a lot of things on command like tell you where her nose, eyes, ears, mouth, and belly button are. Needless to say, we are buy busy busy, and we laugh more than we ever have. Ady truly is a blessing to us. What a gift!

3. We spent Thanksgiving with my family in Longmont this year. It was wonderful to get to help my mom cook the big meal from start to finish. She is always so full of good cooking advice. My cousin Michael came with his family of 4 kids, and we had a nice visit with them. Their kids were so well behaved and sweet! What a joy!

4. After Thanksgiving, Scott, Charlie, Ady, and I all headed up to the cabin in Estes Park. We had such a nice stay up there. We were getting tired of driving around, so we ended up staying an extra night before heading back home. We hiked, shopped, and ate leftovers most of the weekend. It was very refreshing. Bill, Tricia, and Sarah (Jeff's wife!) came up on Friday, and we all had a nice visit and lunch together.

5. Scott is starting busy season again, so he has started traveling a little more. The nice thing is that he seems to have a lighter travel schedule lined up for this busy season so far, so we are looking forward to having him home a little more this winter.

6. Scott's brother, Jeff, got married on December 19th at the Stanley hotel in Estes Park. We are really excited for him and Sarah. She is a great fit for the family. The wedding was beautiful, and it was wonderful to see Jeff so happy! I am excited about gaining a new sister!

7. We put up outside lights on our house for the first time this Christmas. The lights turned out beautiful! Scott climbed up on the roof to get them all up there, and he did a great job!

8. We had a job opportunity come up in Fort Collins a few weeks ago, and we were really hoping it might work out so we could be closer to family. We prayed hard about it, and Scott did a great job at the interviews. However, we found out that the company was actually going a different route. They didnt hire anyone this time around. We were a little bummed, but we trust that God has other plans for us for now. We are so thankful for Scott's job, and we will continue to stay here until we see another green light for something different. Colorado Springs is a beautiful city, so we cant complain too much!

9. I am still on a big popcorn kick. I thought for sure it would have gone away by now, but I am pretty sure that it just keeps getting stronger. Is there some mineral or vitamin that popcorn has that I am lacking? Hmmm? At least I'm not addicted to chocolate icecream or snickers bars! That would not be good for the ol' weight loss regime.

10. I love Christmas. Scott is pretty sure that he somehow married a tall Christmas elf. I just love everything about the Christmas season. I love the cold, snowy air; the twinkle lights; pine tree smells; and Christmas baking. I even love the crowds at malls and stores. I bake as many special Christmas recipes as I can to share the sugar high with all who will partake. Garland, Christmas lights, or Christmas carols are never in short supply at our house. As the holiday draws closer, though, I cant help but be awestruck by the true meaning.
After dropping Scott off at the airport early in December, I had a long drive back to my parents' house in a snow storm. The roads were very icy, visibility was poor, and it was very cold and windy. On the drive, I had a lot of time to ponder some very familiar Christmas songs. So often I sing these songs with a disconnect. I've heard them so many times that I just sing them and dont really think about what they are really saying. With all distractions darkened by the storm around me, with my speedometer stuck below 35 the whole way home, and all else put aside, I had time to just focus on the story of Christmas. My prayer was " Lord, quiet my heart and my mind. So often in the chaos of life, I forget the real story of Christmas. I want to hear the Christmas story again as though it were the first time." Then, I just listened to the familiar songs as they played. I was in tears before I had even made it through the first song. Christ the Lord is born!
"Silent night, Holy night. Shepherds quake at the sight. Glory stream from heaven afar. Heavenly hosts sing Hallelujah. CHRIST the SAVIOR is born! Silent night. Holy night... Round yuan virgin mother and child. HOLY infant so TENDER and Mild. SON OF GOD, love's pure light. Radiant beams from thy holy face. With the DAWN OF REDEEMING GRACE. Jesus, LORD at thy birth."
Christmas truly is a celebration of the dawn of redeeming grace. Jesus, fully God, took on human flesh so that he could redeem His people out of our imprisonment. He came to deliver us from our bonds and pay the price for our sins. He came humble and selflessly; and He paid the ultimate price of death on a cross so that all who repent and believe can have eternal life with Him. Praise His holy name!
What a wonderful reminder it was to get a quiet drive early this Christmas season to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas!

11. We had a lovely time with family this Christmas. We went to Bethel for a Christmas Eve service, and then spent time with Scott's family. We had a sweet time together. On Christmas day we headed to my parents' house for Christmas dinner with my parents and dad's parents. It also was a sweet time! Ady got the hang of opening presents, and she had a great time ripping paper off of boxes. My brother and sister brought their families to my parents' house the next day, and all our kids got to play. What a wonderful holiday! The Lord has truly blessed us with a wonderful family!

12. For New Years we spent time with our closest friends, Blythe and Corey. We werent sure if we would be able to stay up until midnight, so we were sure to have some caffeine with dinner. Corey and Scott both had red bulls, and Blythe and I made lattes. We played games and watched a scary movie. It was so much fun! And I am happy to report that we all stayed awake until midnight!

13. I am looking forward to this new year and all that is to come. After recently finishing a Bible study on the life of Jesus, my resolution this year is based off of a verse from that study.
Luke 2: 52 "And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man." It is my prayer that I will grow in Godly wisdom and faith, in my physical well-being, in my relationship with God and knowledge of His word, and in my relationships with people.

14. Thanks for your patience as I havent written for a while. I will do my best to write more frequently! I promise pictures next time too!

Have a blessed new year!

Truly A Weekend to Remember

Two weekends ago, Scott and I were given the opportunity to go to a marriage retreat called "A Weekend to Remember". Family Life puts these conferences on all over the nation, and that weekend they did one in Estes Park. Scott and I weren't really sure what to expect from this marriage conference, so we were a little nervous when we first got there. Boy were we suprised! It was just what we needed to tune-up our marriage and refocus our attention on eachother. It was such a blessing!

Scott's parents were so wonderful for not only organizing this marriage retreat for us, but they also watched Adyson all weekend so we wouldnt have to worry about her. It was so gracious and thoughtful of them!

After we dropped Ady off with Bill and Tricia, we headed up the canyon to Estes Park. We quickly grabbed a Subway sandwich on our way through town, and got all settled into our hotel. We had just enough time to scarff our sandwiches and get to our first session. WOW! We were blown away by the great information and helpful advice they offered. After just about every session, we were given a small project to work on seperately and then together. Each project solidified the lessons we had just learned and helped us to get a deeper understanding of the information.

The main event of the weekend was on Saturday night, where they gave us an entire evening to enjoy a romantic date just the two of us. Scott took me to a fancy restaurant called Mary's Lake Lodge, and it was such a special time for us to enjoy a DELICIOUS meal and great conversation. It felt like we were in a movie. There was a fresh layer of snow that covered the town, and it was almost completely silent except for the gentle flutter of snowflakes. The restaurant had tinkly lights, soft music, candle light, and delicious food. Scott and I enjoyed every minute! Here's a picture of us after dinner.

I dont have time to type all of the things that Scott and I took away and learned, but I will share one of our favorite lessons. During the fourth session, Saturday morning, the speaker was talking about God's plan for oneness in in our marriages. On the top of one of the pages of our speaker notes, there was a list of weaknesses. Doug was talking about why it is difficult to experience oneness in our marriages, and that one of the biggest hinderences is our tendency to focus on our spouse's weeknesses or our own. The list of weaknesses looked like this: impatient

indecisive

disorganized

overly talkative

critical

demanding

As he read the list outloud, Scott and I both felt convicted because we both are guilty of spending a lot of time focusing... scratch that... obsessing over eachother's weaknesses and our own. It is often easier to write a list of weaknesses than strengths, isnt it?

Well, Doug asked us to look at this list carefully. He said,"Now, what would happen if we turned those weaknesses around to their positive form? For each weakness, there is a positive. Just watch." And sure enough, he went on to describe the personality behind each weakness. He asked us what type of person is usually impatient. The answer? Usually someone who is great at making decisions. What type of person is indecisive? Usually they are very laid back and easy going. A disorganized person is usually someone who is a great people person and servant hearted. What about an overly talkative person? Arent they usually a great communicator and socialite? A critical person is usually blessed with an analytical and intelligent mind.; and a demanding personality is usually found with someone who is a quick thinker and someone who gets things done. After the speaker switched the focus from the weakness to the personality behind it, he asked, "Weren't those the personalities that you fell in love with to begin with?" *ZING* He nailed it.

To make it personal, I have been frustrated in the past with Scott's critical mind and attitude. Sometimes he drives be crazy because he is so critical of everything and everyone. When Doug challenged me to ask the question of what kind of person is usually critical and I found the answer was someone who is intelligent and analytical, my jaw dropped. One of the first things I fell in love with about Scott was his increddible intelligence, discernement, and wit. I love his ability to think rationally and logically in all situations, and his great ability to retain information. He is truly one of the smartest people I know, and I love that about him. Although Scott does need to work on his critical attitude that can sometimes hurt other's feelings or get in the way of our oneness, there is a positive to that weakness. What a great reminder!

Scott felt the same way about this lesson too. He gets frustrated that I am often so disorganized, but he found it to be a great reminder that usually the reason I am so disorganized is because I would rather be spending my time with people instead of filing our bills or folding laundry. I definately need to be more organized, but Scott now can see the positive in the negative. He has always loved how people-oriented I am. Isnt that cool?

I challenge you to write down those negatives that you find yourself focusing on in either your spouse or yourself, and to do this same exercise. Flip them around and try to see the positive. It was so eye-opening for Scott and me, and I hope it is the same way for you too!

The conference ended on Sunday around noon. They had us all renew our wedding vows to eachother and gave us all a wedding covenant to sign and hang up in our homes. It was such a great ending to a great weekend. I was so happy to get home to Adyson, though. Two nights away from her was a long time when I am used to seeing her all day every day. She had a great time with her Nana and Pappy, though!

Have a great week!
Love,
Karen Ruth

A Nice Weekend

We had a nice, long weekend up in Northern Colorado this weekend. We started off the fun by having our wonderful friends Corey and Blythe come over to watch a movie. We ate cinnamon rolls, drank coffee, and nervously watched a suspenseful movie. They were dog-sitting two dogs for our friends, so they brought their dog, Sammie, and two other dogs over to play with Charlie. Our backyard looked like a dog park! It was so much fun to have them all back there, though! We all had a great time! The next morning, Scott and I loaded up Ady and Charlie and we headed up to visit my Sapp grandparents in Boulder. We brought them some lunch from Wendy's, and then visited most of the afternoon. It was wonderful to get to see them again. That evening we went up to Loveland for a Willcutts' family dinner. I loved getting to spend some more time with my soon-to-be sister-in-law (try typing that 10 times fast! *whew*). We also got to go to our old home church in Greeley on Sunday morning, and we had a nice visit there. One of our really good friends is about to have twin boys- literally any second could be time. They are really excited, and so are we! Sunday afternoon, Sarah (STB SIL) had a bridal shower, and it was beautiful. Jodie Crider and several of the bride's friends and family members hosted, and it was a lovely time. She received many gifts, and everyone made her feel so special! Scott took Monday off, so we spent an extra day in Loveland on Monday, and then drove home last night. It was a great trip.


Here are some pictures from this weekend.
Enjoy!

From left to right people: Scott, Corey, and Blythe
From left to right dogs: Charlie, Roxie, Willow, and Sammie



Jeffy was determined to ruin all my pictures, so this is the best picture I could get of him and his lovely fiance, Sarah. He is such a stinker!


Nana Rabbit and Ady. They are best buddies!!


Sarah (STB SIL) and me
Sarah and I LOVE whipped cream on our key lime pie, so we put on extra. I am so blessed to be getting her as my new sister-in-law!

Pappy and Ady sitting together in the yard. Ady is so funny, and Bill is so FUSSY!

Pappy and Ady watching the sunset.

A breath-taking sunset over Lake Loveland.

Dealing With Doubt Baptist Style

As I have mentioned in previous blogs, I am in a women's Bible study that meets every Thursday morning. It has been such a delight to get to study the Bible more, and especially during this semester to study the life of Jesus. It is a Beth Moore Bible study, and it has been very refreshing and insightful for me. Beth encourages us to not only just study the lessons she writes, but to research even deeper anything that sticks out to us.


A few weeks ago, I was working on my homework for this Bible study, and we got to a passage in Luke that I wasnt very familiar with. The story lept off of the page to me. I couldnt help but spend some extra time studying this story and this passage. I also couldnt resist sharing what I learned.


The story takes place in Luke chapter 7. Jesus and his disciples had just been in a city called Nain where a funeral was taking place after a widow's only son had died. Jesus saw the widow in complete anguish, and He had great compassion on her. He even told her "Don't weep!" (vs. 13) He then touched her dead son and told him to rise. The boy instantly rose and started talking. Jesus then gave the son back to the arms of his mother. News of this event spread instantly from town to town in all of Judea and the surrounding country (vs. 17)



The story then picks up in verse 18, and we find John the Baptist's disciples telling John this story. Now, it's important to know where John the Baptist is at this time, and to find the answer, we have to look at Matthew 11:2. "Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of Christ..." John the Baptist was in prison. Why was he in prison? Good question. King Herod put John in prison because John was very vocal about his opinion on King Herod's recent marriage to his brother's wife, Herodias. He told Herod, "It is not lawful for you to marry your brother's wife." (Mark 6:18). Pretty cut and dry. Herodias wasnt happy with John's vocal oppinions, so Herod had him locked up to make the new mrs. happy. Before I continue with the story, it is important to give a little background on our jail bird, John.



John was the only son of Elizabeth and Zechariah, who was a priest. His parents were both very righteous and served God their whole lives. I say that John was their only son because until him, Elizabeth had been barren. She didnt have John until she was "advanced in years". The miracle of John came to be when Zechariah was serving as priest in the temple, and an angel came to tell him that his wife would have a son named John and that his son would be great before the Lord. The angel continued to say that his soon-to-be son would lead many people back to God and that he would prepare the way for the coming Messiah. Sure enough, John was born and his full calling was proclaimed over him in Luke 1:76-77 "And you, child, (zechariah speaking) will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people. For the full story, feel free to read Luke 1:1-80.


As he grew up, John stayed true to the miracle calling that the Lord had given him, and he did prepare the way for Jesus' ministry. His story continues in Luke 3 where we get a clear picture of him preparing the way for the Messiah, Jesus. We are told that he went all around proclaiming need for repentance and forgiveness of sins. "Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God." (Lk 3:5-6). He baptized repentant Jews and warned people not to think he was the savior. "One is coming who is mightier than I am. The strap of whose sandals I am unworthy to untie. I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." (3:16-17) Shortly after making this statement, Jesus showed up. He came to the water's edge and asked John to baptize Him(not a baptism of repentance- Jesus had nothing to repent of- but a baptism to acknowledge and dedicate Him to ministry.) This marked the beginning of Jesus's ministry.

I know it seems like I have gotten off of track with the original purpose of this blog, but I havent. Trust me. I just felt it was important to shed a little light on the life of John. Let's return to Luke 7 :18-23 where we found John in prison. After John's disciples had finished telling in detail the story of Jesus raising the dead son, John gives two of his disciples a message to ask Jesus. The disciples find Jesus and ask him for John, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?"In that very hour, Jesus had just healed many people of diseases and ailments, cast out evil spirits, and restored sight to the blind. Jesus gave his answer to John's question, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one does not lose their faith on account of Me."

There are three things that lept of the page to me from this passage.

The first is that John had a clear calling on his life before he was even born. One of the reasons I wanted to review the beginning of John's life is that it becomes clear that God had big plans for this young man from the very start. We as believers also have a clear calling on our lives as well. Psalm 139 gives us a clear picture of this. "You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made...Your eyes saw my unformed substance;in Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them." (vs.13,14, 16) Jeremiah 29:11 also gives us a picture of His plans. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil to give you a future and a hope." These verses are very familiar to me, but as I read them over, it gives me a fresh feeling of purpose found only in my Creator. He knew me and my days before I even had lived one of them. He has plans to give me a future and a hope. Just as John had a clear purpose before he was even born, so do we. Just as John was called to prepare the way for the coming Messiah, so are we. Are we not? We are called to prepare the way of the coming King. One day, every knee will bow and evey tongue will confess that He is Lord. Know what your calling is. It is to prepare the return of the coming King, to live a life that brings Him glory, and to be so marked by Him that other people are drawn to Him.

John was no less "called" when he was in prison than out. John knew better than most people what Jesus' job description was. After all, he was the man God sent to prepare the way of the Lord. He knew the prophesy that Isaiah made about the coming Messiah. The Messiah would be annointed by the Holy Spirit to proclaim good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering sight to the blind, to set liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.(Isaiah 611-4;Luke 4:18-19) I think John might have known of a particular prisoner wanting to be set free. In John 3:30, John said that Jesus must increase and he must decrease (Jn 3:30). He knew that for Jesus to have the impact He needed to have, John would need to decrease out of the way to give Jesus all the room to shine. If decreasing to give Jesus more glory meant having to be put in jail, I believe John was okay with it. While in jail, he was still serving a purpose. He was like the best man at a wedding. He was joyful to see the groom finally be with his bride, and honored to be a witness taking part. He was happy to stand aside and let the Groom have His bride. (Jn 3:29)

However, I do believe that just like any of us would, John started to feel the confines of his prison walls getting more and more uncomfortable as time went on. As that time went on, he began to doubt whether or not he had gotten his calling right and whether or not things were really the way they were suppsed to be. In the story from Luke 7, it becomes clear that although John knew his true calling, he was still finding reason to doubt, lose hope, and be discouraged. He sent his disciples to ask Jesus for confirmation. "You are the One, right? I didnt mess this up did I? No one else is coming, right?" Dont we find ourselves in that same place of doubt sometimes? As a stay at home mom, sometimes it feels like this stage of my life is like a prison. I feel like I am missing out on the bigger picture or bigger purpose. What about you? What is the prison you are experiencing? Is it a weak or sick body? A broken or difficult relationship? Is it your job or your time commitments? I think we can all relate somewhat to John's feeling of discouragement and doubt. The cinderblocks of our own personal prisons can sometimes cause us to lose sight of our Messiah, our Savior, and the true purpose and calling we have in Him no matter what our surroundings. Like John, we are no less God's people in prison than out.

Lastly, from this story I learned that John was reminded to trust God in all circumstances for God's ultimate glory. Jesus responded to John's question so gracefully and gently. "Tell John what you have seen and heard. The blind can see, the lame can walk, lepers are healed, the deaf hear, the dead are walking, and the poor have heard good news. Blessed are those who do not lose their faith on account of Me." John was reminded by Jesus not to lose faith- God's glory was being revealed despite his prison sentence. John never did get out of prison. I fact, he was later decapitated after King Herod makes a quick promise to his step daughter without considering the consequences (mark 6:21-29). We have to trust the Lord's all-sufficient and sovereign purposes no matter how close or how distant He feels from us- no matter what our circumstances or our location.

John was blessed for not losing his faith, and in his grusomely quick end here on earth, he was swiftly brought into the pressence of God where all doubts faded and where God's bigger purpose was revealed. I love what Beth Moore wrote about John's ending, "I think we can be certain of one thing about John the Baptist when he got to heaven, he wouldnt have traded his place in the kingdom plan for anything. Among billions of people who would live on this planet, he alone was chosen to prepare the Messiah. How could such a calling not have been costly?" I find myself asking the same thing about not just my life but of the lives of all believers in this era of preparing for our rightful King's return.

Serving our calling on earth to prepare the way for His return can be and often is costly. We may not all experience violent deaths for His sake, but we will surely experience other persecutions and costs. "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own, but because you are not of the world but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." John 15:18-19 So we see. Such a calling is truly costly. As we live as chosen, free sons and daughters of God preparing the way for our coming King, I have to ask. Would you trade it for anything? Absolutely not. He is worth it.

Sorry for yet another long posting. I promise the next one will be shorter and have pictures too!

Have a great week!

Much Anticipated Update

It is a beautiful, cold, and snowy morning here in Colorado Springs, and I am loving every minute. Not everyone likes waking up to a cloudy morning, but I definitely am one of the few who does. In fact, I always feel a bit energized when I look out and see a cloudy day. Kind of weird? Maybe a little. I just finished making a delicious latte, and now I am going to write an update on our little family. It will, once again, be in a numbered style. I like to refer to this numbering blog style as Kristy's style since she inspired it. Thanks, Kristy!

The "Other Other" Willcutts' Family Update:

1. Ady has been doing really well lately. She has transitioned to whole milk, one bottle a day, and one nap a day really well. She has been eating more and more normal foods and is getting closer and closer to walking. She loves to hold our hands or fingers and walk all around the house and up the stairs. Also, she can now answer lots of questions when asked.

* What does Charlie say? "hmm, hmm, hmm"

* How old are you? she holds up one finger very proudly

* Where's your nose? Points to nose

* Where's your belly button? Tries to lift up your shirt and grab your belly button

*Where's my ear? Turns my head and grabs my ear

This has been a really fun age for both Scott and me to play with Ady. Every day she amazes us with some new facial expression or sound or ability. Parenting can be hard, but it definitely has its perks too.

2. Speaking of new facial expressions, Adyson has a new one that just cracks us both up. I know I shouldn't laugh and encourage it, but I just cant hardly help it. It is her mean face. She makes it whenever something happens that she isn't pleased about. For example, the other day I was feeding her some lunch. She was enjoying some chicken noodle soup. I thought she might like some apple slices (she usually does), so I cut some pieces up and gave them to her. She of course went to eat a piece, but the apple was not the flavor she was expecting and she made her mean/ grumpy face. I've been trying to get a picture for a while, but it has been difficult. Here is the closest picture I've gotten of it. *sigh* It just tickles my funny bone for some reason.

3. On Friday evening, I noticed that Ady seemed to be a little warm and flushed, so I took her temperature. To my surprise, she had a mild fever. She hadn't been acting sick or different, so I wasn't expecting to find a fever. I didn't think too much of it, and I decided to see how she was in the morning since she was playing, eating, and acting completely normal. The next morning, I had a baby shower I was supposed to go to, and Scott and Adyson were going to have a fun morning all to themselves. She had been playing, eating, and acting completely normal again, but before I left that morning I decided to take her temperature just to be sure. Sure enough, she had an even higher fever than the night before. This time it was at 102. I was starting to get a little worried, and I thought that when I got back from the baby shower we'd check it again and see how she was doing. After a lovely time at my friend's baby shower, I came home. Scott had just gotten our little lady up from her nap, and they were sitting together in her rocking chair. This time I knew something must be wrong. Her cheeks were bright red, her eyes were really glazed, her head was a little sweaty, and she was really lethargic. Scott and I took her temperature again, and this time it was up to 104.6! We tried to not panic, and I called the doctor's office right away to ask them what we should do. The nurse told us to take her to urgent care immediately, and we did. When the nurse took her temperature at the doctor's office, it was up to 105, and they gave her a whopping dose of Tylenol to bring it down. I was terrified that she was going to have a seizure from her high fever, but thank the Lord, she didn't. After what felt like forever, the doctor came in and checked her out. He asked us if she had had a runny nose or congestion, stomach problems, or any other symptoms. Scott and I both told him no and that we were shocked she had this fever. It came out of nowhere! Finally, he looked in her ears and found that it was a terrible ear infection in both ears. The right ear was especially bad. He told us, "It looks like someone kicked the inside of her ear it's so red!" Needless to say, he sent us home with some heavy antibiotics and some ear drops. The last ear infection (and only) that Ady had was due to her molars coming in, and it healed up within the first dose or two of antibiotics. I assumed the same thing would happen. NOPE! Saturday night we couldn't get her fever lower than 103.5 even after a cool bath and full dose of Motrin. Sunday her fever stayed around 103 until the night time, and then it was back up at 104.5 again. Poor thing! I called the nurse at our doctor's office just to ask if that seemed normal and to ask what else we could do. He told us that if it wasn't below 102 on Monday to take her in to our pediatrician. Also, he told us that if it got to 105 to take her to the emergency room. Talking to him really helped, and I felt much more reassured that Scott and I were doing everything we could. Monday morning, Ady still had a fever, but it was below 102. Tuesday and today she has been fever free! Yea! We'll go to a follow up appointment next week to make sure it is really better. The antibiotic has given her some tummy side affects and a horrible diaper rash, but it is great that she is finally fever free. It is still surprising to us that she didn't have any symptoms of an ear infection other than that fever! So weird! (Wow! That is the world's longest paragraph. Seriously, look at it!)

4. My sister got the Swine Flu or H1N1 virus, and spent a little over a week in the hospital with pneumonia as a result. It was really scary for a while because it took a couple days for them to find an antibiotic to help, and in the meantime, the infection spread to her organs. By God's grace, though, the doctors found some medicine that would work, and she started improving very quickly after that. She finally came home on Sunday, and she is doing better and better each day. My mom went to stay with them this weekend and the first part of this week to help Vernon with the kids and cleaning house. I know they are enjoying her visit and her help! Christina came home on oxygen, and she'll probably be on it for a while, but I am just so thankful that she is doing better!

5. Speaking of sick people and this weekend... my darling friend of over 24 years, Jamie, just called me yesterday to tell me about her weekend. Jamie is about 15 weeks pregnant (I think that's how far she is), and she had been having some severe cramping in her side for the last week or so. On Sunday it was so bad that it kept her up all night. Her and BJ were so worried that they went to the emergency room on Monday morning. Come to find out, Jamie had Appendicitis and the doctors immediately rushed her into surgery that morning. Jamie didn't have the classic symptoms of appendicitis, so they were all shocked to find out that that is what she had. It was so bad, that the doctors told her it was about to burst! YIKES! Again, by God's grace, she is doing much better, and at home recovering. Her and the baby are fine! One of my favorite parts of her story is such a testament to God's astounding ways of granting peace in situations that seem beyond our control. Jamie said that she kept having the jingle from the Midas car mechanic commercials in her head for the whole weekend "Trust the Midas touch", and that it was driving her crazy. Sure enough though, when she got to the emergency room she cracked up because her surgeon's name was Dr. Midas! She said that she just felt the Lord was telling her to not worry and to truly trust her surgeon's touch. Dr. Midas! So awesome! God works to give us peace in weird ways, doesn't He? Praise God she and baby are doing well!

6. On a more random note, I have really been on a big popcorn kick lately. It is hard to go even one day without a bowl of that fresh, crispy, goodness! In fact, I am munching on a bowl as I type this. Delicious!

7. Well, for my last numbered update, I thought I would share with you a little story from last night and some pictures to go with. Knowing that there was a snowstorm coming into town, Scott and I decided that it would be good to take Charlie out for a nice long walk so that he could get some good exercise before the storm made us all stay inside for the next few days. When Scott got home from work, we bundled Ady up and we all went for a walk all around our neighborhood. It was such a fun way for our little family to hang out together and enjoy the crisp, cold fall air. On the final portion of our walk, Ady's little fingers started getting cold, so she decided that Daddy (Da- dou as she calls him) would be the best person to help. She would stretch her little right arm up into the air towards Scott and stretch her little fingers out so he could better grab her hand. As we finished our walk, Scott held Charlie's leash in his right hand and Ady's cold little had in his left. It was absolutely adorable. I tried to take pictures on my iphone, but they are a little blurry. It was hard to push the stroller and control the camera all in one motion, but here are some pictures. Ady sure loves her Da-dou and so do I! The Lord has truly blessed me with a lovely family, and I am thankful to Him for each day I get to spend in it.

As I close, I would like to make mention of someone very special to me. She is very creative and one of the funniest people I know. She has been bugging me for quite some time now for "stealing the name of this blog and infringing on her copyright laws". So, let me clear the air. Aunt Melanie (Scott's lovely Aunt from Georgia) came up with the name "The Other Willcutts" in reference to their family or Scott's family. "The Willcutts" will address letters to "The Other Willcutts" and visa-versa or refer to the other Willcutts family with this name. When Scott and I got married we officially became "TheOtherOther Willcutts". When I went to start this blog, I decided I should call it "TheOtherOtherWillcutts", but as I typed it and looked at it... it was way too long and only a few would understand the meaning. So.. yes, Aunt Melanie, I copied and infringed on your copyright laws and called it "The other Willcutts" just for simplicity's sake. But the real title is "TheOtherOtherWillcutts". However, to give full credit where full credit is needed, I thank the creative genius of Aunt Melanie for inspiring the name of this blog.

I love you, Aunt Melanie! Now watch the baby's head and stop worrying about it. :)

... and Called it Macaroni!

Just a fun little update on Ady. Today was the first day that she ate out of her bowl all by herself. She did a pretty good job, and I thought I would share some pictures from lunch. What a cutie!






The last picture says it all. My stomach is still sore from giggling so much! I am so proud of her, though! She ate most of her lunch and had a great time doing it. Charlie loved cleaning up, too!
Have a great week!

Thursday's Thoughts

Lately, I have come to love Thursday mornings. I say that I have come to love them because for whatever reason, Thursdays have been the hardest day for me for about 3 months. As I briefly mentioned in my last blog, I have been struggling with loneliness and Thursday seemed to be the worst day. Even since starting a Bible study and meeting lots of new women, I have had to fight back the tears of loneliness and restlessness that have consumed me. However, by God's grace and despite this rough season, I have found such rest and peace in knowing that God is faithful. The Bible study I joined is on Thursday mornings, and He has been so faithful to reveal His Word so clearly to me as I've studied. He has placed me with some of the sweetest, most Godly, elderly women at my table who have "taken to caring for me".

Although Thursday mornings have been difficult in the past and may continue to be, I have been learning to look for the best things in my day and to find hope and joy in those things. Thursday has become the one day of the week when I actually wake up before or at the same time as Scott. I actually take a shower and blowdry my hair! I have even sometimes been able to find the time to make Scott breakfast and lunch before he heads off to work. When Ady wakes up, we eat a yummy breakfast which is usually scrambled eggs, and then we finish getting ready for Bible Study. Then we're off to church! Ady plays in the nursery, and I get to have some adult time in God's Word. By the time we get home, Ady is ready for a bottle, blankie, and binkie(the holy nap trinity at our house). Then, I usually have around 2 hours to do what I need or want to do. Thursdays don't sound too bad afterall, do they?

Well, there is one part of my Thursday scene that I love and have come to find such hope in. I would even go so far as to say that it is the "cherry on top" of my day. What has once been a hard day of the week has evolved into my favorite just because of this one precious moment. Let me describe it for you.

When we get home from Bible study, I gently get Ady out of her carseat and we go inside. We give Charlie a nice pet and greeting, and then we climb the steps up to her room. After getting her "ba-ba", "nee-nee", and binkie, we snuggle up in the rocking chair. It's important to tell you that Ady hasnt been as cuddly as she used to be, and she rarely falls asleep on me anymore. You see, she is becoming more and more independent with every passing day. Well, on Thursday mornings Adyson is usually so worn out from playing at church that she can barely keep her fluttering eyelids open for half of her bottle. When she finishes, she snuggles up right into my chest and falls deeply asleep. She is so at rest and to be honest, so am I. I rest my nose on her head and breathe in her sweet baby smell. I always find myself almost in tears out of the gratitude I feel to the Lord for giving me such a sweet gift. How humbling to be her mommy and yet how wonderful. The last few weeks, every Thursday I have quietly hummed blessings and prayers over my sweet little one and tried to savor every moment. What a gift. Today, as I had my sleeping angel snuggled in my arms, I had an interesting thought. I wondered if God feels a little bit like I do when we snuggle up into His arms and find rest in Him? Does He feel so proud of His children when we look to Him for comfort? Does He just savor the moment of spending close moment with Him? Somehow, I think that my feelings are but a shadow of the feelings that He has for His trusting children. I was reminded of two passages in Scripture that sent goosebumps down my arms.

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want [or need anything else]. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul... Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death [the valley of deep darkness], I will fear no evil for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." Psalm 23:1-4

What a Good Shepherd we have as believers in Christ. When we trust Him and cling to His guidance and protection, He gives us satisfaction in Him (rids us of restlessness); He provides a place for us to rest and find peace; and He restores our souls. He is with us. Oh what a comfort that is! I dont know about you, but I feel such peace in that. We can rest our heads on His chest and find our true restoration in the safety of His protecting arms.

"Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

Does anyone else find hope in this verse? Come to Jesus and He will give you rest. He is gentle and humble, and in Him we will find rest for our souls. What a promise. I dont think that this verse promises that trusting in Him will secure us an easy ride on earth, but I do believe that walking with Him under His yoke, will provide an unexplainable peace and rest and the promise of an eternal hope and future with Him. I yearn for His peace and hope, and to find restoration in His shepherding and gentle arms.

Okay, I better stop now or no one will want to read another one of my blogs because this one is so long. I just felt like sharing some of my heart today.
On another note, I did mention posting some pictures in my last blog. How about if I just post one? It was taken from our hike this last weekend, and I think it is pretty cute. Have a great day!


How about those sunglasses? hehehe! Colorado babe!

Small Update

Wow! This month has flown by! I can't believe that it is already the last half-week of September and soon will be October. This month I have felt pretty busy, so I haven't really been blogging as much as I would have liked. (Obviously- I posted one small blog at the beginning of the month!)In honor of my friend Kristy, I will now make a list of my random thoughts and happenings in attempt to catch my readers up with what we have been up to this month.

1. Adyson is officially one year old, and she is getting more and more independent every day! She can bark when we ask her what Charlie says, she named her blankie "ney ney", and she stands up all the time.
2. She learned how to go up the stairs(but not down), and she spends all free moments of her day attempting to do so. She cracks us up!
3. We finally put locks on all of the cabinets in the kitchen to keep her from grabbing sharp and heavy objects. For example: The blade of my food processor! Oh yeah, that really did happen! She's okay, but she definately got a few cuts on her fingers.
4. I started a new Bible study. It is on the life of Jesus, and I have really enjoyed it so far. I have some increddibly Godly women at my table, and I am excited to gleam from their wisdom.
5. Scott is just starting his traveling season, and although it doesnt really start until winter, he will be taking 2 trips next month and more after that. By God's grace, he is still enjoying his job, learning lots, and doing really well.
6. We have continued our search for a new church, and I think we may have finally found one we are excited about. We've heard the pastor speak a few times now, and we are very impressed with his love and knowledge of the Word but also of his ability to teach it clearly. The nursery is also the nicest and best-kept nursery that we have seen at all the churches we've visited. They know and love Adyson already, and it's such a blessing to know she is well taken care of when we aren't there.
7. I am officially weighing less than I did before I got pregnant, and I just got a new pair of jeans this weekend that are a size I havent worn since high school!?! I'm not trying to brag; I am just really proud of myself and all my hard work! WOO HOO!!
8. I've been really struggling with loneliness and a little depression, and this month has been especially difficult. I know that there were several people I could have called or gotten together with, but the feelings of depression made me feel apathetic and unmotivated. Tricia was so sweet, and she came down last week to help watch Adyson for a day so I could get my hair cut and highlighted and just have a day for myself. It was such a refreshing day, and really helped me get a little hope in my perspective. So... A BIG thank you to her! What a blessing!
9. Scott's brother is officially engaged to his adorable and sweet girlfriend Sarah! They are going to get married this winter- December 19! It will be so nice to have her in the family. Love you, Sarah!
10. I started decorating for the fall. Our house has some fun spots to add fall leaves and pumpkins. I even started putting some white-lights in the window for later in the fall. I just love decorating for the different seasons. I'll try to post a picture of my cute wooden turkey. He makes me smile.
11. We went hiking this weekend (Scott, Ady, Charlie, and me), and it was absolutely beautiful out. We were up in the foothills, and the air was so crisp and warm. Charlie has been so well-behaved and attentive, so he gets to hike off of his leash a lot now. As he was exploring and sniffing the trail, we suddenly heard a loud rattling sound. It sent goosebumps up my arms and neck! Charlie quickly jumped back, and we saw a LARGE rattlesnake all coiled up and ready to attack. It was really fat and probably 4 feet long. We slowly got out of the snakes way, and found another trail to take. We were so thankful for Charlie finding the rattlesnake before we did. That could have been bad! Luckily no one got hurt!
12. Scott took us to a new soda shop in the Springs called "Squeak". It is so yummy! They make pop the old fashioned way, and they have 49 flavors to choose from. We enjoyed sitting on their porch in the shade and sipping on our sodas. It was a great find!

Well, that is about all I have to report right now, but I hope to write another blog this week and post some pictures.
Have a great week!

More Pictures

As promised, here are some more pictures from Ady's first birthday! Enjoy:)

The birthday cakes I made for Adyson. Funfetti cake with cream cheese frosting! MMMM!

Little heart cake:)

Emily Farrenkopf's little lady: Charlotte! She is 7mo old, and it is fun to watch her and Ady play together. It was great to have her at the birthday party!

Cousin, Daniel- Mark and Lani's son. He is such a sweet-heart! (18mo old)

Is there anything better than being at Lake Loveland with two of my most favorite girls? Azureya is starting 7th grade, and she turns 12 this weekend!! She is a great cousin to Ady and a wonderful neice to me! Love you, Reya!

Uncle Mark and Daniel! Such handsome guys!!

This was the first time EVER that we have all been together since having kids, so we took a family picture. Our family is getting bigger and bigger.

All the grandkids! (Atreus-5, Azureya-11, Amante-7, Adyson-1, and Daniel-1.5)

Just a view of the guests.

tee hee! Love this hat.

Me and Ady. Did you know that Ady means "Smiling or Distinctive"? I think it fits her, don't you?

YUMMY CAKE!!!!

Sharing a moment with Grandma.

Opening presents! She loved getting to open her presents! Thank you, everyone, for your generosity and creativity in picking gifts for her.

Well, are you pictured out?!

Thanks for reading and sharing this special day with us.

Lots of love,

Karen

Happy Birthday, Adyson Ruth!

A year ago, on August 30, little Adyson Ruth Willcutts was born at 6:09AM. She weighed 8lbs and 13 ounces. She was pretty sick with an infection when she was first born, so she spent the next four days in the NICU recovering. By God's grace, she healed very quickly, and we were on our way home.

Shortly after being born, the pediatrician discovered that she had Hip Dysplasia, and that she needed to see a specialist right away. Over the next 3 months, she had to wear a special harnass to correct her loose hip joints. Again, by God's grace, this was corrected, and she is doing great!

Ady is such a blessing to Scott and me, and we can't imagine life without her. She laughs and smiles all the time, and she loves people. She loves to crawl and play with her toys, and she especially loves her pets Izzy and Charlie. This year has been full of adventures, but we have gotten to see God's amazing grace and His hand in our lives as we've started this journey of parenthood. Our prayer is that Ady will continue to grow in stature and health, but that she would also grow to have a tender heart toward the Gospel. We can hardly wait to see what will happen in this next year!

Here are her 1 year old pictures:

We love you, Doodle! Happy Birthday!

This weekend we had a birthday party in Loveland for Adyson. Thank you to all of the friends and family who came! What a blessing it is to Scott and me to have so much love and support as we raise Adyson. You were all so generous, and you made her birthday so special! We had so much fun! Here are some pictures from her birthday party. (I'll post another blog with more pictures next time.)

Waiting for birthday cake in her special Birthday hat!

Ahhh! The first taste! Mommy made this birthday cake.

Needless to say, Ady loved her birthday cake! She was so excited!

One of my favorite moments: Ady sharing cake with her cousin Azureya. She wiped it in her face! It was so cute!

One other favorite moment was when we all had just finished singing "Happy Birthday", Ady clapped really animatedly. I think she wanted us to sing it to her again! It was precious.

I will write one more blog hopefully tomorrow with some more pictures and stories so stay tuned!

Have a great day!

love,
me

Small and Random Update

Hello Readers!

I just thought I would write a little blog update for you since it has been a while. I hope this finds you well indeed.

Adyson's first birthday is coming up next weekend! It is hard to believe that she is already a year old! I will post an official birthday blog on her birthday, so keep posted for more on that subject. For her birthday, Scott and I got her a hiking pack from REI. We wanted to get her something that she would enjoy but that we also needed. It is called a "Piggyback". Pretty creative. Well, we tried it out this weekend because we couldn't stand waiting till her official birthday. It was so much fun! We went for a few walks with her in it. She wasn't sure about it at first, but while on her first ride in it this is what happened: (see pic below)

She was completely zonked out! The little sheep behind her head is named "Snowficient", and he did a good job supporting her head from getting knocked around while she slept. What a little doll baby she is! I expect many good times to come with this backpack.

On another subject, my little garden this year has actually produced a few veggies. I am sad to report that my pepper plants, cucumbers, and squash plants, however, did not do too well. I don't know if that is because of the weather or if it is because Charlie kept eating the "fruit" off of them. It's all good, though! I have several carrots that are growing quite nicely, lots of lettuce, and believe it or not several tomatoes! Who knew that I could grow a semi-successful garden in some file cabnits?

Below is a picture of my tomatoes. The plants look pretty sad, but they are providing pretty nicely! Dont they look like traffic lights?

And lastly, we took some pictures of the family this weekend, and I wanted to give you a preview. We took our own to save money, but I am pretty pleased with the results. I'll post more later.

Hope you all have a great week!

More to come soon.

Check out little ady's curls at the end of her hair? She's so cute! Scott is quite the hunk, too.. WOW!