5 years and counting!

It's hard to believe that it has already been more than a month since I last posted a blog! Where does the time go? 

Ady is getting closer and closer to being 2 years old, and a day doesn't go by that she isn't learning something new. This week, for example, she learned to climb up the steps of her slide all by herself, get seated on the top of it, and go down all by herself! She also learned how to say several new words, one of which is "brother". We also brought Charlie's kennel up from the basement and Ady and Scott turned it into a cool cave for her to play in. Here they are both playing in the kennel/cave!

Scott's boss gave us her daughter's old toy kitchen set shortly after we had Adyson to give to her when she was old enough. This week I bought her some little pots and pans, and then we brought up her little kitchen. She has been playing and playing and playing with it since then!

 She never ceases to crack Scott and me up, and it is so much fun to get to experience each day from a toddler's perspective. I recently got her her own pair of "big girl" sunglasses from Walmart, and she loves getting to wear them. Here she is sporting her new look.

We took this above picture last Thursday on our way up to Loveland. Scott's mom and dad agreed to watch Adyson for TWO WHOLE NIGHTS for us so that we could stay for a long weekend together in Denver for our 5 year anniversary. We headed up Thursday morning and stayed the night at their house, then we headed off to Downtown Denver for a trip for just the two of us. Needless to say, we had an incredible time! It was so nice to get to reconnect and to get to spend so much quality time together doing whatever we wanted. Here are some fun pictures and stories from our long weekend.

We left from Loveland to head up to Denver at about 10:00 on Friday morning. I hadn't ever been to the Aquarium, so that was the first stop for us on our trip. Our check-in time at the hotel wasn't until 3:00PM, so we had plenty of time to explore. What a cool place to go! They have so many different kinds of fish and sharks, and it was breathtaking to see all of the different colors! 

Here we are at the Aquarium:

I even got a picture of Scott (AKA "Sharkie" to his family) by a shark:

They randomly have some tigers that live in the rainforest part of the Aquarium, so I took some pictures of them. They are so fluffy! I wish that tigers could be nicer and friendlier because I would really like to scratch their ears and rub their tummies. Aren't they darling for ferocious beasts? 

We got hungry, so we decided to check out the restaurant at the Aquarium. It was super cool because it is situated right next to one of their largest aquariums in the building. As you eat your food, the fish are swimming along the walls. Pretty sweet! I did feel a little guilty eating fish tacos in their presence, but did I mention how delicious they were? Wow! The chef even wrapped the back end of my tacos with tinfoil "fins" so they looked like real fish! It was pretty creative and YUMMY!

After we finished lunch, Scott and I still had some time before we could check in to our hotel, so we decided to walk to the Downtown REI. We love REI, and neither one of us had ever been to that store. It was HUGE! We must have walked around for over an hour looking at things. We didn't buy anything, but it was awesome just to see it! 

Above left: Inside the flagship REI            Above right: A view of Downtown Denver

After all of our walking around, we were both ready to head to our hotel. We used a site called Hotwire to get our hotel room, and we got a pretty sweet deal. You basically tell them the general area you would like to stay and the type of hotel (3 stars, 4 stars, ect), and then it books you a random hotel in those specified ranges. Once you pay, you get to find out what hotel you will be staying in. We did it last year, and ended up in the Brown Palace! This year we got to stay in a hotel called the Hotel Teatro. It was gorgeous! It is a pretty small boutique hotel, but it was absolutely beautiful with great customer service. It is also in a great location right near the 16th street mall and the theatre. Here are some pictures from our incredible room. 

 

Above: This is a picture of our view down from the 8th floor! SO cool!

Above: The view to the left outside of our window

Below: In case you were wondering how we got such clear photos out of our window... The middle of the three windows opened, and there was no screen. It was awesome! We loved leaving our window open and getting to sit 8 stories up above the city! 

That night, we ate a very fancy and special meal for our actual anniversary at the hotel's restaurant called Kevin Taylor's. I definitely could not eat that rich of food all the time, but it was still quite the treat! We both enjoyed every bite of our meal. For dessert? Scott had a delicious chocolate cake, and I had the best crem brulee of my life. I even took a picture of it! mmmm... I wish I could have another one right now!

That night we decided to rent a movie in our hotel room, and we stayed up till past midnight watching a move! It made for a long day, but we both had a BLAST! 

The next morning, after sleeping in, we were ready for another day just the two of us. We decided to try a local restaurant with good reviews called "Snooze". Let me just say, Scott and I pigged out on some incredible and unique breakfast foods that morning! It was such a cool restaurant. They had some of the weirdest pancake combinations, but all of the ones we tried were mouthwatering: Rhubarb and strawberry, sweet potato, and pineapple with almonds and cherry sauce on top. Delicious! We can't wait to go there again someday!

Pictures:  

Below left: The restaurant logo                Below right: Some spraypainted artwork in the waiting area

It was a rainy weekend, but we did not let that dampen our spirits! The hotel dropped us off at the restaurant, but instead of calling them for a ride back, we decided to walk back to the hotel in the rain. It was so romantic and fun to get out in the big city during the rain storm. 

(below picture: on our rainy walk. I love this picture of us!)

 Later that day, we went to go see a movie at the theatre on the 16th street mall. We saw the A-Team. It was such a ridiculously funny movie. There were some parts where I could not help but giggle uncontrollably. Scott and I love going to movies, so we had a blast getting out to go see a movie. 

That evening, we got tickets to go to the Rockies game. We were both kindof worried that it would get rained out, but it held off until the end of the game. It was a knuckle-biter of a game, let me tell you! (I just realized the correct phrase is nail-biter, but scott thinks it is funny when I mess phrases up so I left it in for him). The first 6 innings went by in just about an hour and no one scored the whole time! We had a blast watching them play, though, even if it wasn't a high scoring game. It was just nice to be there together. We had dinner at the stadium, and we decided to go traditional baseball game meal: I ate a delicious hotdog with sour kraut, pickles, and mustard. Scott ate a braut with sour kraut and mustard. Mmmm! Quite a different meal than the night before, but absolutely amazing! The Rockies won the game, and we had a blast! All in all, it was another great date day for Scottie and me.

Here are some pictures from the game:

Above: It wasn't a very warm day for baseball, but at least we didn't get sunburned or rained on. It was great! The Rockies were playing the Toronto Jays.

Below: Us at the game. It clearly was super crowded, but we managed to squeeze this preggo in.

Below: Another picture of us together at the game. Go Rockies!

Below: During the 8th inning it started to rain lightly, so we bundled up. As stated before: Nothing could dampen our spirits!

The next morning, we went to a delicious breakfast at another hotel (such traitors, I know!) It was a great way to finish off our long date weekend for our fifth anniversary.

Over our long weekend, we had a lot of opportunities to talk about our past and our future together as a couple. What a healthy thing to do in any marriage. It was fascinating to look back over the last 5 years of marriage and to see all of the areas of growth we have made. I am excited to watch as the next 5 and the 5 after that and so on and so forth go by. Scott and I have had our rough spots the last few years, but it is great to remember why we are together and that we are better together as a team. Marriage is such a precious gift, and we are enjoying the adventure of it every year that passes. By God's grace we met and by His grace we will stay together to enjoy many more wonderful memories throughout the future.

Here are some other random pictures from our weekend. 

Above: Just a fun picture from our window. I love Scott's expression! 

Above: Hotel Teatro sign from above.

Above: The view right as we entered the front doors. So pretty!

Below: The ceiling of the hotel lobby

Below: Us before we left to go to the Aquarium. Also a good belly shot of me at 30 weeks pregnant with Jackson. 

I am happy to report that while we were gone, Ady had a great visit with her Nana and Pappy. Tricia graciously met us at the Park Meadows mall on Sunday afternoon so that we didn't have to drive all the way to Loveland to pick our little lady up. It was so nice to see that little "boo" after so long. She fell asleep in the car pretty quickly after playing so hard all weekend. Isn't she a sweetie? *sigh*

As I finish this blog update, I just want to also give a shout-out to our best friends Corey and Blythe who also graciously watched Charlie for us all weekend so we didnt have to worry about bringing him with us or put him at a kennel place all weekend. Our long and wonderful anniversary would not have been possible without the support and help of our dear family and friends! Thank you!!!! We love you guys!

Boo Boo and the Beast

Update on Ady AKA "Boo Boo" as we call her (because she likes to play peekaboo all the time):

It's been a while since I posted an update on precious Adyson, so I thought you would all enjoy some fun pictures and fun facts about Ady lately. Ady is officially 21 months old, and she is as full of energy as ever.  It is fun to watch her in this stage of toddlerhood because she is starting to express independence and very strong opinions on things. She is very opinionated about what food she will or will not eat (even if she LOVED it the day before!). She likes to boss Izzy and Charlie both around by saying "no", "move", or "stay"; well, really she likes to boss everyone and everything. She does not want to have her teeth brushed anymore- even though she used to love it! She likes to sometimes pick out her clothes. Here is a picture of the lovely outfit she picked out the other day. You've gotta love the yellow hat with the red belt/scarf, not to mention her kitty-cat pajamas. I love it!

She has become incredibly ticklish, so of course we love tickling her as often as we can. Her and Daddy love to wrestle and rough house every evening before bed- in fact, I am pretty sure that is her favorite part of the day. Scott gets her laughing so hard sometimes that her little face turns red. Of course, then we all are laughing so hard at that point that I'm sure we all have red faces. Scott likes to "attack" or tickle Ady with her big sheep stuffed animal, and that usually gets Adyson really cracking up.

Now that the weather is nicer, I just started taking Ady to the park. She loves it! She'll go down the slide (with help from mommy or daddy, of course), swing, or climb around the equipment. It is a great activity for us to do together on warm days. She is such a social butterfly that she especially loves watching the other kids play and waving "hello" to everyone she sees. I think she has decided that it is her personal mission to make sure she waves at everyone, several times, before we leave anywhere. Here are some pictures of her first time swinging at the park!

I've decided that toddlers or 2 year olds really do have some very similar habits and attitudes as most teenagers. Here are 5 reasons why...

1. They sleep very hard and are not very happy to be woken up.

2. They like to act, dress, and think they are older than they really are.

3. When they decide they are hungry, they will eat everything in site.

4. They will often use technology to block out mom and dad

And...

5. It is their way or the highway, buster! "Talk to the hand, because I'm not listening!"

Hahaha! Toddlers are a wild breed of people, but I must say it is a fun stage. I am never bored. Ever. Ady really is a good little girl, and she is such a blessing to me and Scott. She has more words now than we can probably count, and just this weekend she started putting 2 words together- only sometimes, though. For example: "Mine Daddy" or "no! Stay!" It is exciting to think that she will be speaking in sentences one of these days! I can't even imagine all the things that she will come up with to say. 

Here are a couple more pictures of our favorite girl. Scott and I are so proud of her!

Check out those pigtails! ^

Mommy and Ady

Update on "The Beast" AKA Charlie:

Charlie is our other "baby", and I thought it appropriate to tell you about him. He just recently had his first experience at the puppy spa getting groomed. The poor dog was starting to look a little shaggy, so we decided it was time to get him a hair cut. I don't know what breed of dog they thought Charlie was, but they seemed to decide about halfway through that he was not a golden retriever and that instead he was more of a lab or poodle. Labropoodle Retriever? Hmm... Well, either way, they butchered all of his pretty "feathers" except for his mangy tail! Here are some before and after shots. He definitely looks quite better all things considered, but we miss his "fluffs" on his ears and ankles and chest. :*(

BEFORE:

(his belly fur was so long that when it was wet, it would almost touch the ground!)

AFTER: The Labropoodle Retriever

What a silly dog. In other Charlie news: He is still a HUGE fan again of digging in the back yard. We just got new sod put in last year, and he has already destroyed several sections. He just can't handle the sweet temptation of the fresh mud on his paws and on his nose. *sigh* He'll figure out that the trouble he gets in really isn't worth the bliss of digging... one of these days. Also, I now have proof that Izzy and Charlie are Best Friends Forever. 

They are now snuggle buddies and take naps together. So cute!

Well, as for the rest of us. We are doing pretty good. Scott is enjoying a slower season at work right now, and he is handsome as ever. He loves working out, playing with Ady and Charlie, and teasing me. Life is good! Izzy is still very chubby and very much so alive. Baby Jackson is growing right on schedule and is probably weighing about a pound and a half to 2 pounds now. We can't wait to meet him face to face! I am still struggling with depression, but I have really felt like I have turned a corner in the last week. My good days are starting to really outweigh my bad days. Praise the Lord for that!

I guess that is about all I have for you now. Hope you have a great week!

Love,

Karen Ruth

Oh my goodness, I almost forgot! Check out my adorable NEW Nephew named David Paul Sapp. He was born on May 6th (just 5 days ago!) at 10AM weighing 7lbs6oz. He is just a doll, and I can't wait to see him hopefully next week.

The last one ^ is of big brother Daniel meeting David while Grandma helps.

Light and Dark... Great Purpose in Both

     The other night, I was sitting in our dark living room looking out at the dark street, and I was praying for the Lord to somehow encourage me and get me through my depression. I had had a pretty rough day, and I was feeling overwhelmed with sadness. The street was completely dark except for some dim porch lights on our neighbor’s house across the street. My eyes were so drawn to those dim lights. I just couldn't help but stare at them. It was getting late, and my eyes were getting so tired that I found it to be easier to just close them and not focus on any of the lights. The darkness is so lonely, and as soon as I closed my eyes I could feel a huge wave of sadness rush over me. I forced myself to open my eyes and look at the welcoming dim lights as tired as I was. As I silently sat there, I had an interesting thought. The darkness is the best comparison I can think of for explaining how depression feels to me. It is like being in a thick darkness that is often overwhelming. I can’t see through it, and it feels so lonely. It is a darkness that I don’t just see, but one that I feel all around me and cutting through me. However, I have found that there are little dim lights of hope that burn through the darkness and offer something to distract me and to focus me in. The lights are like little windows to see out of this prison of darkness and into the hope and promise of a life without the dark veil. Sometimes it seems like it would be so much easier to just collapse into the dark days and close my eyes  and stop trying to focus on the dim lights of hope. But that would be an overwhelmingly lonely and bitter road to take, and I know that those glimmers of hope are worth focusing on instead. They're a lot prettier,too; that's for sure.

     The dim lights of hope that are piercing through my darkness and distracting me from this dark season are the encouraging words from Scripture and from friends that have come along to offer their support and hope. The darkness isn’t so lonely when there are a few little lights along the path to keep me focused and hopeful. Thank you to all of you who have offered such incredible words of encouragement and hope to me during this rough time. Your help isn't just something that I see tangibly, but something I feel as well.

       I think depression makes me more reflective since I have been so much more isolated and quiet. As I've been going to my counselor and working through my negative thinking patterns, I have found myself purposely trying to think about positive word pictures and examples to remind me of God's faithfulness, His power, and His caring heart towards His people. This is just another thought I was pondering this afternoon in my quiet time, and it encouraged me some. I thought I would share.

       I remember going to a star party with one of my lovely friends from high school and my dad to see a huge meteor shower. We drove for a couple of hours to get to the cactus flatlands of Colorado where it is dark and sheltered from the blinding city lights. The skies are always so dark out there, and it is a great place to look through telescopes or in our case, see a meteor shower. As the sun set for the evening and the first stars of the night began their dance, so did the meteor shower. Because the sky was so dark, we could see actual colors in the meteors as they streaked across the sky illuminating the prairie around us for just a few short seconds. Some of the tails from the meteors were so bright that they left an actual trail of light in the sky for several minutes. It was breathtaking. We stayed out there for hours just looking up into the sky watching the beautiful light show unable to really move for fear of missing the next meteor. We were even scared to say more than "wow! " or "Did you see that?!"  because we all really did feel speechless at the sight of such marvelous beauty.  The Bible tells us in Psalms 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” Looking back to my memory of that incredible meteor shower, I can’t help but sing the praise of His incredible work. I decided that I think that it is in moments when the sky is darkest, God’s greatest glory and work can be displayed even more clearly and brilliantly. It is as if God uses the dark sky as a canvas to showcase His incredible works of beauty. All who see it can’t help but be drawn to Him in some way. I mean, even now if you were to go out into your backyard at nighttime and stare up at into the dark sky, your eyes would probably naturally be drawn to the stars or else to the house lights around you. Try to find a black spot and just stare at that spot for a while. Don't your eyes long for the stars instead? Don't they naturally seek a light- even just a faint glimmer? My prayer and my hope as I struggle through this dark season is that not only will I continue to focus on the little glimmers of hope that shine through but that I also can be used like a dark night sky to showcase His glory. No one seems to notice the dark sky as much when the streaks of light are glowing through. The dark fades and the light takes over. Wouldn't it be awesome if my depression has a purpose like the dark sky? What if somehow, by God's grace, my time of darkness can be used to showcase God's glory? What if this time of sickness could be used for God's ultimate glory and purpose? Hmm... Just pondering out loud.

"Therefore, we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of His calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

"Therefore the sisters sent to Him saying, 'Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.' And when Jesus heard that, He said, ' This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it'." John 11: 3-4