Ady's news

Isn't she adorable? Did you read her shirt? If not, read it again. She has an exciting message to share. She is going to be a big sister. WOO HOO!

We are really excited to announce that, Lord willing, there will be a new little Willcutts addition coming in August 2010. Keep us in your prayers!

Here are some more pictures of Ady with her cute outfit on. This is how I told Scott around Christmas. He had just gotten home from a business trip, and this is how Ady greeted him. It was a really fun way to tell him. We are all very excited!







(yes, I did bribe her with a candy cane to get her to hold still long enough for some pictures. It worked, though!)

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