Lots of Pictures

Here are some pics from the summer. I cannot believe that Baby Butterbean will be 13 weeks old on Thursday! I can't believe that Matt and Lisa have been married almost two months! And I can't believe that summer is over . . .

Grandma giving Baby Butterbean his first bath at home.

I think Grandma really likes this kid!

Baby Butterbean, all cozy in his laundry basket. I can't believe he was tiny enough to fit in there. It sure was handy during the day. And I think it's just so cute!

Pappa likes hanging out with Baby Butterbean, too.

Noodle loves her new baby brother.

Love this pic of Noodle and Butterbean and . . . someone's finger.

While my parents were here helping me with Baby Butterbean, they took a day to do some fun things around town with the big kids. One of the highlights was the Baytown Historical

Museum. You see the big kids . . . and someone's finger . . . with Pappa above.
Noodle and Pappa

Chicken Nugget went home with Grandma and Pappa after Baby Butterbean was born. She and Trev had a lemonade stand. Pappa helped them build it; Grandma supplied the refreshments.

Trev is a serious little entrepreneur.

They made about six bucks that day!

They swam in this little pool . . . until it busted . . . then Grandma had to go buy a groovy new pool, which you will see a few pictures down.

After a fun-filled time with Grandma and Pappa, it was time for all of us to head to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, for Matt and Lisa's wedding. Trev was the ring bearer; Chicken Nugget was the flower girl. Don't they look all dream-like in this picture?

After the wedding, we went swimming at our awesome lodge. The kids and I had a cabin and everything. It was great!

"Um, yes, Butler," said Ms. Noodle, "You may put the tray of strawberries and lemonade right here by the pool."

Cousin / brother & sister fun! Not all the cousins are here . . . D/S McNary, where were you???

Silly cousins!

Then back to Grandma and Pappa's after the wedding . . . it is fun to have cuddle time on Grandma's couch.

Pappa loving on Baby Butterbean.

Sugars!

Banana thinks his big cousin Trev is the most!

Fun on the swing set!

Yes, Banana is naked! This was after pool time. During pool time, Banana decided that clothes just weren't necessary.Isn't this the grooviest pool ever????

Naked Banana, front and center.

Summer was lots of fun!

Labor Day Fun

Today at Chick-Fil-A, if you were wearing a team logo, you got free chicken strips. Though Baby Butterbean was sporting his Central Dutch bib and was thus eligible for the free grub, he didn't get too excited about it:
The girls, all Razorback-clad, found a friend from church in the play area:

Banana was digging the slide:

Below are the results of trying to get a regular smiley face from Banana.

The sister pose:

Don't know if you can see their little faces poking through, but isn't that play car the coolest????

Baby Butterbean is still unimpressed:

We heart free food! Oh, yeah, and each other!

"Those chicken strips were great!"

"Yeah, great!"

AND we got free balloons! How's that for an outstanding day? Hope your day was equally exciting, though really, how could it have been????

All that excitement left someone all worn out:

Some people go to the lake, or maybe camping. Or even possibly to the beach or a theme park. Well, I feel sorry for those people. They just don't know what FUN is!!!!!!

Before and After

Baby Butterbean at about a week old, above. The following are of him from today, at 11 weeks old. He is wearing the same bib and shorts. Truly, they get too big, too fast!

Remembering My First Love

The first time we went back to church (here in Baytown) after the accident, I cried the whole time. I clung to my baby and cried. We took the Lord's Supper that day, and I was reminded of His provision, and I cried. That was pretty early on, and the tough questions hadn't yet started swirling around in my head.

This past Sunday morning, 7AM, and I didn't want to go. I knew I should, knew it might help me, but I had a heart that was very hard and bitter that morning. I didn't know how I could sit through Sunday school without everyone seeing right through me. And I certainly wasn't expecting God to show up! I was just wanting to get through the exercise and go home.

The Sunday school lesson was about . . . um . . . something,I don't remember, but - it was the Scripture that hit me square in the face. We opened to Isaiah 30, and verse 18 says this: "Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!"

It was the word longs that jumped out at me. It reminded me of a conversation I'd had with Scott when I was still living in California. From Iowa he'd called me, and told me that he missed me, that he was pining for me. Seeing the word longs in verse 18 made me remember what longing for something feels like. I remembered pining for, longing to be near Scott. It was such an aching feeling, to want to be near him, but to know that I couldn't.

I sat there wondering, is God longing to be near me, to show me compassion? This God that I've been doubting and wondering about, is He doing that? Even after I (like the obstinate nation in the verses before) have been turning away from Him? Wondering if God was longing for me was something that started to touch my heart.

If I hadn't been in the choir loft Sunday morning, I would have cried again. We were singing this song:

All who are thirsty,
All who are weak,
Come to the Fountain,
Dip your heart in the stream of life;
Let the pain and the sorrow
Be washed away
In the waves of His mercy,
As deep cries out to deep,
We sing,
Come, Lord, Jesus, come
Holy Spirit, come
As deep cries out to deep
1998 Vineyard Songs (UK/Eire)Words and Music by Brenton Brown and Glenn Robertson

I don't have any more answers than I did before, but I know that I felt something on Sunday. It felt a little bit like a softening, maybe. And I was a little bit lifted just to be feeling again.

Memories!

Thanks, Boss and Peanut! This is going to be fun!

It's game time! Here's how to play...

1. As a comment on my blog, leave a memory that you have of me. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see who leaves a memory about you.

If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Ready? Go!

Nine Weeks Old