CAUGHT UP!!!

I’m finally caught up in blogging!!!  I have been behind for at least six months.

Now – I am also suffering with a sore lower back…. I believe I hurt it at work on Friday and then aggravated it on Saturday.  But I guess I will look for the good and acknowledge that at least I am caught up on my blogging.

There is only one outstanding entry from Prince Edward Island I hope to finish someday.

YAY!

If you are one of the few people who still read it…. THANK YOU!!  I appreciate it.  ♥  Say, “hi” if you will!  Here or in an email. 

Thank you!

My constant companion

I hurt my back, most likely at work.
While I am still going places and doing things, I am no where near as productive as usual.  That is hard for me mentally.

Twins day

An early morning email.
Some rapid fire texting.
And these two jewels got to be “twins” for “Twins Day” at CBS.

Phew…

Best playdate ever.

Some special people are moving to Florida.  Though we didn’t hang out that often, it was always a given that this family would be doing the same fun things we were doing in both our homeschool community and their church community.   Our kids have done VBS’s together since 2005.  Their sons have been in a few of my boys’ short films.  The DAD has even been in one.  Two of their sons and my boys have done Cub scouts, a boy’s club, homeschool co-op, CBS, and seasons of youth group together.  It has always just been the given that we would do things with them.

And now – a new chapter in their lives has them moving south.

So, when the packers came to their house today, I picked up these lovely ladies and we had what more than one of these girls has deemed “the best playdate ever.”

They played outside, and had a tea party, and played with princesses, and went to Bounce it Out, and came home for popsicles, and watched Mary Poppins.  And every last iota of the day was fun.  Said the girls.

Daddy’s birthday 2018

You must be a very important guy if you have princesses at your birthday celebration.

Even if they forget to take a photo of your cake before cutting it. 

This cake, tho.

They were super excited to give Daddy their cards. 

Marie’s card had us laughing so hard we couldn’t breathe.  She drew a picture of Daddy as a super hero.  He made Thor look like a lightweight.

Groot pants.

And only in Rochester do people get winter coats for their April birthday…

Skin testing - 2018

It’s probably been 13 years since the last full-blown skin testing.

We had some surprises.

Turns out he *might* not be allergic to peas, some beans, and some nuts anymore, and possibly not soy.  We will have to pray about and plan how to proceed with doing oral challenges.

A few things scored very low, but should have been high….  so she did subq testing… ah ha – he still has a ton of environmental allergies.  We plan to do immunotherapy this summer to hopefully get him off some of his daily medications.  This makes sense in a few ways – both physiologically and financially.  We have some decent medical coverage and he may not in as a young man.  If we move through this now, we could both relieve his respiratory concerns, and alleviate the need to purchase daily medications the rest of his life. 

Terrific Twelve

We met Tabitha Stacy Butler 12 years ago.
It’s been a wild ride that I wouldn’t trade. 

Nene blessed her with STAR WARS sweatshirt.

Nan gave her that spiffy new bathrobe.

It was fun surprising her with new Converse.

There were other gifts, too.
She chose yummy strawberry ice box cake.

And that meant we all won. 

This “Easter Bunny” is 12.

Bouncing Birthday

For her twelfth birthday Tab asked her friend Ava to come over.

I took them to Sky Zone for an hour of bouncing.

We grabbed some amazing sandwiches at Smashburger and headed home.

Tab had made her own birthday cake, and opted to frost it to honor both herself and Ava, whose birthday had been the week before.  She also made LEGO girls to look like each of them.

They watched Spiderman and didn’t get much sleep.

She said it was wonderful.

Flower City Work Camp ~ 2018

Last week one of my kids asked me, “Mom, why are you always so busy?”
I replied, “Because you are, honey.”

You being plural, of course.

I firmly believe in being engaged in what they do.  The last few years the boys have done FCWC.  I was part of a Sidewalk Club last year and resumed my role this year. 

John had his first year as a Worksite Leader.

Stewart’s college classes interfered with him taking part in the traditional way, but he was able to plug in to helping with some of the A/V needs and getting to hear some sermons. 

Nigel was eager to do another year on a worksite, and we twisted Marie’s arm to participate this year.

It was ridiculously cold.  And we endured one nasty, NASTY windstorm Wednesday.

Marie ended up coming home early because she was not feeling well.  She even fell asleep at her worksite…

I don’t have a good photo of Nigel, but every time I saw him he was grinning ear-to-ear.

It was pretty wonderful.

Baptisms and Baskets

About two weeks ago our pastor left a message on our answering machine just asking us to give him a call back.  When John talked with him, Tim had been calling to let us know they were having a baptism on Easter in case anyone in our family was interested.  Tim was thinking maybe one of our teens was ready for that step.  Weeellllll --- it just so turns out that neither John nor I had ever been baptized (outside the infant baptism our parents had conferred upon us). 

We quickly decided we both wanted to be baptized, and we mentioned it to the kids.  Tabitha readily asked to join us, and Johanna asked if she, too, could be included.  We ran it by the pastor and we agreed wholeheartedly with us that both girls were decidedly welcome.   Over the next week or so, the Holy Spirit convicted each of the other three big kids, and on Easter Sunday we wore our bathing suits under our church clothes and headed to church.

We have it all on DVD, but I’m not sure how to just share the clips. 
All in all there were 16 people baptized at PCC today, including my sister, Kelly.  (Nan was baptized in 2001).

Pretty wonderful.

We had Easter activities before and after church, and enjoyed more sugar than we should have.  Yum.

It was ridiculously cold.  But we had a fast egg hunt after church.

Can you read Katriel’s card?

It says, “Happy Easter, Tabitha.”
HAPPE ESTR TABUSUH