We had ourselves a little party out at the New Butler Place…
We were able to introduce Noelle to some of our local friends and co-workers,
and also give them a glimpse of their new home.
Beyond blessed to have our NY church family meet our SC church family.
And who doesn’t love an outdoor party on 10/28?
It’s finally here.
Wedding weekend.
We left the house very early.
I missed a room in my photo collecting.
The kids tried to watch football, but the Wi-Fi was spotty.
Festivities start tomorrow!
but the hoops were jumped through, and all kinds of banking/faxing/electronic obstacles were overcome…. and Stewart bought a house!
2.9 acres of wonderful! I am so excited for him and Noelle!
The boys’ bestest buddy from NY graced us with a week long visit. I can barely dig up the words to articulate the joy it provides me to see these clowns together.
Yes, they are playing Bible Outburst! Not sure who won, though I got yelled at more than once for “helping.”
No, no. I haven’t gotten there yet. But a friend of mine had a pair of tickets to gift to someone and Stewart and Noelle got to head up for a visit during her week with us.
The LORD has always put people in the boys’ lives to encourage them in their film making. Recently, Stewart was gifted some camera managing gear.
Noelle has graced us with a visit.
And now she wears a ring.
Stewart bought the ring and spoke with Noelle’s parents, and his initial plan was to propose at the beach. But there are some parts to a beach proposal that are messy, and loud, and --- it was a whole ADDITIONAL day of waiting.
So this morning, he put the ring BOX in his pocket before they set out on their hike to Pretty Place (a YMCA camp about an hour away). Noelle noticed he clearly had something in his pocket and directly asked him what he was hiding. Without skipping a beat (we are told) he proposed and she accepted. And they then found some people to take a photo.
And soon our family will grow by one Daughter-In-Love.
He had no special request for dinner, but he did ask for cheesecake.
Having him with us to celebrate another year was not disappointing. I love this spurt of time together even though he is such a grown up.
Drove Stewart to pick up his new car. What a strange time we live in, where it makes more sense to buy a new vehicle vs a used one.
It’s very sharp.
Oh- the places he’ll go.
Two years ago, Nigel and John had their first trip to Mt. Airy (a/k/a “Mayberry”), NC. They had hoped this would be an annual activity. After missing last year, they decided they would wait until we were settled in SC to visit, as NC is much closer to SC than NY!
Stewart was able to join them this year.
First birthday in the new house fell on a Thursday.
Stewart has had birthdays camping and on cruise ships. Now he is the first to have a South Carolina birthday.
We had a simple dinner and an amazing Oreo cheesecake on his actual birthday.
Then on Friday night we had the Hoyts join us for dinner.
Marie was at work.
Life is weird.
I’ve run out of ways to express how much so.
Here we are… John and I… social distanced in a class room watching graduation on a screen.
There’s Stewart. Only he wasn’t actually watching from the chapel, either. They, too, were in socially distant classrooms coming in here and there for their “moment.”
Sweet Noelle.
And now we are outside. On the only cold day in weeks, it seems.
We have boxed lunches.
They were very good, all things considered!
We gave Stewart a mug.
While his roommate Dustyn couldn’t be bothered with the weird graduation, he did don his cap and gown and come around for pictures.
In this painfully-miserable two years to be at college, these two people are the reason I haven’t said, “I wish you’d never gone.” God was so good to Stewart.
We had steak and Nan’s famous beans for dinner.
And now for the cake story…
Johanna was talking for a week about how she wanted to make Stewart’s cake. She baked the cake on Friday. She preheated the oven and somehow turned it off and forgot it. So it didn’t burn, but it didn’t really cook, either. THEN we realized it and made our best guess how long to cook it.
Saturday morning John and I had to leave early (7AM ish) and Johanna was prepping to frost the cake. About an hour later Marie called me laughing so hard she couldn’t breathe. We were almost to Mt. Morris, where my cell service always stops, so I couldn’t understand everything she was saying as the call patched in and out. Essentially, she was saying they were struggling to frost the cake, can they do something creative? Well, what else am I going to say. I wouldn’t have time to start over. Sure – do what you have to do.
After we got to campus and my Wi-Fi was turned on, Marie texted they did the best they could and they saved some frosting so I could try to fix the cake when I got home if I wanted to try.
I don’t know what superpower she thought I had that I could fix this cake with two ounces of frosting.
Honestly, it is his third graduation in four years…. it’s apropos.
My 20 year old, first born, homeschooled son has a Bachelors Degree.
I’m more than a lot proud and humbled.
GOD IS SO GOOD!
ALL THE TIME!!!!!
