Family, Fun, Food, and Fellowship

The neighborhood across from ours is where about 6 of the other PC families are living. There is a huge field right behind a few of their houses. On this particular Sunday evening, we all brought our picnic dinners and gathered for some field games & fellowship. What a wonderful opportunity it was to get to know everyone a bit more. At one point, Jordan Slack & Stephen Altrogge were playing some worship songs with their guitars and Joshua was absolutely fasinated by watching them. We think we're going to have to start him with some music lessons early on!


Joshua

Caleb
Tyler

Colds & Giggles

Even though all three boys are sick right now with colds, they still have some laughs in them. :) I thought you all would enjoy these videos. The first one is of Joshua laughing when he was about 7 months old. The second video is of Caleb laughing just a couple of weeks ago (about 5 months old). Tyler laughs too, I just don't have it on video yet.
(FYI: If you go to the very bottom of our blog, you can pause the music so that you can clearly hear the giggles.)

Girly Night

What do us girls do when Aaron has to study late? Okay...so it's not always like this but on this particular night Aaron had to study unusually late and so Amber and I declared it to be one of our official girl nights. Aaron stayed after classes to study in the PC library with some of the other guys and so he asked if I could come after putting the boys down and have a mini date with him in the PC cafe so that we could just spend a little time together. Amber and I thought it would be fun to make a blackberry cobbler so that I could surprise him with it. He thoroughly enjoyed the surprise. :) When I got back home...Amber had set up a surprise for me! We enjoyed some chocolate milk with Milano cookies while we talked, painted our nails and gave each other foot and back massages. I think I almost fell asleep after the back massage but we had a blast!
Me
Amber

Catch Up

Wow! There is so much to catch you all up on. I know the grandparents especially will want to see these pictures so I'm going to attempt to catch you all up a bit. :)

Here are the pictures from the family birthday party we had for Joshua. Our neighbor Stephanie joined us as well.

Daddy & Joshua having fun opening gifts together.





Joshua, all ready to head out on some type of adventure with the new backpack his Nonni gave him. Thanks mom!

Hopefully more posts to come... but my baby needs me now. :)

Generation Letter

Generation Letter ... a group of men from our church who recently started a band. The Lord has already been using them in amazing ways and has given them several platforms in order to proclaim the gospel. Here's part of a letter we received from one of them. Click on the link to check out one of their songs...

"Our song Blood and Water has been picked up by Clear Channel’s WJRR here in Orlando to be featured on their online platform “NEW”. This is truly amazing as WJRR is the official “ROCK” station of Orlando and in many ways our message of the Cross would be totally offensive to them. Even more amazing is that the song they chose is Blood and Water, which is our song that most clearly articulates the problem of sin and the solution God provided; the priceless blood of Jesus Christ. Please visit as often as you can, as we get credit for the number of plays of our song and that will give us credibility with other stations around the country that use the “NEW” platform. There are over 400 stations and 10,000,000 listeners in the “NEW” network so your help is critical.

If we can rally around this song and let Program Directors know it is out there, it could get enough attention to get played On Air in cities across America. Can you imagine God getting a song about Blood and Water onto the secular airwaves of America?

We are most humbled by this incredible open door into the hearts and radio stations of lost and hurting people all over the country and want to do all we can to spread this great news.

Once again, we are amazed at God’s kindness to us! Please visit HERE and listen to our song and then forward this onto a friend and encourage them to listen and forward it to their friends. As insignificant as telling your friend about a song might seem, your help can make a huge difference and enhance our ability to preach the Gospel through our music."

Blackberries Galore!

A few weeks ago we had a family outing to Butler's Orchard. It is only about 15 minutes from where we live and the drive to it is absolutely beautiful. When in season they have apples, blueberries, blackberries, rasberries, strawberries, flowers, etc. They also have a cute country shop with tons of homemade goodies, etc. www.butlersorchard.com Here's some shots of our day...

Joshua helping (or at least posing for Amber to take a picture) :)

Amber and Joshua

Aaron is back there somewhere! He took Joshua with him and they found the mother load! They actually had to eat most of what they picked right away because they were so big and juicy that they fell apart right in their hands. :) Let's just say, Aaron was very happy and we came away with about 10 pounds of blackberries!


Joshua


The flowers were beautiful!

For only $8 you can pick as many flowers as you can jam into one container! Here's Amber holding our pickings! :)
We made 4 vases out of what we gathered.


We're looking forward to our next visit to Butler's Orchard.

~ On Sanctification And Parks ~

Writen by Amber Sutter. A must read for a good laugh! :)

Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Have you ever had the joy of the Lord interrupting your whole day to encourage you, reveal sin and put His plans for your life above your own? So often we become upset when schedules and routines are broken, forgetting that He knows best and has planned out all our days accordingly. Sometimes this involves breaking away from what is easy, pleasant or commonplace. So what will our reaction be when God has a different plan for our day that does not involve what we want to accomplish? Crystal and I had a similar experience recently, one I would like to share with you.

It was a beautiful morning - full of sunshine and fresh air - the kind of day that is perfect for being out and about. Joshua was bursting with energy and we all seemed to be suffering from a case of cabin fever. "Let's take the boys to the park!" was our thought and we jumped at the chance to get out of the house for a while. We just needed to "grab a few things."

It never ceases to amaze me how much stuff four-month old twins, a two-year-old and two ladies can generate! Between all five of us there were: two purses, two tote bags, two diaper bags, a cooler with lunch, a picnic blanket, a ball, a huge triple-seat stroller and an assortment of water bottles, sippy cups and burp cloths. The incredible thing is we actually do use all of it!

Everything is gathered, the twins had been fed, diapers had been changed and we were ready to begin loading the car. The little ones are up first and as I am putting Josh in his car seat, he decides he doesn't want to be buckled in and hits me. That calls for a trip back inside with Mommy for a time of instruction while I try to calm the fussy babies. After several more tries, victory! Josh is buckled in and resigned, if not exactly happy. Now we can finish loading the van.

Then Crystal and I climb into the front seat of the van for our five-minute drive to the park. A small, quiet playground in the neighborhood where many of the Pastor's College families are living, it's ideal for a fun afternoon. However, we'd heard about a bigger park farther up the road and decided to check out that one. We unload the stroller from the trunk, a feat in and of itself, and begin the loading process. Three kids, check. Diaper bags, check. Water and snacks, check. On it goes until we're sure we have everything and then, finally, we're off!

We quickly realize that the stroller is now much heavier and after only a few hundred feet, decide we’d better get directions to the big park, since we have absolutely no clue where it is. This calls for a visit to the home of one of the PC families. We figured, "Hey, the Leslie's will know where the park is and we can take them that bread and hummus we've been meaning to give them." Through our conversation with Mrs. Leslie, we find out it's much farther away than we thought. After talking for a while, we decided to save time (and our arms!) by going to the smaller park. Warmed by the sun and our vigorous exercise, we headed eagerly for the shaded playground.

At last! We'd finally made it and now we could relax and enjoy the fruit of all our labors! Think again! Within minutes of our arrival, we were attacked by a swarm of vicious mosquitoes. At first, we were determined to ignore them and stick it out. After another five minutes of swatting and smacking both each other and the boys, we looked at each other and said, "Let's go home!" So we began our trek back to the van.

The kids went back into their car seats. All the bags and paraphernalia went back into the cargo bay. Then it was time for the stroller, but we couldn’t remember how to fold the monstrous thing up! At last we hit upon the right combination of pushing, pulling and maneuvering and managed to get it back in the trunk. We drove the five minutes to get back home and began the process all over again.

By the time we got everybody and everything back in the house, we were exhausted, hot and famished. We pulled the PBJ out of the cooler and were ravenously devouring it when I recalled we’d forgotten to take Crystal’s cell phone with us. “You should probably check your messages and make sure Aaron didn’t try to call,” I suggested and she went to retrieve it from the kitchen. Only it wasn’t there, or in any of the places she normally keeps it.

An all-out search was dispatched and we went running up and down, in and out, looking for it. At last we resorted to calling her phone from mine and listening for the ring. When we heard it, it seemed to be coming from a dozen different places all at once. This resulted in another mad dash through all three floors of the townhouse, diving under beds, upturning pillows and rummaging through drawers.

Joshua, still sitting in his booster seat contentedly smearing his jelly everywhere, was laughing hysterically at Crystal and I, and from the look on his face, you could just imagine him thinking, “Oh, look - lunch and a show!”

Finally, out of desperation, we began looking in places that were absolutely ridiculous, but we had run out of other options. When the oven and the refrigerator had been duly searched, we sat listening to the elusive ring and wondering where on earth it could be coming from. On a whim, I popped my head into the half bath on the main floor. After a cursory glance, I reasoned logically, “The garbage can in here should not be glowing, or vibrating, or ringing, for that matter.”

Thus, the lost cell phone was returned and hope restored. Apparently, it had fallen from Crystal’s pocket when she had used the bathroom earlier. How exactly it ended up in the trashcan we'll never know. It was at this point that we began discussing the singularities and assets of our lovely backyard and remarking that when one has such a wonderful yard, one need not go looking for parks, however tempting they might be.

Amusing as this story is, there is definitely a lesson to be learned. All this craziness was not about the park or the fact that we were only there five minutes out of the two hours spent going to and from. The Lord was after our hearts, and He certainly got our attention.

So what did we take away from this experience? I was reminded of the fact that God can use anything, even a trip to the park, to expose sin in our lives and draw us closer to Him. I had prayed that morning for the Lord to reveal Himself to us in unexpected ways - obviously I had no idea what He had in store! However, our little adventure taught me patience and joy in the midst of a trying situation. Crystal considered it an evidence of grace that we thought the situation funny and pointed out that a sense of humor is key to being a mom. She also thought it a good reminder that we need to continually surrender our plans to the Lord and practice putting His will before ours. This lesson also produced a greater appreciation for being at home and enjoying our own backyard. After careful consideration, we both decided that we would attempt the park expedition again, if only for sanctification’s sake! Yes, good has been done here, in spite of all our unfinished plans and goals. I leave you with a quote from the wife of C. H. Spurgeon and also the mother of twin boys, Charles and Thomas.

“Fill my soul with the sweet sounds of redeeming grace and pardoning love that, through all the succeeding hours, there may be melody within, and joy too deep and real to be disturbed or broken by any of earth’s jarring discords.” - Susannah Spurgeon

Who says white boys can't dance? :)

We had a sweet long day together as a family. Our neighbor, Stephanie, joined us for dinner and then later in the evening we all watched a movie together. When the credits came on with the music, Joshua got a big grin on his face and started dancing. This was the second time he danced to this song. You should have seen him the first time as he got even more into it. We couldn't stop laughing!

Quote

“Now the Gospels were written to make us acquainted with Christ. The Holy Ghost
has told us the story of His life and death, His sayings and His doings, four times over. Four different inspired hands have drawn the picture of the Saviour. His ways, His manners, His feelings, His wisdom, His grace, His patience, His love, His power are graciously unfolded to us by four different witnesses. Ought not the patient to be familiar with the Physician? Ought not the bride to be familiar with the Bridegroom? Ought not the sinner to be familiar with Saviour? Beyond doubt it ought to be so. The Gospels were written to make men familiar with Christ, and therefore I wish men to study the Gospels......Surely we cannot know this Christ too well! Surely there is not a word, nor a deed, nor a day, nor a step, nor a thought in the record of His life, which ought not to be precious to us. We should labour to be familiar with every line that is written about Jesus.” J. C. Ryle

Our Joshua Is 2 Years Old!!!

Our Joshua is such an amazing gift and joy to us! He is growing in so many ways and already, even at this young age, we can see God's grace at work in his little heart.

We love to watch how he cares for his younger brothers. If they cry, Joshua does all he can to comfort them. He pats them, goes to get the pacifier for them and holds it in their mouths for them & gives them kisses. The other day, Tyler was laying on his belly and spit up some...so Joshua went to grab a burp cloth and took it over to wipe off Tyler's mouth!

He also has a growing love for music. When we put on a CD or sing, he gets a huge smile on his face, starts dancing and singing himself. The owners of our townhouse, much to our delight, left their piano here. Joshua thoroughly enjoys making up his own little songs on it.

He's also started putting himself to bet at night...well sort of. The other night Aaron, Amber and I were all just sitting around talking (after Aaron & Joshua's regular wrestle time) and Joshua came around to each of us to give us a kiss, then started walking down the hallway singing "goodbye, goodbye, goodbye" (from the Sound of Music of course...his favorite movie) and then headed towards the stairs singing The Gospel Song which we sing to him each night before bed. How precious! It also gave us a good laugh. :)

We're so grateful to the Lord for Joshua and pray that he will grow up to know, love & worship our glorious Savior!

Happy Birthday Joshua!

IN NEED OF CREATIVITY

Okay, so here is the deal..."Miss Amber" just sounds too formal. So if any of you creative people out there have any suggestions for a nickname that Joshua could learn to say, we'd love it for you to send a reply to this post with it.

Looking forward to your reply!

The Past Couple Weeks

It is crazy to think we've only been here a little over 2 weeks! Let me attempt to catch you all up just a bit...

August 19th: Caleb & Tyler's first taste of yummy rice cereal! :)


Aug. 20th: Aaron really enjoyed being able to meet all the other men who will be learning and growing along side him during the next 10 months at the PC (pastor's college). They met for lunch so that they could get to know each other some before jumping into the full swing of studies.

Aug. 21st: I was able to go to a ladies tea for all the wives of those attending the PC. Betsy Ricucci & Julie Purswell hosted it in order to welcome us and to open up the doors for fellowship right from the start of our time here. I am so grateful for all the ladies here and know I will be able to learn much from them!

Aug. 23rd: Orientation Day!
Have I mentioned yet what a joy it is to be here!? We're so grateful to the Lord for this season He has set aside for us to be further equiped to care for His Church. It really is a miracle that we are here...we stand in awe of the Lord's provision, care for every detail & need and arrangement of our every step!

Here are some pictures of the PC just so you can picture where Aaron will be each day. He's already grown to love the library and does pretty much all of his studying there.





August 26th was Aaron's first day of official classes. He comes home everyday full of joy in the truths of God's Word which he is growing to cherish even more deeply. He graciously attempts to impart to me all he is learning and how the Lord is affecting his heart through it all. One of his favorite days was when he was able to hear Gary Ricucci & Jeff Purswell share their testimonies. What an awesome God we serve that would open our blinded eyes, exchange our hearts of stone with hearts of flesh, and transform our hearts so that we would not waste our lives, but rather grow to love and worship our great God with every breath we take.

Happy Birthday Amber!

I want to take a moment to honor Amber on her birthday. What glory her life brings to our Savior! As we have the privilege of her living with us for this short season, I daily have the joy of watching her reflect our Savior through her joy in laying down her life to serve others. Over these past weeks, she has become an even dearer friend to me than she already was. I am so grateful for her encouragement, her help(!!!), her accountability, her care for our boys, etc.

Thank you Amber! Have a blessed birthday!!! Maybe later I'll have time to post about how our day has already been "blessed in unexpected ways." :) But until then...here are some pictures from Amber's birthday party which we had Sunday night at the Slack's home. We were grateful to have the Slack family, the Jordan family, the Campbell family and the Samarriba family celebrate with us. (It was probably the first party she's had in a long time where the average age of those in attendance was about 3) :) Plus, some extra fun pictures of Amber with Tyler.

Stephanie (our new neighbor and friend) & Amber

Brook, Amber & Mariah