Merry Christmas to All

From Our Family to Yours

Merry Christmas, and a Happy 2009!

With Love,

Casey, Kelly, Norah and Haddon Lute

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Leftover Pictures

We found our camera today. I figured it might be about time to post some pictures from Halloween. Coincidentally, this was also our last night in Colorado, so while I like these photos, they're also kind of bumming me out (still wishing things hadn't ended the way they did).

In case you can't tell, Haddon was Woody from Toy Story and Norah was Sleeping Beauty...

Quick Note: Move #2

Okay, so we're in our new home, and it's been eventful.

Still, no camera, so no pictures. But we really haven't had a chance to look for it. We still believe.

We have discovered that we tend to move on the days that are the worst where weather is concerned. When we moved to Oregon, it was the rainiest time in quite a few weeks. Casey and his crew (thanks guys!) unloaded the Penske in pouring rain. Then fast-forward 6 weeks, and it is the weekend of a big old snow storm. With huge flakes falling, and temperatures far below freezing (pretty unusual for the Willamette Valley), we move into our home. As another crew (thanks guys!) treads carefully on carpet remnants, blankets and towels, we attempt to preserve new carpet and squeeze our belongings into a new home.

We have learned that our couches are large. (A small living room and big furniture... oh well.)

We now know that you can survive for 2 days and counting with just the minimums. (a bit of ground beef, one frozen bag of chicken, cheese, milk, and Ritz- oh yeah, and Ramen.)

We have greater empathy for UPS, FedEx and the USPS- they have to deliver no matter what, even through streets of solid ice. Yikes! Poor husband.

And that's all for now.... sorry, I warned that it was quick.

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

(Oh, David Bowie)

Anyway, remember Norah's looonngg hair? Well, it's not so long anymore. After a couple days ago when it took me 15 minutes or so of brushing through it after a bath, I had had enough of the length. Picture? Not yet. (I'll have to use grandma's or something. See last post for details.) But she looks really cute, and a little bit older. *sigh*

Also, we think that it is actually going to happen. This weekend we are finally going to be able to move into grandma's place. That will be a pleasant change. I think the kids will really like having our own place again, and then Nanna and Papa can be just Nanna and Papa again- and not "secondary" mom and dad at times! That will be such a blessing for all parties involved.

Casey has started temporary, seasonal work with UPS. It's on-call only, but it's some income. And we are thankful for that. He has the brown outfit and everything! (Again, I'll have to use grandma's camera)

December 18th is a day to PRAY. Casey has a job interview with Marion County for a deputy sheriff position. He went last month and paid to take written, physical and psychological tests for the position. Apparently, he is mentally balanced enough to be a security guard at the prison! So that's a good thing for many reasons, but what we're excited about is that his mental stability, physical stamina(well, enough to pass), and ability to read on a 7th grade level may be good enough to support our family financially! It is truly a blessing to just get a job interview, as the job-market is tough here. Please be praying that work will come his way soon.

And seriously, I know everyone will want to see the hair and the brown, so that will come soon.

Where are the Pics?

We can't find our camera. It hasn't been spotted since entering Oregon. So, if you see it, let us know. Or, even better, if you really want to bless us with a new one, feel free to do so.

The Kids

Megan left a comment on the last post wondering how the kids are doing. Well, they're holding up pretty well considering the back-and-forth, upside-down world they are living in right now.

Norah loves being around her cousins. Just about every day she asks, "Can we go to Cade's house?" Any plan is acceptable to her despite initial protest if she is informed that, "Your cousins will be there." She is tired of going over to the house to clean it, but she's been a trooper overall.

Haddon is just the same sweet self he always is. He just goes with the flow- for the most part. Although he is beginning to exert more stubbornness and independence. He just really wants to do his own thing. A classic moment was when we dropped him off in the 2-year-old class at church, and we peaked into the one-way window to look at him before we picked him up: there he was alone in a corner playing while every (and I mean every) other child was sitting happily around a table. He's just not a joiner; that, I'm sure, will be one of his greatest strengths and yet a great weakness at times too.

Just this week, we've had some issues though. Haddon developed croup. That allowed for little sleep for me, and him. We were wiped! He threw up yesterday, and I don't know why. But nothing has made a "second appearance" again.

Norah woke up at 4 this morning and informed us of her wet undies. Bummer. Then she couldn't sleep. Double bummer. At lunch with my grandmother, she was asking to go home so that she could sleep in her own bed. Uh-oh. And while I was out painting, she woke up from her nap and vomited too. Triple bummer.

She'll be fine, but poor dear.

So that's how the kids are doing.

The end.

A Little Update on the Lutes

The Move: we're in the final days of getting my grandmother's home ready to move into. If our plans go as we expect, we may be able to start moving in on Monday. So that's a blessing especially since living out of suitcases is getting pretty old and we're running out of toiletries- and I severely under-packed! I'm cold!

The Job: Casey has applied and continues to apply to many, many jobs. He had one interview with McKay High School for a job that isn't that great, but would provide maybe just enough. We should hear word on that soon. He also tested with the county for some positions in correction. It was an all-day process that he passed each stage. We're awaiting word on that too. And that's it. Nothing else. We're praying the Lord will provide soon.

The Past: we're gaining more and more peace concerning what happened at the church in Colorado. We have been blessed to be able to act honorably in spite of untrustworthy behavior. There is healing in our hearts, and considering the cross, we can have strength to forgive.

The Future: to be determined by the Father of Lights. He will provide every good and perfect gift. We have confidence in that and in his steadfast love. Thank you for your continued prayers on our behalf.

Norah's New Favorite Movie

My mom took Norah to Wal-Mart with her the other day, and they came back with a new DVD for Norah. It is a Tom and Jerry DVD called Whiskers Away, and it features a segment entitled "Cruise Cat." I've never heard Norah laugh so hard at any movie or TV show as she does for "Cruise Cat."

What is fun is that I also think it is a really funny segment. It's also funny that Norah can't seem to remember how to say "Tom and Jerry" and often ends up saying "Cherry and Jom." But what is a bit odd is that nothing seems to make Norah laugh so hard as cartoon violence (but really, who doesn't love cartoon violence?). In the seven-minute segment of "Cruise Cat," we see the following acts take place, each one eliciting a belly laugh from my daughter:

*Jerry is smashed by a coconut.
*Jerry is slammed into a dock, flattening him.
*A pole-vaulting Jerry slams face-first into a cabin window.
*Tom's appendages are snapped off by a deck chair.
*Tom shatters a deck rail with his face, falling into the sea.
*Tom dives headfirst into a freshly-drained swimming pool.
*Jerry burns Tom with a blast of scalding steam.
*Tom and Jerry smack each other around with shuffleboard paddles.
*Jerry blows Tom up with dynamite.
*Tom spikes Jerry on a boot spur and a cactus.
*Jerry hits Tom in the face with a cactus leaf (my personal favorite).
*Tom gets slammed into a post face-first.
*Tom attempts to shoot Jerry, but the bullets end up back in his own mouth, which Jerry then fires by smacking him in the back of the head with a pistol.

Watching this with Norah is some of the best seven minutes I can think of. I actually find it funny too, so we both laugh (but I laugh more at her laughing than the movie). Tonight she couldn't sleep, so we let her watch a few segments of the DVD. We were sitting together on a chair, and she told me that when she gets older she wants to stay up all night with me--until it's morning again--and never sleep. She said that we can watch Tom and Jerry movies the entire night. Sounds like it'll be a fun time.

Oh, and if you're curious, I present for your viewing pleasure Tom and Jerry in "Cruise Cat" . . .

503

We made it safely to Oregon after two days of traveling. The kids are tired, but they did great on the drive! We are so proud of our "road-warriors".

So, here in we are in the old 503 area code, and it's weird to think that it's permanent. It still just feels like a visit. But we know it isn't, and we are thankful that the Lord has provided thus far and will continue to.

We'll share more later, but for now, it is bedtime. And we have more work ahead of us tomorrow and in the coming weeks.


ON ANOTHER NOTE:

Our two fish, Salt and Pepper, survived the journey in a Dr. Pepper 2-liter. So Norah was happy about that.

Saying Good-bye

The past couple days we have been able to have visits from friends. We had an out-of-the-blue visit from the Massey brothers and Curtis. And we made sure that Norah was able to spend time with Emma. They are the same age- 10 days apart to be exact!

Tonight we loaded up the big Penske and had the help of friends. Josh, Becca, Calvin, Jackson, and Chloe Vaughn came. Matt and Megan Cook came. Brian and Becca Kuster (and baby #1!) came. And Alex Cserni came. Pizza was eaten, laughs were shared, and finally some good-bye's.
We are so thankful for the supportive people that God has placed in our lives here in Grand Junction.

Our family will miss them all.

Casey & Brian disassembling the kitchen table

The girls in black coats

Us and the Cooks


Us and the Kusters

Megan showing how to get rid of hiccups. Thanks Megan!

Casey and Alex

Norah and Emma (next door neighbor)

Casey, Shane, Curtis, Cory

Countdown: two...

Cooking for the Cooks

Tonight we had the privilege of hosting friends that we have been blessed to have fellowship with and minister beside. Tonight, we cooked for the Cooks.

Matt and Megan Cook began attending our home church not too long after we moved to Colorado, and it didn't take long to strike up a friendship with them. When Casey needed volunteers for the middle school ministry, the Cooks were quick to answer the call and help. They continue to be assets in the church, and we are grateful for Christian friends like them that live out their faith serving God's people.

We enjoyed a sweet time of fellowship and laughter. And because you don't think to do these things all the time (well, WE don't), we took pictures in light of our time together expiring. I really hope that the Northwest beckons them to visit and that the call is nice and LOUD!

The "good" pictures:

The guys: Casey, Haddon and Matt

The Girls: Megan, Norah and Me.. and the Ritz box!

The "Norah attempts":

Norah's finger, with Megan and I from a Ninky's perspective.

It kind of looks like we're floating in a lava cloud- Ouch!

Well, at least she tried. Sorry, Matt.

Oh yeah, the countdown: five...

The Last Week

As I write, tomorrow marks one week until our house has to be totally packed and loaded in a big old Penske truck. We are entering our last week in Colorado. And it is weird.

So here's where we are. Our house is under contract, but still on the market, per the contingency on said contract. Most of our house is packed, except for the things we need to have out, but those will soon be placed into boxes to await a new life in Oregon. Our bills all have a change of address. We have a moving truck scheduled to be picked up next Thursday, and we have a general plan of how long we will live with parents and where we will move to.

But there is no job. After the month of November, there is no income. So we are praying that will happen soon and that it will be easier for Casey to find a job if we are actually in Oregon.

Like I mentioned before, it is weird still being here. All we are really doing here is waiting. We don't go too many places. There aren't groceries to buy because we actually have to use up what we have- at least in the freezer (which is not going to happen!). There's only so much that you can pack early, and I or Casey have packed most of it. There's something strange about the waiting. We were just saying, "There's nothing here." We know that we're just moving on.

So we will wait, and we will wait in hope and anticipation of what God has in store for our family. We eagerly expect Him to move in ways that are beyond what we can imagine. We take joy in that.

So, the countdown in really on: eight...

Heading Back to Oregon

We have arrived at some firm moving plans for getting back to Oregon. We will be loading up our truck on October 30 and 31, and leaving on November 1. We will arrive in Salem on November 2. My parents are flying down here on Friday the 31st to help us make the trip back. Our kids are road warriors, though--just put on 12 straight hours of movies on the portable DVD player, and they're mostly good to go. At least that has been their pattern in the past on long trips, and we hope it continues.

I don't yet have a job in Oregon, though I have submitted about 30 applications for different things. I think it will help to get up their ASAP, so I can try and follow up on job apps in person. Who knew it would be hard to find a job in the midst of the worst economic crisis in seven decades?

We expect our house here to sell soon (as does our realtor), but there are no guarantees, and no offers as of yet. It has shown well, though (and we've had 8 different showings already), and so we remain confident in the prospects there.

Upon arriving in Salem, we will be staying with my parents temporarily. The plan is to get started immediately on preparing Kelly's grandmother to move into a senior living facility out in Mt. Angel. Once she's out there, then we'll move into her place (which is just off South Commercial by the Courthouse Athletic Club) and rent from her.

Also, yesterday I put my Dodge Neon up for sale. It has served me well for over 7 years (!) now, but I'm going to ditch it so I don't have to haul it back. My dad might have found a comparably priced car for me to get when I get up there (a Toyota pickup), so it will be nice if that works out.

Drop-By

A few days ago, Casey got an e-mail from a student that he had in his ministry here in Grand Junction. He was pleasantly surprised to get it, as we haven't heard from too many people since the resignation. This young man expressed that he wanted us to make sure we come to their house before we moved, and we looked forward to getting the chance to do so, as we really enjoyed him and his brother. And I have enjoyed conversation with is mother and found in her a mom and wife worth emulating.

Casey replied to the e-mail, and we knew that we would be able to be in contact with that family at least until we move... and prayerfully, beyond.

Yesterday was the first nice day in a small streak of cloudy, cooler weather, and Norah had been itching to go to the park. So into the double stroller the kids went, and we enjoyed a very warm walk to a nearby park. We played there for a bit, and began our journey home. Casey and I were discussing "what-to-do's" as is usually the topic of discussion these days as we prepare to head back to Oregon, and a care drives up right beside us, "Hey!" a female voice called.

It was the mom and her two sons, who had e-mailed Casey! It was such a nice surprise, and they invited themselves over for a visit. The boys were dropped off while their mom went to an appointment, and when she returned, they visited with us more. Haddon knew the mom, and kept "talking" to her, and Norah wanted to play with her. Norah recognized the boys and was genuinely excited to see them, as we were torn away from our church home very suddenly and abruptly.

We were able to express to them that we did not intend to leave as we had to, and told them that they are welcome to stop by anytime for a visit. They asked what our plans were, and it was a nice time of fellowship.

What struck me was that even though our time here has been quite short, and really, by human standards, we weren't very successful. Very few students, if any, would come to mid-week programs, and Sunday School attendance was sporadic, but I know that my husband poured personally into those few that he was an under-shepherd to. And he had touched the lives of these two brothers. Their mom recounted to us the tears that were shed when they learned that Casey had left, and the more tears shed when they thought of him moving before they could talk to him again. He impacted those young men, and we as a family can be thankful to the Lord for that.

What a precious drop-by that was for our family. We could choose to believe that there was no reason for us to come to Grand Junction (it seems like it at times!), but we know that the Lord will reveal more and more in His time. And even if that's it- an impact on two brothers and nothing else- it would be worth the hardships that we have faced here. We pray the Lord will use us wherever He leads, for whatever purpose.

House For Sale

As of today, our house is officially for sale. We're hoping it will sell quickly, but you never know.

UPDATE: We've had 4 different realtors/clients come to look at our place in the two days since it's been listed, so that's a good sign.

Visiting Church

This morning we visited a new church. I had been fretting about the decision all week, wondering whether it would be more pleasant to go to a church where we know other people or not. We ended up deciding to visit Monument View Bible Church in Fruita, where I have a few acquaintances. I ran into a few people I know, and overall the experience was pretty pleasant. The pastor preached on politics and government, which is not one of my favorite pulpit topics, but is probably a necessary evil every few years. He did speak truth, though (and avoided partisan political rhetoric, which is nice).

Since it is our hope to get back to Oregon as soon as I can find good work there, it is hard to have to try and find a new church to attend here. Nothing is going to be permanent, so it is hard to go somewhere while having no desire to get very committed or involved.

The kids did surprisingly well, though. Haddon did fine in the nursery; his number never came up on the video screen, which is always a blessing. Norah stayed in service with us for the songs, then went with the other kids to children's church. She seemed to enjoy her class with the other little kids, and liked playing games and coloring pictures, but I still can't get her to tell me what her Bible lesson was about. Oh well.

Latest Happenings

Hello, Casey here.

I thought I would update anyone who might read this with some important news regarding our family. As of Monday evening, I am no longer employed at Heritage Church. Though this may be surprising to some of you, it is not to us. Things have not been healthy here for some time, and with the right opportunity I would have left on my own some time ago. The church board just sped up my own decision, I guess.

There is much that could be said regarding the details of how and why this happened, but I'd rather not post that here. If you're very curious, you can contact Kelly or myself. We are not actually all that disappointed that this happened, but we have been extremely disappointed in the manner in which it was carried out.

So, what now, you ask?

Well, if we could pack up right now and just move back to Oregon, we probably would. However, it is not that simple. We have a house to sell, and there is also the small matter of finding a job. Currently, I am trying to find a job here (where the job market is much stronger), while keeping an eye out for things back home. If anyone knows of anything, please get in touch. I have a few jobs I have applied for here, but have not found much back home. I am not just looking for ministry work, either, but anything that will support my family.

Please pray for us. I know that God is good and faithful, and will not tempt us beyond what we can bear. I have been greatly encouraged recently by an old hymn entitled "The Lord Will Provide," by John Newton (the same guy who wrote "Amazing Grace"). These are the lyrics:


The Lord Will Provide
From the album All I Owe, available at www.matthewsmith.us
Words by John Newton, Music by Matthew S. Smith
© 2006 Detuned Radio Music (ASCAP)

Though troubles assail and dangers affright,
Though friends should all fail and foes all unite;
Yet one thing secures us, whatever betide,
The scripture assures us, the Lord will provide.

The birds without barn or storehouse are fed,
From them let us learn to trust for our bread:
His saints, what is fitting, shall ne’er be denied,
So long as it’s written, the Lord will provide.

We may, like the ships, by tempest be tossed
On perilous deeps, but cannot be lost.
Though Satan enrages the wind and the tide,
The promise engages, the Lord will provide.

His call we obey like Abram of old,
Not knowing our way, but faith makes us bold;
For though we are strangers we have a good Guide,
And trust in all dangers, the Lord will provide.

When Satan appears to stop up our path,
And fill us with fears, we triumph by faith;
He cannot take from us, though oft he has tried,
This heart–cheering promise, the Lord will provide.

He tells us we’re weak, our hope is in vain,
The good that we seek we ne’er shall obtain,
But when such suggestions our spirits have plied,
This answers all questions, the Lord will provide.

No strength of our own, or goodness we claim,
Yet since we have known the Savior’s great name;
In this our strong tower for safety we hide,
The Lord is our power, the Lord will provide.

When life sinks apace and death is in view,
This word of his grace shall comfort us through:
No fearing or doubting with Christ on our side,
We hope to die shouting, the Lord will provide.

SECOND UPDATE:
Without a church to provide an offering to this month, we decided to take a up a child sponsorship through Compassion International (an excellent, church-based charity). I tried to find a girl around Norah's age, hopefully to help teach Norah some things, and this cute little Haitian girl is who we ended up with.

Baseball Videos

Norah's been really into playing baseball lately. Check out that sweet lefty swing, slapping base hits to the opposite field like a miniature, white, female Rod Carew:

Haddon, meanwhile, is more of a bunter. Maybe he'll be the next Brett Butler?

Or maybe coaching will be his thing. Watch him argue this call like a little Lou Piniella:

The Happenings on Cris-Mar Street

Norah's getting the "shutter bug" and likes to have her picture taken. So she's posing more, and wanting to take pictures. (Or as she says, "pay-churs".)

Haddon likes to snuggle when he gets up from a nap:

And Norah sneaked out of bed at nighttime, but didn't get too far. She fell asleep within 3 feet of her bedroom door in the hallway, and we could hear the squeak of her thumb-sucking in the living room:

Crashing Sunday, Griese, and Pudding

Sometimes on sundays Norah is pretty tired. She crashed on the floor...

Tonight we had pudding for dessert after dinner. Haddon likes pudding and was sporting a pretty sweet Griese Broncos jersey. He was pretty excited about this treat. His new phrase is, "Be-o-By!" And we have converted that into, "Oh me, Oh my!" which he kept saying while savoring the pudding. You can also see his shorter haircut.. brand new today.

6 Inches

A while ago Casey found a "friend" in the back yard. The praying mantis was about 6 inches long, and it freaked me out! We shared him with our friends, the Vaughns.

Check him out...

Son, Can You Play Me a Memory?

On Sundays in between Sunday School and church, the worship team goes into the basement to practice singing along with the piano. Haddon loves to go in there with them and watch Dawn play the piano. Today he got to sit beside her while she played "Come Thou Fount." I snapped this picture with my phone. When the song was done, I picked him up and he said "Yay!" while banging his hands together. The rest of the worship team joined him in his cheer too, so that was nice.

He seems (to me, at least) to have an affinity for the piano. He doesn't just mash keys like most little kids (i.e. Norah). Instead, he actually seems more intentional, and likes to press individual keys to hear what sounds they make. Maybe he'll be musical, who knows. Norah, on the other hand, couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. She does like to sing, though, and lately her songs have been coming out in an almost rap-like format. It's entertaining.

Fish Update

Well, we thought that Victor was going to pull through. He was looking a little sad for a couple days, but then he began to perk up. Suddenly one day he was gone.

We waited a bit to replace him, as we are tired of flushing fish. Then we went to WalMart (instead of Petsmart) and purchase two really little fish. One is white, the other silvery gray, and Norah named them Salt and Pepper.

They're fine. We're curious if they will grow. We're even more curious if they will be doomed like the others or survive our household.

Here's hoping.

Haddon Skywalker

The force is strong with him...

Update on the Great Lute Fish Saga

Well, we lost Sally after a while. And then we replaced her with a fancier fish that Norah appropriately named Fancy.

Fancy was with us for a while, but Victor is a little temperamental. I'll explain.

Victor would sometimes bump Sally, kind of chase her around and bully her. After a while I found her looking very pale and swimming slowly. Eventually, we lost her. Then Fancy comes along and Victor did the same to her. He bumped her, and would chase her into the corner of the tank behind the little fake plants. When it was time to feed Victor and Fancy, Victor would get very competitive. He would chase Fancy off, and bump into her when she went after a flake of fish food. Fancy isolated herself behind the plants a lot, and eventually, she came to an end like her orange predecessors.

So now Victor's on his own. He's not allowed to have any other fish friends. We think that he kills them slowly, breaking their wills to live, and although they are just fish, it seems quite cruel to subject another fish to Victor's wrath.

He is calmer now, not swimming as much. So either he is depressed with no one to bully, or he's fading too. We'll keep you posted.

Redoing the Master Bath

We have been hard at work updating the master bathroom, and although we don't have "before" pictures, your imagination can try to fathom the transformation. First of all, the wall where there is a white border, at one point was a green color with a wallpaper border, then it became a light raspberry color (which I allowed to sit for a while hoping I would like it more, but it just wasn't a good choice- oh well!), and now all the walls are the same soft taupe color. The toilet seat used to be wooden- now white. The vanity had a yellow (yes, YELLOW!) counter top with dark wood for the cabinet- now all white, as you can see.

The bathroom is brighter, more contemporary, and we are so grateful that with just a few finishing touches (just painting touch-ups) we will be done!

Casey did a great job with the plumbing work- disconnecting the old sink and installing the new one. He caulked, and ripped out the old counter top, which was no easy task!

Now there are supposed to be two more pictures, but they got mysteriously deleted off this post. And since it's a little late, I'm just going to let it go because it's a small bathroom. The only thing you really can't see is the shower curtain, which is tan with burgundy, raspberry and taupe flowers on it.

Haddon's First Trip to the Theatre

For a while Casey has been promising Norah that sometime he would take her to see Wall-E. And today we thought that we would make it a whole family outing. First we went to lunch at Taco Bell, where Haddon was very grumpy. And on the way to the restaurant, Norah was nodding off a little bit. We began to wonder if our adventure would work!

But Norah was energized by her taco and rice, and although Haddon's mood shifted, we figured that he would shape up when he saw the "giant tv".

Needless to say, he perked up! When Haddon saw the commercial's he exclaimed, "Wow!" and pointed to the screen in amazement. The seats were very fun for him as he rocked them back and forth, folding and unfolding his chair.

Then it was time for the movie to begin, and he was mesmerized. Sitting on my lap he barely moved a muscle throughout the entire picture. In a climactic scene, he couldn't help but shout out a little, pointing at the screen.

Norah enjoyed the movie as well, but was more antsy. With only twenty minutes left she declared to her father that she was ready to go, and began to walk out. She stood and sat, but all in all was very good and enjoyed herself. At one point the movie goes silent suddenly, and we could hear her little voice chanting, "Wall-E! Wall-E!" -rallying behind the little robot as he tried to help humans return to earth.

It was fun to have a fun afternoon like that, and it is something that we will remember and think fondly of.

Introducing Victor and Sally

Well, tragically Tony the white fish died after only 4 days with our family, and Eunice, the orange fish, followed him on the Fish's Long Flush today. So, today I went with the kids to Petsmart again to replace the replaceable fish.

Norah was fine with what happened. She has accepted death- at least as well as a little girl can at the ripe ol' age of three. But we welcomed Victor, a silvery black fish and Sally, another orange goldfish. Norah predicts that Victor will die first, but Sally will be alive two months. We'll see.

I didn't figure pictures were necessary since, who knows how long we will be blessed by Victor and Sally?

RIP Tony

Norah has had her first experience with death. Her white fish Tony died sometime last night. He was behaving strangely, and we wondered if he was fading. But alas, he is gone, and Norah seems fine with that. He was only in our home for 4 days, so she's doing okay. When her dad showed her the fish that had to be flushed, she said, "Oh. Now we have to get another fish." She has also asked if Eunice will die, and we told her that she will eventually. Norah seemed to accept that.

So she'll be fine.

Summer Fun

Norah and Haddon have enjoyed some new outside play toys- thanks to Haddon's birthday money and Nana and Papa Lute!

When Dad was Away...

This past week Casey was in Santa Clarita for a week of school at the Masters College; so the kids and I were on our own. Well, the kids seemed to figure out that mommy was alone, and that there was only one of me- and two of them.

Norah, throughout the week, wanted to dress herself- so that made for some fun outfits. Here, you can see, she is proudly wearing a new Disney Princess nightgown that she got in the mail from her Nana Lute, a sun hat that is too small, and her pink furry winter boots. It's been in the 90's here.

And Haddon just proves to us all the time that he is truly 100% boy. He doesn't flinch at being dirty as his girly sister does, and I have picture proof to show it. He continues to be a climber too. He keeps climbing up on that spa that you can see right by him, and then runs around in circles on top, nearly making my heart skip a beat! He comes way too close to the edge for my taste!

Also, the last day that we were on our own, I was in the shower, and when I came out, Norah proudly displayed her arms and legs tattooed with pink and black marker- all stripes. You see, she was pretending that she was a cat. Apparently she was a black and pink striped cat. And being the nice big sister that she is (sometimes), Haddon got to be a cat too. It was not washable marker. And you can see that she still has pink on her arms in the pictures of her with her goldfish!

Needless to say, I'm glad to have my husband back, even though he'll be leaving again in a week.

Norah's First Pet

We went to the pet store last night and got Norah an aquarium with two goldfish. She has been dying to get a fish lately for some reason. And she loves her new fish; she has named them Tony and Eunice (Tony is the white one; Eunice is orange).

Celebrating Haddon

Tomorrow Haddon will be two, and today we had a little get-together with our good friends, the Vaughns, at a nearby park to bbq hot dogs and play. It was a low-key celebration, but we had a blast- even in the heat! We are so grateful for Calvin, Jackson and Chloe as friends for Norah and Haddon.

Running Video

Here is a video of the kids running up in Oregon.

So You All Can See...

As Casey and I were chatting the other night, the subject of blogs came up. And we were noticing that many families will have blogs to post pictures and stories so that out-of-town friends and family can see what they are up to and enjoy watching children grow up- at least through the pictures. Casey thought that maybe we should have one, but “the wife usually does it”. So here’s a feeble attempt to begin a family blog so that our friends- and cyberspace- can see the fun things that go on in the Lute Family.

The most recent exciting event was the recent visit to Oregon with myself and the kids. Norah and Haddon had a blast with their cousins- all 7 of them. Here’s some photos for proof: