Joyful.

For the Lord your God is living among you. 
He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness. 
With his love, he will calm all your fears.
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.

                                                                                                         -Zephaniah 3:17

Linking up here:

  

A Man Named Fred

We read books. A lot. Usually when we read, B-Man will finish the sentences for me if I give a pause. It's cute and it makes my heart happy.

Today we were reading about Noah. There was a line in the book that read "God asked one man to build the ark. That man's name was...." I thought it was an appropriate place for a pause and Brady, quickly recognizing his queue, finished the sentence with "Fred". Awesome.

Linking up with I Heart Faces and Phonography.

  

Little Feet

Tell me, what is half so sweet

As a baby's tiny feet,

Pink and dainty as can be,

Like a coral from the sea?

Talk of jewels strung in rows,

Gaze upon those little toes,

Fairer than a diadem,

With the mother kissing them!

As I bend and proudly blow

Laughter out of every toe,

This pray, that God above

Shall protect you with His love,

And shall guide those little feet,

Safely down life's broader street.

-Edgar Guest, 1924 (Excerpt) 

I wanted to keep this weeks' edit simple. I adjusted the white balance using levels, sharpened, and added a rose color gradient. I then adjusted the opacity, duplicated my background layer, set to multiply (to try to tone down the brightness of the blanket) and tweaked a little from there. Then I did a minor crop.

It's hard to remember the time when these feet were so small. They smelled so sweet and I could not kiss them enough. Now they're a bit bigger, though still small. They don't smell as sweet, and sometimes they even are a little stinky. I still kiss them anyway. I know there will be a day, coming sooner than I'm ready, when I won't be able to hold them in my hands, or have the desire to hold them to my cheeks. For now, I'll cuddle them and tickle them...along with the little boy they belong to.

I've been loving your comments (and I'm learning from them!). Please let me know what you think about the edits. 

Just Like a Box of Chocolates...

You never know what you're going to get.

This picture is an older one, but it still makes me smile. It also serves as a reminder that I just never know what to expect when I go to check in on the Munch-Man.

When Mike and I made our nightly rounds last night, we were greeted with a sleeping angel....stripped out of his pajamas.

Never a dull moment, even in sleep.

In other news, are you sick of winter yet? Punxsutawney Phil predicts an early spring!

Ever wonder where we got the Groundhog Day Tradition? It's rooted in a German superstition that says if a hibernating animal casts a shadow on February 2, the Christian holiday of Candlemas, winter will last another six weeks. If no shadow was seen, legend said spring would come early (source).

See? This blog is educational too!

Embrace the Morning. And the Camera.

This momma is just a little tired. Please forgive my rambling. And grammatical errors (I'm sure there are bound to be plenty). And short, fragmented sentences.

As you all know by now, B-Man is potty training. It's going swell. In fact, it's going so swell that he even woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. Twice. The diaper was dry this morning and all is right with the world. Now, I know what you're thinking. That was just one night, Ang. You're not out of the woods yet. And, you're right (you always are). We'll still put a diaper on him tonight, and see how it goes, but I'm optimistic.

Getting up with him in the middle of the night like I did (did I mention it was twice?) sure does take me back to the days when he was a newborn. Get ready to not like me (as if!), but I actually loved waking up with him during those bygone days. It was our time. So special and my heart swells with the fondest of memories when I think back on those nights. Sure, I was tired, but it was so worth it. I remember how he would just sleep in my arms and I would look at him, pray over him, kiss him, smell him. I was in awe. And, while those tender snuggle moments are a thing of the past, I'm still in awe of my little boy. I still sneak in a smooch or a squeeze when I can. This boy will never be able to say his parents never showed him any affection. That makes me happy.

Now, when I wake up with him, I have conversations to remember, not just snuggles. One one of our trips last night, we spotted the moon. It was brilliant and orange and we just stood and looked at it. He had his little arms wrapped around my neck and told me how pretty the moon was. Actually, he said it was lovely. I mentioned how orange it was and he tenderly corrected me. Actually, it's yellow AND woe-wunj. Oh yes, I said, how could I not have noticed? Then, when I put him back in bed, he wanted to look at the moon again. I couldn't resist. I know these times are numbered. So I said we'd look at it "one more time" and carried my little boy back out to look at the moon. I tucked him back in to his bed and covered up his little body and he said, "I want to look at the moon again." I reminded him "Buddy, we've already looked at the moon two times." Then, that smart little boy of mine said, "I want to look at the moon three times." And you know what? I almost caved. Then, the practical side kicked in, I tucked him in, and stumbled back into bed.

Good thing, since he woke up early this morning...wanting to go potty and then play blocks...with mommy. Always happy to oblige.

Did you notice that warm, glowing light? It's the sunrise. God makes some beautiful things, doesn't He?

I love these pictures, despite (or because of?) their imperfections. They capture a moment in time that I hope always to remember. And treasure.

Now, that you've made it through my rambling, head over to this blog and get your embrace on.

Good Night, Sweetheart

I came across this website and I thought to myself, "How fun!". I'm always looking for tips and tricks to help my photos look better or, at the very least, like they weren't taken by a five year old. (Truth be told, I've actually seen pictures taken by a five year old that are better than some of the ones I take.)

Every week they have a different theme and it just so happens this week's theme is "Good night". What says good night to you?

So, here's my confession. This picture was taken way back. As in May of 2009. That's right, math wizards, my little guy wasn't even one then. Back in those days of yore, bath time did say good night. It was a relaxing ritual that calmed my sweet child and relaxed him into a state where he would be easily lulled to a sweet slumber.

Nowadays? Well, bath time is a time that energizes him and soaks me. We now do baths in the morning. Seriously, I don't know when this changed, but it did. Oh, it most certainly did. Not complaining, really. We're a morning bunch around here anyway.

But, I digress. The challenge is to submit a photo SOOC (straight out of the camera). As in-no editing prior to posting. Then, they post editing tips and techniques. I learn from them. And then, BOOM! Friday, I repost the edited masterpiece. That's how it's supposed to work, anyway. I'm game.

I would have posted a picture that speaks of our good night routine now, but I just found this site and this is the last day to get in on the action, so this is what we're working with this week. Next week, I vow to be better prepared.

I feel compelled to tell you I did resize the picture. There's no way it would have loaded without a resize. 

Want to learn all the cool tips and tricks with me? Check out their site!

Innocent Wonder

I don't normally do two posts in one day, but I decided to participate in a photo challenge at I Heart Faces.





The theme this week is Innocent Wonder and I knew right away of the picture I wanted to submit. I was originally going to do it in color, but I fell in love when I saw it in black and white.

You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. -Psalms 139:2

Movie Monday

What an amazing weekend we had! Do you ever have those weekends that just somehow recharge your batteries and give you the energy to have an extra bounce in your step? That was my weekend.

Nothing spectacular happened and, probably to most people, our weekend would even seem boring. But, I had some great chats with my husband and some great laughs with our family trio. I'm thankful for my family. God knew exactly the type of family I would need and He gave it to me. That's pretty cool. 

I found this Bible verse this morning during my devotional, and I just love it.

“One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving.” Psalm 62:11-12a

We went to church last night for the first time. We always go Sunday mornings, but haven't been going in the evenings because the B-Man usually crashes at 7:00. But, we made a family decision to go and I'm thrilled we went. There's just something special about choosing to go to church. Brady did great-he went potty there three times and came home with dry unders, and he had fun. Mike and I got to hear preaching for the second time that day, and we had fun. I'm thankful for our church, God knew exactly the type of church we needed and He provided it for us. That's pretty cool.

Speaking of cool, I found a video this morning to share. It was taken in February of 2010, making Brady about 1 1/2. He was sitting in the high chair (that is no longer in our kitchen), and we were interrogating asking him all about animal sounds. I still love to do this. It's funny how it has changed. 

He's always been pretty good about enunciating words, with the exception of a couple. There were some words I was generally sad to hear him say the correct way. Fruit used to be "brroooteee" with a rolling of the "r". Picking flowers used to be picking towpers. Orange used to be oh-gee-gee (now it's woe-wunj). There are lots more, but my little guy is waking up, so that's all I'll share for now.

I prayed for this child and the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord." And he worshipped the Lord there. -1 Samuel 1:27-28

Brady, Version 2.5

This past Monday the little man officially turned 2 and a half. I'm not sure how that's possible, since it feels like we just celebrated his second birthday yesterday, but somehow he's suddenly six months away from turning three.

Those of you who know my son well are aware of the fact that the only time he sits still is when he's being read to. Otherwise, there's just too much to see and do. Now, personally, I love reading to him. I use that time to sneak in cuddles and smooches and I'm always amazed at how he is able to memorize his books. Love, love, love that time.

But, there are times when I need my lap and I need my hands and reading to my favorite guy is just not conducive to those needs. One particular afternoon, desperate to clean my kitchen, I asked him if he'd like to watch Wall-E on the computer. His eyes widened and I received a very quick "yes, please" as his response.

So, I set it up for him, with strict instructions to not push any buttons. Worked like a charm.  That is, it held his attention...and mine. How could I not snap pictures while he was so occupied? Sure beats doing the dishes! Oh well, who needs a clean kitchen anyway?

I know his third birthday will be here before I know it. To tell you the truth, I'm excited about things to come, but I'm pretty thrilled with where we are. Right now.

There's a blog I read that pretty much nailed how I feel:

Not one day have I ever missed the days when he was a baby. Not for one day do I wish I could go back and relive that time. Not because he was a rough baby. He wasn’t. I just think that if you really live in the present, you don’t miss it when it becomes the past in regards to loved ones that are still with you. I love seeing who he is becoming. I remember and cherish the days he used to lay swaddled in my arms and fall asleep. As fond as those memories are…I don’t want to go back in time. I want today with him. Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. Today.

So, here's to my little guy. Happy 2.5.


Movie Monday

By now, you know I'm a sucker for alliteration. So, with that said, I introduce a new blog series: Movie Monday.

I figured it would be fun for me to post some random videos and what better day than Monday, where I'm just getting back to the blog after a weekend break. Plus, it's a great way to share the videos I never get around to sharing.

Without further ado, here's this week installment. It was taken (with the phone camera) on September 3. Brady is reciting one of his short stories "Favorite Colors", a Winnie-the-Pooh book.

And, just to justify the mess....I was going through Brady's closet, sorting out sizes and seasons. He found the Pooh hat, insisted on wearing it, and would not take it off. Oh well, makes for a cute video...with a messy background!

Be sure to check back tomorrow for Ten on Tuesday!

You are the Music....

...while the music lasts. -T.S. Eliot

Way back when I was in high school (way, way, way back), I got an electric guitar for Christmas one year. I got a guitar and my brother got a drum set. Neither one of us played, but it's still one of the coolest gifts I've ever gotten. My brother eventually sold his drum set, but I held on to my guitar. Always with the hope that I would play...someday.

The years have passed, and the guitar has been moved from room to room until, at last, it's found a quiet place in our laundry room, right next to Mike's acoustic guitar (he doesn't play either). Mike's guitar is in a box, but mine is not, which makes it ever so tempting to little boys who like noise, buttons, strings, and things that really aren't toys and really shouldn't be played with.

Imagine my surprise when I see my little boy lugging this big guitar out of the laundry room. He was working hard, but was determined. He made it all the way to the living room and up on the couch.

"I want to play la guitar." I couldn't possibly take it away after he'd worked so hard to free it from it's spot in the laundry room. So, I let him play...and quietly snapped some pics with my phone. I've edited them with a heavier hand than I normally use, but I like the kind of grungy feel (I can almost hear my brother's eyes rolling) these have.

He was gentle, content, and I couldn't have been happier to share in this moment.

"Music washes away form the soul the dust of everyday life." -Berthold Auerbach

"Use the talents you possess, for the woods would be silent if no birds sang except the best." -Henry Van Dyke

A Cut Above

I'm not crafty. But, boy do I wish I were. When Mike and I were doing Christmas shopping for Brady, I knew I wanted to stock up on our crafting supplies (stock up as in actually get some). I had visions of sitting at the kitchen table with Brady, making...stuff.

One of those "crafty" gifts we got him were scissors. Yup, his very own pair. We headed to our favorite educational store and, while Mike kept Brady occupied at their train table, I went hunting. I ended up finding a pair that sounded like a good fit. According to the packaging they will only cut construction paper (had to pick that up too!) and, most importantly, not: hair, skin, clothes, or anything else a two and a half year old may try.

Today was a particularly slow day, so I decided to bust them out.

Brady was beside himself when I told him we were going to cut with scissors. He got right to work.

See how serious he looks? I assure you, he did have fun.

He did great for a first-timer. There were only a couple times he decided ripping the paper was easier, but he always went back to the scissors. We'll definitely tackle this again in the near future.

Today scissors...tomorrow, a clean house who knows?

Happy New Year!

It's a new year, a new blog post, and a new look to the blog!

I know you probably thought I'd desserted this blog and, I guess, you were right...sort of. I may not have had any posts in a little while (ok, long while) but it's always been in the back of my mind. What better time to pick blogging back up than in the new year, where resolutions run rampant?

We've been busy in our own kind of way. Christmas was wonderful and more fun than ever with Brady being two and a (almost) half. He had an emphatic "thank you!" every time he opened a present. If a box came to the door, he would follow us around saying, "I want to open it! I want to open the box. Pleeeease!".

We didn't see all the family we would've liked to see over the holidays and, as disappointing as that was, it was also relaxing to not have to travel anywhere.

As great as the holidays were, I'm especially excited to welcome in a new year. We have some big plans and ambitious goals for this year. Last year was wonderful, full of unexpected blessings. Looking back on the year, I can smile knowing we did our best to squeeze every drop of happiness out of it. This year will be even better!

I will be doing a lot more of the simple things that make life so grand. Like this:

Spending time in the kitchen playing cooking and baking with my best helper. In addition to helping, he also serves as quality control, as you can see from the chocolate remnants around his mouth. Good thing he only asks to get paid in "little tastes".

Here's to 2011!

A Day at the Park.

We have thankfully gotten a reprieve from onslaught of hot weather. With the (much appreciated) cool down in temps, we Butlers have been spending a lot of time outdoors. I couldn't be happier.

In between doing outside projects, we managed to sneak away to our favorite park,  Close Memorial. We decided to forgo the stroller and let Brady walk, while we secretly worried we would be constantly chasing him from water's edge. But, our little guy did great. He even moved to the correct side of the sidewalk when we came across the occasional passerby. What a little gentleman. Sometimes he just amazes me.

I just grabbed a couple shots from the day, a feat for me considering I have been very lackadaisical about taking pictures lately.

I believe it was President Roosevelt who said "Speak softly and carry a big stick." Not sure this is what he had in mind. Not that Brady has really mastered speaking softly either.

We made it all the way to the bridge, which is Brady's favorite spot of the whole park. He knows he gets to throw rocks in the water. It was a little more nerve wracking this time since he wasn't buckled in a stroller. Extra care was taken to ensure he didn't throw himself over the ledge along with the rock. We survived, unscathed.

Brady finished the rest of the walk with style...courtesy of his daddy.

When I see pictures like this, it reminds me of when Mike and I would walk here while I was pregnant. We would talk about the days, months, and years to come, always with a smile on our faces. Our conversation always went to "one of these days, he will be running around this park." Sure enough. It's such a happy/sad feeling. Sad because my little tiny baby is gone. Happy because that little tiny baby has grown into a full-blown toddler boy who is, by description, all boy.

We wouldn't want it any other way.

Friday's Favorite...and Catching Up

Happy Friday, friends!

A lot has happened since my last blog post. I had my wisdom teeth removed, my mom celebrated a (pretty big milestone) birthday, we decided to send Brady to preschool, and we decided not to send Brady to preschool. Ok, it doesn't really sound like much when I write it out, but it certainly has felt like a lot.

The wisdom tooth removal took more out of me than I thought it would and, quite frankly, more than I care to admit. They had been bothering me for quite awhile and I kept putting it off, but finally gave in and had all four of them (surgically) cut out  removed. It's been two weeks and a day since they came out and I'm still sore and achy and dosing up on Ibuprofen (couldn't take the pain pills). But, thankfully I have a loving, patient, and helpful husband who has put up with me and a mother that came to help watch my very active two year old son.

I have some pictures from my mom's birthday that I will post another time. It was a good day, but what made it cute (in my mind) was Brady's "Happy Birthday, Grandma!" every two seconds. Said with love and enthusiasm each time. Her birthday was last week, but last night at dinner he leaned over to her and said it again. We rolled with it. Why not? It's nice to be celebrated, even on non-birthdays.

I will update you on the preschool thing at another time too (this is how I keep you coming back).

Most of you know by now that Brady is particular about certain things. He likes them lined up, stacked up, and put in a certain order. I love it. It's just one of those things that makes Brady "Brady".

Take, for instance, these horses.

Do you notice how they are eye-to-eye standing directly in front of each other? Well, that is no accident. They are placed, adjusted, and tweaked until they are just right. Then, they are replaced, readjusted, retweaked (is that a word?)...you get the idea.

I got spotted lurking. Ignore the crazy-eyed expression. He was all hyped up on posing horses.

It's not just horses that get the attention.

And it's not just toys.

Everyday is something new with this little guy. Lately, he's been saying he's embarrassed. He puts a shy smile on his face, leans his head to the side, puts his hands by his head, and says in a quiet voice "embarrassed". Here's the pose, in all it's cuteness.

I'm not sure why he was embarrassed. It couldn't possibly be because he is wearing winter jammies in August, could it? Nah, I didn't think so either.

Friday's Favorite

Happy Friday!

Is it just me, or has this day taken forever to get here this week? I think it's felt extra long because we've been cooped up in the house because of the excessive heat. Thankfully, it rained yesterday and we were able to actually play outside for a little while yesterday. Brady was thrilled to be able to do one of his favorite pasttimes: picking flowers (or, as he puts it, "picking towpers").

We had a fun family outing to Lambert's last night to celebrate Brady's B-Pa's birthday. If you've never been, it's certainly quite the experience. They are famous for their "throwed rolls" where they actually throw fresh, hot rolls at you...you must be on constant alert or you may get beaned in the head...just ask my mom. The wait is always insane and they don't take debit (but accept checks-bizarre!) and the food style is downhome cookin'. And they bring you more food than you could ever possibly consume. It looked like Brady had eaten a bowling ball by the time we left.

They bring around pass-a-rounds in addition to your meal, one of which was fried okra, a first for Brady who thought they were tator tots (I'm slightly ashamed to admit he knows what tator tots are). At the end of our meal our waitress brought Brady a balloon-and he was delighted. It was orange, or, in Brady-speak, "oran juh juh". Believe it or not, I snapped a lot of pictures, but they didn't turn out so well due to the lighting. This was the best one and it's still not great...but you gotta love the barbecue sauce on the little guy's face.

After the meal we all headed back to our house for some birthday cake and ice cream. Not that anyone had enough room for cake or ice cream. Brady helped me make a German Chocolate cake and homemade vanilla ice cream earlier in the day and was very proud to share it with everyone. He announced (several times) that he was a "big helper" to mommy. And he was! The little guy is a blast in the kitchen. He was beside himself when I brought out the mixer and right away said "Mommy, up!" at which point he sat on the counter and helped me mix until his heart was content....or, at the very least, until the cake batter was light and fluffy!

Brady thought it was his personal duty to make sure the candle was blown out. Twice. The first time was midway through the Happy Birthday song and the second was promptly after the song ended. Hopefully, for B-Pa's sake, your birthday wish still comes true if someone else blows out your candle! 

The little trooper stayed up an hour past his bed time, and had a great night. We all went to bed with full bellies and happy hearts...loving life and each other.

Movie Night

Before I get started, I just want to acknowledge the fact that I am aware it's been 20 days since my last blog post. A lot has happened that I want to catch you up on (Hello! Brady's two now!), and I will, but for now I just want to jump right in. I'll sprinkle the things you've missed here and there and, before you know it, it'll be like I've blogged everyday for the last 20 days (ha!). Seriously though, I vow to do better about more timely posts...thanks for hanging in there with me!

OK, now on to the "official" posting!

Brady is not a television watcher. He never has been. He knows a lot of TV characters like Mickey, Pooh, Thomas the Train, etc., but he knows them from books...which, I'll admit, I love. Mike and I have read to him since before he was born. Mike used to prop his head near my belly when I was pregnant and would read to Brady all the time. It is one of my favorite memories of being pregnant (and I have a lot of favorite memories from that time!). So, needless to say, we're thrilled he loves books.

All that to say, his latest craze has been the characters from the Disney movie "Cars". He knows them all: Lightning McQueen, Mater, Doc Hudson...the list goes on. And, in true B-Man fashion, he knows them from his books.

Well, the weather here has been unbearably hot and we haven't been able to be outside as much as we like to be. Folks, I'll cut to the chase...the Butler Family has a bad case of cabin fever and we're going a little stir crazy. So, Mike and I thought it would be fun to have our very first family movie night and what better movie to get than "Cars"?

We knew Brady would be excited, but to tell you the truth, I think Mike and I were more excited about seeing him be excited. Ah, the joy of parenting! I love the fact that we get to revel in the joy of Brady's laughter and excitement. I am smiling just thinking of it.

We ran through a drive-thru on our way home to get our favorite chicken nuggets (there goes your thoughts of me being the perfect parent!) and, after a quick stop at the video store, we were home! I covered Brady's chair (his birthday gift from us) with a blanket, propped it up in the middle of the floor with his thermos cup (courtesty of B-Ma) by his side and his chicken nuggets in his lap.

And we pushed play.

It's times like these I wish I had better photography skills. The pictures just don't do it justice. He was pointing, nuggets in hand, at all the characters and saying their names. The kiddo was excited!

In all his excitement he was squirmy and I wasn't able to capture the pictures I had hoped for, but I was happy I snapped these.

Despite all that excitement, he only watched about 30 minutes of the movie...I told ya, he's not a television watcher...but it was totally worth it!

One of my favorite moments was right after the movie came on and Brady said an excited "Thank Yooouuu!" to us. I see many more family movie nights in our future. Who knows? Maybe one day we'll actually be able to watch the whole movie.

Mr. Independent

We are days away from Brady turning two, but he has already started demonstrating his independence. I've mentioned before how he shuns restaurant high chairs and will insist on walking through stores, but that's just a small sampling of this new stage.

He has now given up on sitting at his highchair at home. He insists on sitting in a chair like mommy and daddy (incidentally, he has taken over what used to be my spot). And he does great! He doesn't even want his booster seat (although, let's face it, he could use a boost!), and he just chats away with us while we eat our meals at our table. On a total unrelated note: What in the world were we thinking getting a glass table? It shows everything!

His independence has also stretched beyond seating arrangements. He now says what he wants to wear. Lately, it's been blue shorts and a yellow shirt, thanks to Winnie the Pooh's Christopher Robin. We started off this morning with a green shirt on and I had to go in the other room for his shorts. I grabbed some dark blue ones. Immediately Brady said "Christopher Robin-blue shorts" and then promptly realized the green shirt was, indeed, not yellow. Then he made the request to change, "Green shirt off! Christopher Robin-yellow shirt". So, we changed. Now, I know what some of you are thinking...I gave in. And I guess I sort of did, but I'm ok with that. I love that he's independent and able to express what he wants. Of course there are limits and he's not going to be able to wear Christopher Robin's outfit every single day, but I'm happy to oblige him when I can.

Speaking of obliging, riding in grocery carts is now a thing of the past as well. He will help you push, or hold your hand through the store, but will have nothing to do with riding in one. It's a little more work on us, but so worth it. He loves going to the stores, is able to talk, touch, and ask questions...and he does great at staying with us. It just really drives home the point that our little guy is growing up.

I managed to snap some pictures I snapped from this morning's breakfast (notice the outfit, ignore the smudges on the table). I love his little crossed legs.

When I asked him what to drink he said: "Cold milk, Ernie cup, please." Yes, no exaggeration or rephrasing, that is what he said. What can I say? The boy knows what he wants!

Shortly after breakfast I gave the highchair a final cleaning and Mike and I put it away. Now, I never got sad over his first (or second) haircut, the fact that he's turning two isn't bothering me, nor is his new-found independence. What did make me sad? Packing up that highchair to put it away. It just seemed so...final. It just drove home the point that my little boy is not a baby anymore. Of course I already knew that, but there was just something a little sad about putting it away, even though Brady had his own rag and helped me wipe the chair down, excitedly saying "Help Mommy".

When Mike carried the chair out of the kitchen, Brady-on his own-said "Bye bye, highchair!". And, with that, we said good-bye to one era and hello to the next.