Brothers

April is a month of transitions. The seasons are changing which means days of warm sunshine followed by snowstorms, bare trees begin to blossom with new buds, and bulbs break free from under the ground. As anyone who has played the back-and-forth game of heater and air-conditioning can attest, transitions are not always comfortable. We had our share of transitions in April, and like sunny/gloomy springtime itself, they each included beautiful flowers and a sense of remembering the past and looking ahead to what the future will hold.

April began with a happy occasion. Congratulations to my brother Ryan and his new wife Valerie! They were married on April 1 which was a cold but wonderful day. We welcome Valerie and wish them all the best in their new family.

On April 9, we got the shocking news that Rusty's brother Rhett had passed away. It was completely unexpected. Rusty and I immediately planned a trip to Georgia to gather as a family and to say goodbye. It was extremely emotional and difficult, but we came away with peace and a firm knowledge of the eternal nature of families. I have feelings and experiences from this visit that will stay with me forever. I've never been more proud to be a member of the Butler family. Their strength and wisdom inspire me. We will miss Rhett and look forward to being reunited with him in the future.

So in April we gathered two weeks apart for two brothers of the same age for two very different transitions. They were surrounded by flowers and loved ones. We know they are both where they are meant to be with the people who will help them progress to the best they can become. I'm genuinely happy for them both.

Olympic Fever

Winter is cold and flu season, but Rusty and I have been suffering from an ailment that has not been seen in such severity since the strain out of Beijing in 2008. I am speaking, of course, of Olympic fever. Could you be at risk? Look for these warning signs and symptoms:

Loss of sleep- when Olympic coverage goes past bedtime

Seeing spots- of gold, silver, and bronze

Ringing of the ears- which sounds a lot like cow bells

Dizziness- from watching athletes spin, twirl, twist, jump, and flip

Loss of interest- in activities and shows usually enjoyed

Increase in appetite- because those Chicken McNugget commercials are very effective

Moodiness- emotions range from anxiety, hope, disappointment, pride, and patriotism

There is no cure for Olympic fever. It must run its course, but expect your life to return to normal in about a week.

Christmas 2009

I love Christmas! I wait all year for Christmas. I pretty much count down all year long, but that's something I've learned to keep to myself for fear of the Scrooges amongst us--I was literally hit in the arm at work when mentioning the three-month mark this past September. Grinchy, huh!? Anyway, since this was to be my first holiday season with a blog, I imagined myself writing festive posts about my love for all things yuletide and the delightful way that Rusty and I were celebrating and preparing. These posts were to fill the reader with such warmth and magic that they would bring back cherished childhood memories which had long been hibernating deep below the heavy daily responsibility that is being a grown up. Ah, disillusion! I quickly remembered that being a grown up can trump even Christmas sometimes. No, that's not true. But it can certainly trump writing about it on a sporadic blog. While December was filled with the usual treats and music and specials, it also brought along some stresses: changes at work, a new calling at church, and some illness. (And a fire across the street!) I wish this past year had offered me more time to revel in the season with fewer "real life" distractions, but I'm glad to be left with nice memories and happy pictures. One very good thing about Christmas, among so many, is that it always comes back. Eleven months, one week to go... ;)

Each Christmas since we were married, Rusty and I get a new ornament with the year on it. This S'mores Santa and reindeer is the collection's most recent addition.

We bought a gingerbread house kit to make together. It was fun and frustrating! I'm convinced that the people who decorated the example on the box were using more professional tools than those included. I like how our little house turned out, though. One day I came home and a few of the Spree candies out front were missing. Rusty said he felt a need to shovel the driveway a bit. :)

I love Christmas specials! A Charlie Brown Christmas is one of my all-time favorites, so I couldn't resist this little tree.

We got matching Mickey Mouse PJs for Christmas. And we must have been on the nice list because Santa was pretty good to us, too! We're very lucky.

This cracked me up. You gotta love Christmas!