Cupcake Tradition

Apparently there is a first birthday tradition among the Russell family that I was not aware of until last night when Chris came home and declared that he had stopped by the gas station to get Andy something for his birthday. Need I say more?

Oh, I need to say more. There is nothing like instilling the love of Hostess Cupcakes early on in life. Chris has pictures of himself eating a Hostess Cupcake on his first birthday. I have not seen these pictures so, quite frankly, I'm not sure if the tradition lived before he did or if this is just something that he wants to continue for the second generation. I mean, how long has Hostess been making cupcakes anyway? As you can tell, Andy did seem to enjoy the treat and that's all that matters!

We are having a birthday party on Saturday where there will be even more cupcake fun and even more pictures taken to capture the celebration of Andy's birthday. This boy must be loved!

Happy Birthday Andy!

Today is Andy's 1st birthday! I am so excited despite the fact that there is what seems like a monsoon outside. Never mind the fact that we live in an entirely different part of the world where monsoons don't actually occur. The day I went into labor with Andy was a beautiful, warm spring day...

Saturday May 3rd

I had to work an insanely busy Saturday morning shift at Anchor Bank. By the time the four hours were over I was ready for a long nap and a relaxing day. But instead, I threw a baby shower for my friend Stefani who was due in June. So I trudged my large belly and swollen feet over to the party host's home and began to prepare the food and games for all the guests. I threw a successfully fun baby shower and waddled my way home, but there was no time for relaxing. We had relatives (maybe it was just Dan and Gramps) in town and dinner was planned at my parent's home for any of us that could make it, which was pretty much all of us, Dennis included. After an evening of eating, talking, joking, and laughing hysterically Chris and Josh took my weary body home where we all (ok, maybe it was just me) fell into bed since it was late and we wanted to get up for church the next morning.

Sunday May 4th

After spending many months attending different churches and deciding that our family's best "fit" was at Five Oaks, Chris and I signed up to take the Discovery class which happened to fall on that Sunday. He had already been a member of Five Oaks in the past but he attended the class with me so that I could get the information I needed about the church. We enjoyed the class and the lunch following and discussed what we should do with the rest of the day. I was in need of a little weight relief so we decided to head to the pool at the community center and it felt wonderful to let the water take some of the pressure off my body. As I was floating around the edge of the pool Chris asked if I would be able to feel if my water broke while I was in the water. I answered that I wasn't sure but that it would be really crazy if it did. We may have mentioned that it would be kind of gross and possibly laughed about it.

I was soon ready to get out of the water so I watched Josh play as I dried off. Chris took off for the men's room to sit in the sauna. I hadn't even dried off completely when I felt a small gush. I stopped and thought to myself, "Is that what I think it is or did I just pee on myself?" I began walking back to our chairs when I felt that telltale gush again. And again. I quickly gathered our towels and toys, called Josh, and told him to go into the men's room and ask Chris to come out. As soon as Chris appeared I explained to him that my water had broken adding, "Ironic, huh?"
His response was, "We've gotta go!" That was at around 6pm.
We went home and as I packed up my suitcase, Chris packed up the refrigerator. We had just prepared some meals and didn't want to waste them. Soon we were on our way to the hospital after dropping Josh off at my parents. The IV was inserted to deliver antibiotics for Group B Strep and we waited for the contractions to get harder and closer together. It didn't take long before I became very uncomfortable.

Monday May 5

I decided to take a warm bath but I wasn't in there long before Andy decided he was ready to come out. And if you ask Chris, there is a discrepancy in our stories that I treated him poorly when he couldn't understand my whispering that I didn't want any more water and I shoved the shower head out of his hand. He also freaked out when I squeezed his thumb and groaned that I needed help. He thought I was dying but I just wanted drugs.
Anyway, I made it to the delivery bed but let's just say Andy was close to being born in the bathtub. At least I was at the hospital and not at home!
Andy was born at 12:48am weighing 7lb 4oz and 19 1/4 inches long. We found out he was a boy at that moment but we didn't have a name picked out for him yet. In fact, we didn't choose his name for at least 12 hours or longer. There were too many to choose from. We liked Alexander, Lucas, and Ryan as well but we gave him the name Andrew John.
If you go back to this post, you will notice that there seems to be a common denominator that sends me into labor every time (well, only twice, but still!). Dan and Dennis inducing fits of hysterical laughter mere hours before I go into labor. Coincidence? I think not! I think it's all part of God's humor.

Andy has redefined my role as a mom since he became another "firstborn" in my life. Andy is very active and doesn't sit still for anything. He is full of joy and laughter and loves music and singing. He sings with Daddy and sings with the radio in my car when I pick him up from Grandma's. He loves throwing his toys on the floor and saying, "Uh-Oh."
This first year has been a challenge but also a joy as we have watched his little personality emerge and and as he starts the journey to become the person God created him to be.

Lord, thank you for the sweet blessing of Andy. Thank you for making me his mommy. Help me to be a light that leads him to You. Thank You for all you have done for Andy and for all the plans and blessings You have stored up for him. My most earnest prayer is that he chooses to follow You for the rest of his days. Please watch over him and make Yourself real to him. Thank You Lord.


Andy shares a birthday with his Great-Uncle Dennis and his second cousin Isaiah who was born on the exact same day. Happy Birthday Dennis and Isaiah! Happy Birthday Andy!

Walking Away

"C'mon Andy! You can do it! Come to Momma!" I coaxed Andy with a sing-song voice and eager arms as he took wobbly, tentative steps towards me. As he fell into my arms I exclaimed with pride, "Yay! What a big boy!" Then I turned him around and sent him back to wobble a few steps to Chris's eagerly outstretched arms. We went back and forth, day after day until one day Andy, unbidden, walked away from the couch to explore the world on his own two feet.

That one day was four weeks ago; March 30th to be exact. The day that most parents look forward to and dread at the same time. The day that marked a major milestone even more than rolling over, sitting up, and trying solid food for the first time.

Before we know it, Andy will be walking away from us into his kindergarten classroom, then to baseball practice and Boy Scout meetings. He will soon be holding a set of keys as he walks out our front door to drive to high school and his first job.

All too soon he will finish college and walk away to begin the rest of his life and to explore the world on his own two feet.

How do I know this? Because I have a nine-year-old who is growing up in the blink of an eye. I have cheered on his first steps and sent him to kindergarten (and first and second and third grade) and watched him karate chop his way to a black belt (coming in January!). He will also hold a set of keys and a first job and a college degree.

Witnessing the natural evolution of changes in our children is inevitable so as I watch my children walk away to explore the world on their own two feet I will proudly proclaim, "What a big boy!"

Signs of Spring

What makes you think of Spring?

Is it the vibrant buds on the tree branches promising new life and a warm summer?

Is it those beautifully pesky dandelions growing in your yard before the first colors of your lovingly planted flowers shoot through your carefully sowed soil?

Perhaps it's the small creatures that come out in droves to annoy and frighten us all.

My favorite sign of Spring, the one that elicits a sigh of relief from my thawing lungs after living through another long, cold winter is...


The Street Sweeper!

Yes. The street sweeper. At the first sighting of a local street sweeper, I called Chris with this very important news (which probably interrupted him as he taught his students) and loudly announced that the sweepers were out in full force and that SPRING IS HERE!
I vowed to capture the moment they came to sweep our street and demanded that my family keep listening to hear when they were coming. Chris, the darling that he is, heard the low hum of the sweeper crawling down our street and declared that I better get outside with the camera. With no hesitation and maybe a little embarrassment, I stood on our front steps and clicked away hoping for a good shot. I'm fairly certain the street sweeper driver thought I was crazy.
Every year I look forward to the street sweepers and give them them an extra wide berth and some patience as they clear away the last traces of winter and usher in the season of Spring.

Better Late Than Never

I am a little late in posting the 8th verse for the year. Better late than never, right?

Psalm 139:1-8
1O LORD, you have searched me and you know me
2You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
4Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.
5You hem me in-behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.
6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

8If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.


This will be really short because, between pulling Andy away from the plants before he shovels handfuls of dirt into his mouth and chasing him around the house retrieving various toys belonging to a certain 9-year-old before he either strangles or impales himself, I find myself with little time to blog.

Beautiful Day

I have been thanking God all week for our beautiful weather. It has been gorgeous! This weekend will be cooler with some rain but I am thankful for that also since we need the rain too.

In years past I have always waited until June when the Summer Solstice began to really enjoy summer and even then I didn't take full advantage of my favorite season. Around here, summers are short and meant to be savored, pleaded for in the thick of winter when we are up to our necks in snow and nearly frozen from the cold.

This year I have decided to take advantage of Spring and enjoy every warm day we are given. Even the not so warm but sunny enough to fool one into thinking it's warm days. I spent time outside everyday this week whether it was taking a walk with my family, playing at the park, or cozying up in a chair in the dark at the drive-in movie theater (which Josh and I did last night with Angela, Kristen, and Jamie).

I had mentioned in an earlier post that I couldn't wait to introduce Andy to the slides and swings at the playground. So I didn't. It turns out that Andy is a huge fan of the swing! The higher it goes the harder he laughs! And if Josh is pushing him? Well, that is just heaven on earth!

The Reason for the Season

Instead of going to church and reflecting on the sacrificial death of our Savior last night, we decided to head to Minneapolis and attend the Easter Celebration at the Midtown Global Market. There was no mention of Jesus Christ or the reason why we celebrate Easter but there was a band playing banjos and such and dancing. And there was an Easter Bunny. So we took a picture.Josh was much too cool to take a picture with the Easter Bunny but I did subject Andy to the torture and he did surprisingly well. I expected tears but he was too busy trying to figure out why he was on the lap of an overgrown rabbit.

Then there was the candy hunt. Some but not all of the vendors were handing out candy to kids with Easter baskets so we hauled our Easter bucket around searching for the tell-tale signs of candy. I finally persuaded Josh to carry the bucket after he begged me to carry it because he is too cool and would look like a little kid carrying it around. He was trying to be as invisible as possible with his bright green Easter bucket so I took a picture.
We ate a ton of authentic Mexican food and bought some foods for home like Middle Eastern pita bread and some Mexican tamales. Josh decided to partake of some American fare(i.e. hot dog and chips) and chose Andy's Garage. So we took a picture.
Shopping is high on my to-do list at the Midtown Global Market so we browsed through the shops featuring African musical instruments, Norwegian lace, Asian embroidery, South American beads, local farmer's market produce, and lots of pottery and clothing and toys. At a Latin American shop we bought some Mexican candy and a pinata to smash open at Andy's 1st birthday party since he is a Cinco de Mayo baby. The brilliant plan to make it a tradition came to me in that very shop. So we took a picture.We reserved a special place for the sun pinata. Especially since Andy hates to ride in his stroller. And Josh managed to talk us into getting him a Nacho Libre mask as a plan to wear it as part of a Halloween costume this year. Never mind that it is six months away and I will probably forget about it and get him another costume anyway.

The evening turned out fabulous despite harboring a little guilt that we didn't go to church. However, we did discuss the importance of Good Friday with Josh and we plan to celebrate Jesus' resurrection on Easter Sunday and praising God for what He and His Son did for us so that we can be saved from eternal death. For that is the reason for this season.