A day in the life......

Life with the Lottermans has been wonderfully normal the past few weeks. Just hangin' out as a family, going to school, going to church, catechism runs, various doctor's appointments, going sliding, the occasional family gathering, the beginning of tax season, and the biggest story of the past week or so, is the snow....particularly the amount that has fallen.

Last week school was cancelled two times (Monday and Friday) because of winter weather. I don't really mind this, as it gives the kiddos a little break from the school routine. The week of the 21st was when we received our first REAL snowfall of the winter season. The temperatures were what they call arctic temperatures, with windchills in the single digits above and below zero. We had about 7-8 inches of snowfall during that week. On Sunday the 27th a warm front started to come through the area, bringing with it freezing rain into Monday morning, (which was the cause for school cancellation that day) and eventually rain into Tuesday and Wednesday, which completely melted all the snow we had. We had a record temperature in the upper 50's on Tuesday!! Twenty four hours later, the temperatures had crashed back into the lower thirties, and by Thursday and Friday we had lots more snow falling and a snowday on Friday. The snow has continued to fall over the weekend, and finally stopped by our house about an hour ago. I must admit, I don't really mind the snow, that is if I don't have to go out in it. :) It looks so beautiful when it coats all the ugly, brown, dead stuff around our house and yard. I took some pictures of different areas of our yard covered in snow. I just love the way it looks.

The back corner of our yard where all the wood used to be.

Looking out our picture window at the row of pine trees in the side yard.

Out our back door towards the swingset.

The swing by the firepit.

Out our front door at the front corner of our yard.

The big tree, by the road, off to the side of our driveway.

Last Saturday, we decided to take the boys on a quick sliding trip. They had been asking to go for a while, so we went to the hill by the water tower in Hudsonville. I only got a few good pictures because it was too dark for anymore to turn out.

Bradyn and Calvin ready to go sliding.

Bradyn at the bottom of the hill.

I promise Austin was there too, however that child moves entirely too fast to be caught by the lens of my camera. :)

Calvin only liked to be pulled up the hill in the sled, but wanted nothing to do with sliding down the hill, so after a few tries, he came and hung out in the van with me.

As I mentioned before, tax season has started in full swing this week. Russ hopes to concentrate solely on taxes all of this week for sure, and possibly all of next week as well, depending on the number of appointments he gets next week. After that he will be working for Herman during the day and doing taxes in the evenings and Saturdays. Friday he set up his computer on the table and did a few returns that customers had dropped off. Calvin loves anything to do with the computer, so he pulled his chair over to "help" dad.

Figuring out how the stapler works.

Gotta love this one, daddy and his little helper.

Finally, here's a picture of my date for lunch today...I love hanging out with this little man, he's so sweet!!

Bret and Kyndra's Wedding

Last week Friday, the 18th, my little sister got married. Man do I feel old!! My sister Kyndra was wed to Bret Dykstra in a truly beautiful ceremony at Hudsonville Protestant Reformed Church.
Russ and I were asked to be Master and Mistress of Reception again. Having done it for Kylar and Roxanne's wedding, this time around was a lot less stressful, and we could enjoy ourselves a bit more, because we knew what to expect. Bradyn was asked to be a junior groomsman by which he was delighted. He looked like such a little man in his shirt and tie and suspenders. :)
Everything went very well. I didn't get a ton of pictures as I was busy chasing Calvin (I think he knows I can't move very fast) and helping pin flowers on the various people who needed them.

Bret and Kyndra with Kyndra's nieces and nephews

Bret and Kyndra with Bret's nieces and nephews

Bradyn and his cousin Cristyn who was the junior bridesmaid

My parents with Bret and Kyndra

My dad with Kyndra

My two gorgeous "not so little anymore" little sisters...

The new Mr. and Mrs. giving their thank you speech

The cake/cupcake table

We are thankful that God brought these two together and will continue to keep them in prayer as they begin their new journey together.

Inner Beauty

I received an email from Family Life Today, as I occaisionally do, on different subjects that might be of interest to me and to my family. One of the articles in today's email was entitled "Obsessed With Being Thin?" I read through it, and thought maybe some of you would like to as well. What follows is the copy of the article from the email.

The beautiful people

Our culture today has influenced many women to see themselves solely in the context of how they look. We are continuously bombarded by image after image of seemingly perfect women with perfect teeth, perfect hair, perfect figures. And because we live in a time when we are connected technologically with the entire world, we are not merely competing with one or two women from our own village. We feel that we are compelled to compete with the most beautiful women in the entire world!

Why are so many women driven to compete with one another in this way? Why would Lisa starve herself and then exercise to the point of collapse? Why do thousands of men and women spend billions of dollars every year just to look good?

Our world's obsession with outward appearance and weight has led many of us to think in shallow terms about what makes for peace and joy. "If I could just wear a size 8 (or if my hips weren't so big, or if I had a smaller waist, or ... ), I know I would be content, successful, or happy." As silly as that sounds, I know that many women subconsciously think that way. I confess that I have thought that way. (As if there isn't an unhappy size 8 woman anywhere in the world!) We believe the lie that outward perfection (which, by the way, is an impossible goal) is the key to inner peace and joy. Or perhaps we are duped into thinking that the false happiness and contentment that comes from being satisfied with the image we see in the mirror is the true peace and contentment that we are seeking from our relationship with God. We seek after lesser joys.

Trying to avoid the inevitable

Among unbelievers and particularly those who set the styles, is this worship of youth and beauty just one more reaction against the inevitability of death? The truth is that those who don't know Christ are charging full-speed ahead to a terrifying and inevitable end. Could it be that this worship of youth and beauty is a welcome deception as they seek to forestall the inevitable for as long as possible, fooling themselves into believing that they are immortal—that they are always young?

The Christian, however, should have a different perspective. Death is not to be feared. It is to be welcomed because its sting—fear of the punishment of eternal separation from God because of judgment for sin—has been removed. In fact, Paul teaches that in death this body of ours, this old tent, will be torn down and clothed with life. He says in 2 Corinthians 5, "We know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens … . For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life" (verses 1, 4). Only then, as we shine with His perfect life, will we know true, lasting beauty reflecting the glory of the King of heaven.

Living in Southern California, I love to watch the sunset over the Pacific Ocean. Sometimes when it appears that there might be an especially nice sunset, my husband will drive me down to the beach in the late afternoon. We'll sit on the grass for an hour or so and observe God's handiwork in motion. I've found that a few clouds make for the most beautiful sunsets. As the sun sinks down on the horizon, it shoots out golden beams of light that make the clouds look iridescent. The effect is spellbinding as scarlet, amber, pink, lavender, and golden skies shine down on a sparkling blue-green sea. Sometimes it just takes my breath away. When I see these spectacular displays, I am reminded that this earth (as magnificent as it sometimes may be) is only a vague shadow of the beauty of heaven. How beyond expression must the grandeur and excellence of heaven be! We will be clothed with life straight from God's throne! We will shine with more beauty than the most exquisite sunset! Are we seeking to prepare ourselves for God's dressing room, or are we consumed with the meager rags of this earth?

No biblical command to be thin

Now, I'm going to say something that may seem rather surprising. You know, I've read the Bible straight through many times, and I've never found any Scripture that commands or even commends thinness! Think of that. I don't believe that there is any verse in either the Old or New Testament that encourages Christians to be thin or states that being thin is a mark of godliness.

An eternal makeover

The kind of beauty that God desires for you is found in 1 Peter 3:4: "… the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit." It is called the "fruit of the Spirit" (the results of the Holy Spirit's work in your life) in Galatians 5:22-23: "love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." The excellent woman in Proverbs 31 is known for her industry, wisdom, strength, confidence, generosity, courage, knowledge, optimism, and kindness. Since we've already looked at the beginning of verse 30, let's see the way the verse ends: "Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised." The fear of the Lord is a defining characteristic of a godly woman. A woman who fears the Lord will be growing in all of the qualities listed above. But what does it mean to "fear" God?

Charles Spurgeon taught the true meaning of this concept when he preached in London more than 100 years ago:

Blessed is the man whose heart is filled with that holy fear which inclines his steps in the way of God's commandments, inclines his heart to seek after God, and inclines his whole soul to enter into fellowship with God, that he may be acquainted with Him, and be at peace. What is this fear of God? I answer, first, it is a sense of awe of His greatness. Have you never felt this sacred awe stealing insensibly over your spirit, hushing, and calming you, and bowing you down before the Lord? It will come, sometimes, in the consideration of the great works of nature. Gazing upon the vast expanse of waters—looking up to the innumerable stars, examining the wing of an insect, and seeing there the matchless skill of God displayed in the minute; or standing in a thunderstorm, watching, as best you can, the flashes of lightning, and listening to the thunder of Jehovah's voice, have you not often shrunk into yourself, and said, "Great God, how terrible art Thou!"—not afraid, but full of delight like a child who rejoices to see his father's wealth, his father's wisdom, his father's power—happy and at home, but feeling oh, so little! We are less than nothing, we are all but annihilated in the presence of the great eternal, infinite, invisible All-in-all (emphasis added).

Remember what the Lord Jesus taught: "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness..." (Matthew 6:33). Then, let that encouragement spur you on to the pursuit of the inner, godly characteristics that He desires for you. Remember that He is in the process of changing you—a process that will find its completion when you are beautifully robed in His glory in heaven. Don't settle for a mere 15-pound weight loss or even the good but temporary establishment of healthy eating habits. Submit yourself to His work in your life—rejoice in it like a "child who rejoices to see his father's wealth, his father's wisdom, his father's power"!

I have to admit, I am one of those women that constantly thinks about how I look, but over the past few years in my journeys in weight loss, weight gain, weight loss, and now weight gain again, I have come to realize that I don't need to be so concerned about how I look. I have received some comments from a few people in the past that have been hurtful, and I admit that these are hard to forget, and I may never completely forget them, but with God's help and the help of my amazing husband, (who, by the way, loves me just the way I am) I am able to look past them. I do think it's important for people to remember that what you look like on the outside, is not nearly as important as what you look like on the inside.

A Blessed Christmas from our home to yours....

"From the beginning the Father had a magnificent plan revealed through the law and the prophets, to fulfill the redemption of man. He spoke after centuries of silence in the midst of a still, starry night, when Emmanuel came down among us, and the Father said "Let there be light!!"

People who walked in great darkness, gathered from near and afar, shepherds with flocks in their keeping, three kings who followed a star. Together the poor and the richest, witnessed that Bethlehem night, and the sky full of angels announcing the birth of a glorious light!

We who are his have this calling, to praise him, and make his name known, so one day the promise of Jesus, shines in every heart and every home!"
~Point of Grace~

May God bless you and keep you this Christmas and throughout the new year!!

Straight No Chaser

I had heard of these guys, but never really listened to any of their songs. WCSG played their version of "The 12 days of Christmas" this morning, and I found that along with "The Christmas Can Can" and "Who Spiked the Eggnog" on youtube this morning. I thought I'd share them with you all.

25 Week Ultrasound

Back at the end of October I had my 20 week ultrasound. Baby was what they call "spine up" the entire time so, while the ultrasound tech got good measurements of the legs and arms and such, she couldn't get the pictures she wanted of the heart and of the face because the baby had its face buried the whole time. She informed us that everything looked great, but that she would need to do another ultrasound in about a month....oh bummer... :) to try and get the heart and face pictures she needed. Today was the day that I was scheduled to have the second ultrasound. The baby was in a "spine down" position today, so they were able to get great pictures of the heart and face and also a profile picture which they weren't able to get last time either. Baby started in what they called a "clam" position with it's feet up by it's head...we have quite a flexible one in there!

Baby in "clam" position

My office was in the process of testing some new ultrasound machines, and to my delight, the new machines were equipped with 3 and 4D capabilities!! I've been waiting for them to get this and I was soo excited when they got some pretty good 3D pictures of our precious little one! The following one is NOT the best one, I'm saving that for our christmas card, so you all will have to wait until then to see it! :) If you look at it right, you can see the baby has it's hand up by it's face...so cute!!

The technicians said many times that everything looked wonderful. Baby's heart rate was strong at 167 and it was moving all over the place. We are so incredibly thankful that, up to this point, things have been uneventful and mom and baby are both healthy. The Lord has blessed us once again in this pregnancy, and we are so humbled that he has given us this little one to enjoy.

Third grade state float and parade

On Friday, November 30 Bradyn, along with all of his classmates participated in the annual 3rd grade state parade. Each child in his class and the other two third grade classes got to pick a state to research and create a float on. Bradyn chose North Carolina. He was so excited that he got North Carolina, because we were able to visit there back in 2011. Over the last month or so, we spent some time researching North Carolina, and Bradyn wrote a letter to the secretary of state of NC to ask if she could send him anything to put on his state float. He was tickled when, a few weeks later, a large manila envelope arrived in the mailbox with his name on it!!

While I was gone on the Lotterman sisters shopping trip, Bradyn and daddy worked on the float, and that following week we put the finishing touches on it. We brought it to school on Thursday afternoon, and then headed back to school on Friday morning for the actual parade.

I didn't realize that it was such a big deal until I arrived at school and had to park at the end of the driveway because there were so many spectators there to watch!! I walked into school, and found the hallways PACKED with students by their lockers waving little flags, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles and friends of all the students in the third grade.

Calvin and I found an open spot and waited for the parade to begin. It turned out to be pretty neat with "patriotic" music playing over the intercom system and everything! The three third grade teachers each dressed up as a special person from a state. There was Benjamin Franklin, Ronald Reagan and Lady Liberty. After the parade wound through the school hallways two times, the students and their floats made their way to the gym, where parents could get pictures of their child and see the floats a little better. All in all I think Bradyn had fun, although I could tell he was quite nervous, and didn't really enjoy having to be in front of so many people.

Bradyn and his float. (you can see how nervous he is)

Bradyn's teacher, Miss Koole, dressed up as Lady Liberty.

Bradyn feeling a little more relaxed the second time around.

Bradyn and Calvin posing by the float in the gym.