The Rutter Family Update

Highs and Lows

2006-07-02T20:15:00.000-07:00

A big low this past week was Zeke's disappearance. I think it was Wednesday we came home and he was gone. We drove the neighborhood calling for him...nothing! Some workers were building a fence down at the corner, but they hadn't seen him. However, in our searching for him we found a trail going down to the stream next to the bridge on Ferndale cutoff just north of the Feurtados and Fletchers (the bridge is blocked off now as they are replacing it). The stream has about 12 inches of water, small fish, and crawdads. We couldn't make it to the Florida beaches this year so God just provided one for us. Grace said, "I like this beach better because it's close to home."

Then today we had an even better high. We had posted several signs in the area about Zeke missing and when we got home this evening, we had a call. A neighbor works Saturdays at the vet clinic in Ferndale and she thought Zeke was there. She met us there and YEAH! it was Zeke... the prodigal dog has returned!

And then for a bonus, Grace has been begging us to be able to volunteer at a Vet clinic and this neighbor is going to check about Grace going with her on Saturdays. There will probably be a liability issue in here somewhere, but we'll see.

Love,
Dad

P.S. There was one other low this evening...James had bought some fireworks and I gave him permission to shoot one tonight. He picked out one of his more expensive "cool" ones...it fizzled! Major Disappointment!

Baby Warren a.k.a. "Peanut"

2006-06-30T17:00:00.000-07:00

I thought it was about time we posted Baby's first picture here. From what we were told, the head is to the left and the feet are to the right. The little dot in the middle is it's little hand (awwwwww!). You can kind of see the shape of the feet if you use a little imagination.

Baby is due January 12, and is 10 weeks old in the picture. We'll be getting one more sonogram, at the 20 week point. If we can't tell then whether or not it's a boy or girl, all of you will just have to wait to find out until you can tell with your own eyes, because we sure aren't paying for another one! :)

I'm doing great - getting a little bump, which is fun. I reached the 12-week point today - hooray! 1 trimester down! :)

I'll be getting my 12-week checkup Wednesday morning, July 5.

Helen Adams Display

2006-04-10T13:52:00.000-07:00

This was our other BIG project. The long bar is 11 feet long and weighs over 100 pounds and the interesting part is that it is mounted 2.5 inches off the wall to hide/cover two light switches.
Love
Dad

Pat Walker Display

2006-04-10T13:47:00.000-07:00

Well you have been hearing about the many hours we have been spending on our BIG projects and today they are FINISHED! These pictures are for a display we built for the Pat Walker Tower at UAMS. The display area is 8 feet tall and 16 feet wide. We are exicted to be finished and thrilled at how it looks!
Dad

Pay Day!!

2006-04-10T13:14:00.000-07:00

We wanted you to get a glimpse of Mom's first paycheck!! We are excited to have reached this milestone and look forward to many more. Thanks for praying with us in our great adventure!
Dad

WEC Week/Spring Break

2006-03-03T08:25:00.000-08:00

Well, 71 days I think until I graduate. I am about to enter a two week break from classes (chance to catch up!) One week is WEC (world evangelization conference) and the other is spring break. Both look pretty full for our family already. Desiree has a big AL meeting she is coordinating and I have to knock out my final draft of my thesis. I don't think we'll be coming up to Arkansas this break for sanity's sake. :-)

It's good to see the nice little porch the Warren's have set up and also to see Beth online on the blog! Brian and Anna - seeing your home improvement project made me soooo ready to have our own home (not apartment) again. Maybe soon ... Speaking of the future, I'm looking more now outside of the DFW area for pastoral job openings. So let me know if you know of any good opportunities where you are.

2006-02-28T20:53:00.000-08:00

hey everyone. i have the internet at the apartment now so, i'll be on this more. i had another interview today. liked what i saw. still have more questions though. had a great talk with anna this evening. john mark, and dez-how are you guys doing? miss you guys. hopefully now we can keep in touch better. katherine and i are talking more now and that's a lot of fun. well, i'll keep everyone posted better now. pray for this job stuff for me everyone. take care everyone

Porch Extension Project 1

2006-02-26T18:21:00.000-08:00

Porch Extension Project 1
Originally uploaded by Mr. Warren.

We're extending our porch by about 6 feet x 12 feet. We're doing this so that we can have an outdoor fireplace (look behind that red shovel). Rusty gazes upon our project in his customary back yard position. For some reason he really loves to sit with his hindquarters higher than his front paws.

Happy Valentine's Day

2006-02-13T19:51:00.000-08:00

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Tomorrow's a holiday,
And we'll truly miss you!

Although we would like to be a source of great cheer and affection we resemble more of a sick bay. James woke up Sunday morning with a bad sore throat, which has now progressed into a full blown head cold. Grace on the other hand went to bed last night with a sore tummy and ended up throwing up during the night and several more times today.

Needless to say, thoughts of gaity, affection and sweet candy have been mingled with vaporizers, oil of oregano, and handkerchiefs tied around the neck. But we love each of you and send bunches of love your way!

Love Dad

Happy Birthday to You!

2006-02-04T08:19:00.000-08:00

...happy Birthday to you!
Happy Biiiiirrrthday dear Daddy...
Haaaappy Biirrthdaay tooo yoouu!!!

Hope you had an amazing day, and get to have some R&R this weekend!
We love you!

New Job, continued

2006-02-02T06:17:00.000-08:00

Well, I had my first day of the new job yesterday. It went really well, and I'm hopefull of really enjoying this new part of my life. It is definitely a lot different, and it's wierd to sit down all day (at the coffee shop I stood all day). It's also very different not having constant little projects (people coming into the coffee shop), but rather having more long projects (secretary stuff) interrupted by little "hiccup" projects (phone calls). That's one way to look at it, anyhow.

No FedEx deliveries yet, John Mark. I'll keep you updated :u)

Anna's Job

2006-01-25T07:05:00.000-08:00

I believe that I've told some of you guys that I got a job at Brian's office as a secretary/receptionist. Brian and I recently decided that I really need to be making more money. It would very helpful, both with paying off our loans (we had to take out a second loan when we bought our house), and with saving up for the future. The new job pays (quite a bit) more than my current job, and is full-time (something else I will need to get used to!)

So, I'm quitting my job at Caribou, and moving on. I'm excited about this possibility, but I do love my current job, and am kinda' sad to see this coffee-shop era of my life go. On the other hand, I think that my skills, both learned and my natural tendencies, are well suited to the new job.

It's still hush-hush around here - they don't want my coming to overshadow the good-byes of the current secretary/receptionist. You guys won't tell her, will you? :)

When Bad Weeks Get Worse

2006-01-23T19:49:00.000-08:00

We're already having a tough week because of our upcoming move. Just too much coming too quickly. Then tonight I had a DTS campus police officer come and get me out of class...

Turns out that Desiree had just had her purse snatched by some creep (who Jesus died for, I know, but my feelings are on the creep side right now!) She was having dinner with the kids and a girl friend in Taco Bell and the guy came up, reached across the kids, grabbed the purse off the back of her chair and took off.

Anyways, she tells me that the police really didn't care about it. We're calling right now to cancel various credit / other cards that were in there.

This has given me a couple of thoughts:
1) gratefulness that this was all the campus officer came to get me for. All sorts of horrible things went through my mind when I heard him say my name and thankfully none of them were true.
2) insight into where my heart truly is - I have lots of anger towards this guy and not too much love. I think I'd really go after this guy if I had the chance right now. I think this exposes how far I have to go in order to have a transformed heart that reflects Christ.

Brewing in Arkansas

2006-01-23T09:52:00.000-08:00

Thought of you this morning Brian (besides when we pray for you). I was following a pickup with a couple of home brewing bumper stickers. One was especially thougt provoking... "I brew, therefore I am."
Love
Dad

January in Arkansas

2006-01-16T17:11:00.000-08:00

We have been having some unusually warm January weather! It's actually been quite enjoyable for several reasons. First, it has been pleasant to go on my morning walks with Kaye without getting overly chilled. In fact on a few mornings I would end up "de-layering" from my stocking cap, gloves, and sweat shirt down to my T shirt. The second reason is that the house is much warmer and since we have the thermostat set pretty low, it has not only helped with our heating bill it is pretty comfortable as well. And the final reason for my enjoyment is when we were walking this morning we heard the tree frogs peeping back in the woods.

Other news for us is that we have hired a new sign production guy (Corey) as of today. He's about 26-27 years old and grew up in his dad's sign store in Hot Springs. He adds a lot of speed to the production process along with his other experience. Landon who has been working with us, is still on our payroll, but we aren't sure what the long term situation will be with him. He's planning to enroll at UALR to finish his associates degree???, so we're not sure what his availability will be plus we're not sure we have enough work to pay for two people.

Love Dad

Photo Journal

2005-12-07T06:04:00.000-08:00

Anna just posted a bunch of great photos from our trip! Check them out here.

Caleb and Abby Kaye

2005-12-05T20:01:00.000-08:00

Caleb and Abby Kaye
Originally uploaded by Mr. Warren.

This is such a cute photo. Make sure you check out the large version Here

hey family

2005-11-07T17:54:00.000-08:00

well, took state boards today. not sure how it turned out. will find out in a couple weeks or so. it was really hard.talked to john mark already. i'll let everyone know how it ends up when i get the results. will be good to see everybody in a couple weeks. well, love you all.
elisabeth

Camping in Lake Texoma

2005-11-07T07:31:00.000-08:00

I thought you guys might enjoy a few pictures from our first ever family camping trip. We went to Lake Texoma this weekend. It was only a one-nighter but it was great fun. We finally used our Xmas money from last year and got some camping gear and found a good weekend. It turned out great! Everything was perfect. If there's one good thing about living in the south - it's the ability to camp in November! The leaves were just starting to fall and were very pretty. The temperature was perfect. Plus, there was hardly anyone else there! We had the best campsite in the place. Well, enjoy the pictures!

2005-11-07T07:27:00.000-08:00

The kids had way too much fun in our tent!

2005-11-07T07:26:00.000-08:00

Desiree whips up some tasty grub.

2005-11-07T07:25:00.001-08:00

Abby Kaye flying a kite

2005-11-07T07:25:00.000-08:00

The view from our campsite - gorgeous!

2005-11-07T07:24:00.000-08:00

Lighting the fire -my favorite part! :-)

2005-11-07T07:21:00.000-08:00

Abby Kaye and Me

Hello? Anybody Home?

2005-11-03T09:16:00.000-08:00

Just checking in to make sure everyone is still doing alright. I guess we've all been pretty busy lately, huh?

I'm very much looking forward to seeing you all (very soon)!!!

ILYTM!

Caleb's Birthday

2005-10-06T06:26:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post this for weeks and Anna's email to Desiree has sparked me to let you know what he wants for his birthday. Caleb has specifically requested a "Lego Star Wars" birthday. Why Star Wars? I don't know. He just really thinks its cool (despite the fact that he's only seen a few minutes of any of the movies!) Anywho, he would love anything that is Lego Star Wars. If that doesn't work, then Castle legos are cool and so are "Dino Attack" legos.

John Mark

2005-09-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

My Pirate PIcture: Avast - peeling apples is for land-lubbers!!!

The True Source of Wisdom

2005-09-19T18:07:00.000-07:00

Comic
Originally uploaded by jmrutter.

An ancient parchment scroll has discovered the true source of wisdom and enlightenment!

Mr. Old Man

2005-09-15T21:57:00.000-07:00

Mr. Old Man
Originally uploaded by The Warrens.

Hello Rutters. Just thought I'd check in to say hi. See you in November!

2005-09-02T07:06:00.000-07:00

The question is ... who had more fun?

2005-09-02T07:05:00.000-07:00

Abby's Cake - handmade with love.

2005-09-02T07:04:00.000-07:00

Abby's party - she liked Brian and Anna's gift!

A Blog for Anna

2005-08-30T06:40:00.000-07:00

Hi guys!

So, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and get a blog of my own. I've been planning on getting a blog/website for quite some time now, but couldn't make certain decisions (for instance, vitally important things like the background picture and the overall look). Last night Brian turned on his web-geeking superpowers and got it all ready for me (isn't he the coolest?) You can see his work and my first post here

We love you all, and hope you're all doing well!

First Day for School

2005-08-24T20:55:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow James and Grace will start their first day of school (apart from being home schooled). Kaye took them to the school today to meet their teachers and they really like them.
They are excited but nervous so it was a bit interesting to see the post-it note that James put on the back door. I don't know what area of male insecurity prompted this but he wrote, "Remember to put on clothes before going to school."
We pray for everyone everyday... God's blessings and grace.
Love Dad

To James & Grace From Caleb

2005-08-03T19:04:00.000-07:00

Dear James,

I love you. You can be a rockstar too but you have to do a bunch of bunch of work. Did you see my picture of the lego? I hope so.

Love,
Caleb

Dear Grace,

I hope you do good on your karate. If I was a karate boy I could kick a bad guy.

Love,
Caleb

MORE August Birthdays?!

2005-08-02T19:33:00.000-07:00

Hi again!

I'm starting to feel like Mindy - organizing all this stuff :u) Well, this was kind of (actually completely) Mom's idea, and I am writing it on her behalf, lest you think I am trying to take credit for her brilliance.

Anyhow...thanks, John Mark, for your ideas. Definitely helpful!

However, it has come to my attention that there are still more birthdays in August. Go figure, but it seems that practically everyone in the Rutter clan (my DH included) seems to have decided that out of all the perfectly wonderful 12 months available in which to be born, August was the best time.

So, EVERYONE ELSE, (just kidding - really only Brian, Mom, and Abby Kaye - oh, and Desiree', while we're at it) needs to come up with some suggestions of gifts we can give to them to show our love and appreciation for them on their birthdays. So make your lists, and give us some ideas! (Especially Mom and Brian!)

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

I'll do another post soon with all of your cleaning duties.

Sick Family

2005-07-28T07:57:00.000-07:00

Desiree and I are both sick with some sort of gastro-intestinal virus. She got it yesterday morning and I got it at 6:17 this morning. (Yes. I remember the time.) I don't feel too bad right now, though, which might be good. Desiree is feeling mostly better and is going in to her morning meeting with AL. I have class tonight so I'm hoping I feel better by then. The kids aren't sick yet but it's probably just a matter of time...

2005-07-21T14:21:00.000-07:00

Abby the facial gymnist

2005-07-21T14:20:00.000-07:00

Caleb the Acrobat

2005-07-21T14:19:00.000-07:00

Caleb with a pretty impressive Lego creation for a five year old. (Even if I do say so myself!) It's a spaceship.

TOP SECRET!!

2005-07-20T17:05:00.000-07:00

Okay, guys. August birthdays are comin' up. Mom had the idea (quite brilliant, I think) to get some gift ideas going on the blog. Or if we have big secrets we can just email each other. Anyone have ideas for John Mark's birthday gift?

Good News!!

2005-07-18T19:55:00.000-07:00

Mom and I went down to the Little Rock Planning & Permits Office today and received the OK to have our sign business at our location. We then went on to City Hall and paid our Privilege License... so now we can officially do business. We've been putting in lots of hours and I think we are closing in on getting our build out done. We are getting ready to head home after putting up some of the display railing on the walls.
Love
Dad

Ready?? Set?? Go!!!!

2005-07-12T20:52:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning we will meet at the store with our employee for his first day of work with Pinnacle Signs & Graphics. It's exciting but really feels wild! I'm not sure if I'm smiling or getting ready for the first big curve on the Mega-Rollercoaster.

Ready or not... Here we go!!!
Love
Dad

2005-07-10T19:51:00.000-07:00

Caleb and I got free tickets to see the Texas Rangers play today. We were pretty excited and had a great time. Caleb says to you guys (he's standing here as I type) that it was "pretty cool, and I liked it and it was awesome, and I want to go again some other time." :-)

2005-07-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

We we high up, but it was a pretty good view

2005-07-10T19:48:00.000-07:00

It was hot...

2005-07-10T19:47:00.000-07:00

The Rangers Won!

Odoban Recommendation

2005-07-05T22:14:00.000-07:00

Yes, we believe in this stuff! It has all kinds of uses... even from curing children of wanting to get in bed with you at night.

The story: Grace has had a sore throat for the past 3-4 days and after that amount of time she gets whiny and wants extra privileges, including but not limited to climbing in bed with Mom and Dad. Well she came down just a few minutes ago saying she couldn't go to sleep unless she got in our bed (it's almost 12:30 here and we are about ready to head to bed).

Anyway, Mom let her climb in our bed. In less than 3 seconds Grace jumped out of bed, headed upstairs for her own bed, while indignantly declaring that the cat had peed in the bed. So there you have it... Odoban and a naughty cat have bed-trained our daughter in 3 seconds flat.

Of course that was the easy part. If you were visiting our house now you would hear the pleasant swoosh, swoosh, swoosh of the washing machine as it removes the remnants of the feline deposit.

Does anybody want a cat? We'll include a free bottle of Odoban!

Funny Story

2005-07-03T11:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Mom and I were at Home Depot picking out floor tile, paint, glue, etc for working on our store site. We had been shopping a while and had our cart pretty full but couldn't find the vinyl tile we wanted. I had gone to find a phone book and Mom was following behind me with the cart. We shopped a little longer and I looked in the cart and asked Mom, "What do you need this back support belt for?" She replied, "I didn't get it!" It was then that we realized that it was not our cart. It was pretty full as well and we felt bad for whoever had spent all that time picking out their stuff and then their cart disappeared.
The good news was that we found our cart and had a good laugh on ourselves, but we quickly and quietly exited the store lest we be nabbed by store security for being the cart thieves.
Dad

Five Pounds

2005-07-02T20:02:00.000-07:00

The amount of weight I gained at the family reunion. Yikes! I think it was all those cookies and bags of popcorn I ate... :-)

Books on Tape and Conspiracies

2005-07-01T15:59:00.000-07:00

Helloooo!

Well, it was a long drive, but we made it! We had a couple of books on tape that made it much more bearable. Especially the Kansas part. However, the seats in our car aren't as soft and comfy as I remember them...

Seeing you guys was so worth it! I miss you already! You all must have conspired to make me want to move closer so we could see you more often. Yep, that's it! You naughty conspiring people. Tsk, tsk.

Well, we're back safe and sound, and had a wonderful time playing and talking and just being with you! Thanks for the great time!

Love and kisses from Colorado!

Anna

Cornelius Reunion

2005-07-01T14:35:00.000-07:00

Cornelius
Originally uploaded by jmrutter.

We are home and really glad we went to the reunion. We were sad to leave early but glad to have had the time to work on our business stuff. We signed the lease for our location and have our first employee.
We are working through government & legal stuff so we can get open and have a few deposits to go along with our expenses. I am having fun, but feel like I am in the middle of a tsunami learning curve.
Love
Dad

Back in one piece

2005-06-29T07:03:00.000-07:00

We made it back last night at 12:30 from Branson after stopping in Russellville for lunch and to drop off Caleb and Abby and then in Little Rock for dinner and to drop off James and Grace. We laughed in the car on the way back because we had suddenly gone from 4 kids to none and it felt weird. Kinda like getting in the hot tub after being in the cold pool - sorta. We had a great rest last night - strangely, no one woke us up this morning at 7:15 - and now have all sorts of things to do now. We get the kids back this weekend when Desiree's parents come down for the 4th.

We had a blast with all you guys. We're looking forward to seeing most of you at the Rutter Reunion. Well, actually we'd like to see ALL of you but understand that some of you might not be able to make it. :-)

Had fun, guys!

The Hawaiian Nene

2005-06-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

Nene
Originally uploaded by jmrutter.

After doing much epistiological study and research Kaye and I discovered the root source of a common schoolyard saying.

It seems that before the legislative creation of Nene Crossings in the Hawaiian Islands there was a terrible tragedy. One day a Nene attempted to cross the road... and alas, didn't quite make it. And now you know the rest of the story... of our common saying Nene, Nene, boo-boo!

Here Comes Branson

2005-06-14T06:44:00.000-07:00

Boy, we can't wait to see you guys at Branson. I finished my final Greek paper the other day. (I am now as scholarly on the Greek as I'll ever be!) :-) I just got finished meeting with my accountability partner at a local coffee shop and am about to go up to DTS to work on my thesis, pay for summer school, and hopefully run into someone that I can talk with for a while so I don't actually have to do either (yes, that is avoidance).

Mom and Dad, say hi to James and Grace for me. Ask them if they're still excited about the water slide at Branson after going to Hurricane Harbor!

I was excited to hear that Anna and Brian have finally been guilted into coming to Branson! :-) It'll be great seeing them. Has Elisabeth decided to go to Branson or not yet?

Oh - I was excited to hear that the Ark. Rutters use Alltel - that's the same plan that we have (thanks to Desiree's mom!) That means we have free mobile to mobile with each other! (Well, we do - I'm assuming you do too.)

2005-06-08T16:05:00.000-07:00

Final Pix with a twist. :-)

2005-06-08T16:04:00.000-07:00

FInal pix at Cici's with James, Grace, Abby, and Caleb

Back to Normal?

2005-06-07T06:31:00.000-07:00

Well, I took James and Grace back on Sunday afternoon. It was sad to see them go, but it was fun to get back to normal (sort of). Grandma was very delayed in getting in from the airport. She didn't get out to the house until after I had gone to bed (around 11:30). I didn't even get to see her since I left the following morning at 5:30 to eat breakfast with some college friends. After breakfast with them Elisabeth came by IHOP and we talked for an hour too. It was real fun. Basically, I had 4 cups of coffee while sitting there and chatting. So the drive back to Dallas involved several extra stops! :-)

I'm sitting in a coffee shop (not Starbucks!) working on my exegetical paper right now. If you have the opportunity, be praying for me this week as I have a LOT of work to do for school and Apartment Life.

Really Cute Girl with Car Sign

2005-06-03T18:35:00.000-07:00

AutoSign
Originally uploaded by jmrutter.

Mom thought it would be a bit much to do car advertisements in a bikini so she toned it down a bit.

She really is cute though isn't she. We are going to go check out a beach this afternoon.

Sign with Legs

2005-06-03T18:30:00.000-07:00

SignLegs
Originally uploaded by jmrutter.

This was the last sign we made in our training. We laughed when we saw the photo because it looks like the sign has legs.

2005-06-03T16:16:00.000-07:00

James - after a bit too much buffet... :-)

2005-06-03T16:14:00.000-07:00

At the Szechuan Chinese Palace (buffet!)

2005-06-03T08:51:00.000-07:00

Abby had lots of fun too.

2005-06-03T08:50:00.001-07:00

Caleb was fearless

2005-06-03T08:50:00.000-07:00

The end of the day at Hurricane Harbor.

Room with a View

2005-06-02T09:43:00.000-07:00

SunSet
Originally uploaded by jmrutter.

This was the sunset from our room balcany two nights ago. Last night it was raining lest you think we have escaped to utopia. We are learning lots and getting lots done.

Making Signs

2005-06-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

McDSign
Originally uploaded by jmrutter.

One of the signs we made yesterday was the logo of McDonalds on an alumninum substrate.

Dallas Update

2005-06-01T19:26:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the movies and then ate at Whataburger afterwards. James and I saw Star Wars III, and the everyone else saw Madagascar. Tomorrow we're going to Hurricane Harbor (Wild River Country on steroids). Honestly, I'm pooped right now. The tough part isn't having James and Grace - it's living in a small Apartment with no backyard to send the kids to. :-)

On the positive side of things, James is REALLY looking forward to Hurricane Harbor tomorrow!

2005-05-31T16:09:00.000-07:00

All of us at the Aquarium

2005-05-31T16:08:00.001-07:00

Aggghhhh... Its... got.... me...... gurgle...

2005-05-31T16:08:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the Dallas Aquarium - here it's feeding time

2005-05-31T08:00:00.001-07:00

Abby Kaye Riding the Surf

2005-05-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

Caleb and Desiree Riding the Surf

2005-05-31T07:57:00.000-07:00

Abby Kaye in Florida

Turtle on the Beach

2005-05-30T12:23:00.000-07:00

Turtle
Originally uploaded by jmrutter.

We arrived in Hawaii in the morning and stopped by several sites and beaches to kill time before checking in at the hotel. We found this sea turtle basking in the sun on one of our beach surverys.

Hawaii arrival

2005-05-30T12:21:00.000-07:00

KayeLei
Originally uploaded by jmrutter.

We made it safe and sound to Hawaii. Mom enjoyed this lei that had a really wonderful fragrance.

Festival Dance

2005-05-30T12:19:00.000-07:00

GraceDance
Originally uploaded by jmrutter.

Grace was part of both the Greek & Mediterranian Dance groups for our church's internationa food fesitval. It was a fund raiser for the church and also benefitted 5 different charities. Here she is in her Mediterranian outfit.

Canoe Trip

2005-05-30T12:15:00.000-07:00

KatherineCanoe
Originally uploaded by jmrutter.

Katherine joined us for the Boy Scout Family Canoe trip and campout. It was a tight squeeze in the tent but we made it!

Boy Scout Jumperee

2005-05-30T12:10:00.000-07:00

JamesJump
Originally uploaded by jmrutter.

This is James jumping from a cliff into the Buffalo River during a Boy Scout campout earlier this month.

Iguana

2005-05-25T07:38:00.000-07:00

Iguana
Originally uploaded by jmrutter.

Mom is petting a 4 foot Iguana in the Reptropolis store. At first we thought he was a statue since he was in an open area. They said he was about 14 years old, and he really seemed to like having his back scratched.

Reptropolis

2005-05-25T07:14:00.000-07:00

ReptStore
Originally uploaded by jmrutter.

On our walk yesterday we found this store for reptiles. It was way cool and wish that James and Grace could come see it. They had snakes, turtles and lots of lizards.

San Clemente Beach

2005-05-24T16:57:00.000-07:00

SCBeach
Originally uploaded by jmrutter.

Our hotel is about a mile from the beach. We took a walk yesterday and enjoyed the fresh air and watched several people surfing.

Mike working with Cutter/Plotter

2005-05-24T16:54:00.000-07:00

MikeSign
Originally uploaded by jmrutter.

Man this seems soooooo easy when someone is telling us what to do. This may be the last time you see me smile for 12-18 months!!!!

Kaye making signs

2005-05-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

KayeSign
Originally uploaded by jmrutter.

Here we are making our first sign. Mom really hung in there with all the technology. What a woman!!

Sunday in San Clemente

2005-05-22T19:03:00.000-07:00

Mom and I arrived safe and sound at our hotel in San Clemente this afternoon. We were tired but in good spirits. The Greek Food Festival was this weekend in Little Rock and we helped with that Friday and Saturday. Mmmmmmmmm those Gyros sandwiches were good. Grace danced in both the Greek and Middle Eastern folk dance groups and they also modeled their outfits. James helped with some of the kid carnival rides.
I worked in the Gyros booth Friday cooking meat and it was HOT! The temp was 95 plus I was working in front of 3 radiant cookers and a big griddle. The tips of 3 fingers are still tender from getting too hot cooking. The rest of the day Friday and all day yesterday I worked in the Drive Thru. It was lots of fun and lots of people came out.
It was interesting too that we were working on our business site through all of this. We are negotiating on a site near Cingular on Highway 10 near the new FamilyLife building. One of the owners of the building goes to our church.
Our flight arrived in LA at 9 am this morning and we scouted out an Orthodox church to visit. It was Antiochian with a large Arabic population and part of the chanting was Arabic. Very beautiful plus the food at the fellowship afterwards was Arabic and tasty too!
By the way our phone number at the hotel we are staying at is 949-498-8800 room 224.
Take care! We love you all!
Dad

2005-05-19T13:34:00.000-07:00

Caleb at the Awana's Olympics last Sunday

2005-05-19T13:32:00.000-07:00

Abby Kaye at the Awana's Olympics last Sunday

Thursday in Little Rock

2005-05-12T11:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am still alive! We had a wonderful time of camping last Friday night and then floating the Buffalo River on Saturday. It was a Family Campout with James' Boy Scout group. The water was cool, the sun was hot and it was a great time. Mom only fell in once!

This week I have been finishing my responsibilities with Campus Crusade and Priority Associates during the day and working on Sign Business stuff at night and in my breaks. Tomorrow, Friday, will be my last day on the job with CCC as the next two weeks will be vacation days.

I have noticed that John Mark and Brian ask these really deep provocative questions on their blogs so I thought I would ask a controversial question... Which came first, the chicken or the egg? I am hoping to get some good answers from everyone, including Caleb and Abby Kaye.

Gotta run,
Dad

Abby Kaye and Caleb's Message to you

2005-04-21T15:22:00.000-07:00

I hope you have fun at your home and stay with each others.- -Caleb

Message 3- - Caleb

Aunt Anna is so cool and her loves me. Anna loves me.
Grandmommi and Grandpops, Grace and James-They love me- - Abby Kaye

2005-04-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

Caleb flying his kite (Dez got it for his 1/2 b-day!) at the park yesterday when Desiree and the kids went for some playtime with some friends in a local park

Anna and Brian Snowed In?

2005-04-11T07:02:00.000-07:00

Hey, Anna and Brian. I just read the news that you are in a blizzard. Is this true?

Caleb's Half Birthday on the 12th

2005-04-10T17:49:00.000-07:00

Hey guys. If you have time on Tuesday or if you think about it-call Caleb on his half b-day. He is really latched onto this idea about his half-birthday. We didn't do it intentionally either, we just told him that he would be 5 1/2 on the 12th. All month he has been going to bed and waking up letting me know the dates and he is really excited about the 12th in particular. I'm not sure that we will do much but I bet he would think it was cool for you to call him. Hope everyone is doing well.

What would I do?

2005-04-08T20:13:00.000-07:00

John Mark, I really liked your blog question about would I go to the wedding of 1) believer/non-believer and 2) a gay couple. Unfortunately, I was in Las Vegas during most of the blogging activity and didn't get in on the action. I suppose I could go write a response to it now but nobody would notice since all the action right now is about bitter coffee.

Anyway my thoughts on it come from looking at Jesus' encounters with people in the Bible. It seems three characteristics stand out:
1) When He met people He had an incredible connection and "presence" - He was all there.
2) He also brought eternal truth to light (in incredibly personal and simple ways).
3) His "action point" seemed to always reflect the heart condition of who He was talking with.

What is incredible to me is that Jesus did all three at the same time. I tend to focus on one and find the other two slipping away.

Another point that struck me on your marriage question made me ask myself whether my role is more to "point out" the other person's error, like I am the assistant prosecuting attorney; or whether I am more like a doctor trying to create an atmosphere that makes the healing process more likely.

Grandma and Grandpa in Little Rock

2005-04-06T16:27:00.000-07:00

Hi, Guys! Mom and Dad alias your grandma and grandpa are standing here amazed at the Rutter Family blog! Grandpa has this to say to you, John Mark: "John Mark, I hope you're still doing good in seminary and still expect to finish strong!" Grandma says: "We love the Easter pictures! It looks like so much fun! We wish you were here tonight with our dinner with Elisabeth, Elisabeth's friend, and Katherine. We miss all of you, John Mark, Desiree', Caleb, Abby Kaye, Anna, and Brian! Anna, we hope to have some time to visit with you to hear about your trip to Europe...and your life..." Grandpa says: "Anna, I hope you're still making some good sandwiches, like those you made at Siloam Springs!" Okay, guys, we love you all and miss you bunches!!!!!!

Grace's Birthday Coming Up Very Soon

2005-04-06T07:46:00.000-07:00

Hey, I would like some ideas on Grace's Birthday. You can email me directly premierrutter@yahoo.com or make a secret website :) I'm glad that you (LR Rutters) made it back in one piece. Our prayers were with you and I hope it was a productive trip for you.

2005-03-30T18:52:00.000-08:00

We had a cold easter, but the kids still had fun hunting for easter eggs. Desiree re-hid them four or five times! :-) They had a really good time.

2005-03-26T14:19:00.000-08:00

From the Arboretum about a week ago...

Monday in Little Rock

2005-03-21T07:39:00.000-08:00

We are feeling much better out on Dixie Road! We still have a few coughs and sniffles, but it seems the flu has flown the coop. Unfortunately, Elisabeth came down with it the middle of last week. It hit her hard and she looked pretty bad when I dropped some medicine off for her on Friday. I'm not sure how she is doing now as she has not been answering her phone for several days.

Mom and I flew up to Chicago last Wednesday afternoon to visit a Sign World "Discovery Day." It was held at an actual store. They are technically not a franchise. They have a pretty hefty up-front fee, but no royalty payments. It was interesting and answered several of the questions we had. There was no "ah-ha" moment that this was or wasn't the direction we want to go in... it just means we need to keep doing our research.

When we flew to Chicago, Kaye's brother Jim picked us up at the airport. We went out to eat with his girlfriend, Marcia, and had a fun double-date. Marcia is a teacher and seems really sweet. We woke up Thursday morning to 1-2 inches of snow on the ground. James was very disappointed that he wasn't able to be with us and throw snowballs.

I need to hit my to-do list. I am going to meet Mom at a Charter School over lunch to see if it might be an option for James next year. It covers grades 6-12 so James would be in with other kids starting out. We have some friends whose daughter goes there and they really like it. Well, I gotta go...

Dallas News

2005-03-11T09:13:00.000-08:00

Our official spring break starts today. We're still thinking of camping over the break but absolutely no planning has gone into it. I've been way too busy this week with Apartment Life, DTS's evangelization conference, school stuff, and (ahem) playing Empire Earth. You can tell James that I beat all the Russian scenarios.

On the camping thing we'll see what happens. Right now we're thinking Sun - Tues. But I've got lots to do before then. Like our monthly prayer letter that was supposed to be mailed several days ago!