Sep 30

like a tree planted by the waterWith all the doom and gloom talk over the last few weeks, I just wanted to send a note of encouragement out and let you know that we’re not all effected the same…

“But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.

He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8

 

Sep 27

This post has a two-fold purpose… fun and education.

For the fun part, watch this Japanese marshmallow eating contest video…

For the education part, if you’d like to see how to embed an YouTube video like this one into your WordPress blog, click here to watch a 4:12 video that demonstrates the process.

 

Sep 13

Happy 18th birthday to Mike and Nick!  I’m not sure who’s older but I think they’re pretty close in age, separated only by minutes.  In case you haven’t been able to follow the lives of these two guys, they’re in college now and both involved in collegiate athletics.  No surprise there, since Mike and Nick both earned numerous city, regional and state-level awards throughout their high school careers in soccer, track and cross country.

Happy 23rd Anniversary to Dave and Dawn!  Actually, their anniversary is tomorrow.  So, this is a day early, but I have a policy of no blogging on Sundays.  Dave and Dawn are “empty nesters” now.  Wow.  With all that free space in the house, they’ll need to get a few more dogs.  My advice would be to get big slobbery ones that knock stuff over, leave their toys laying around and stay out late.  It’ll make the empty nest an easier adjustment.  We love you guys and hope to see you in MN sometime soon.

I didn’t have any good pictures of Dave and Dawn, but I found a handful of pics from one of Mike and Nick’s soccer games.  They’re here…

Mike and Nick Hutton - Soccer Rock Stars

Sep 11

Why are you eating grassA man was riding in the back of his limousine when he saw a man eating grass by the roadside. He ordered his driver to stop and he got out to investigate.

“Why are you eating grass?” he asked the man.

“I don’t have any money for food,” the poor man replied.

“Oh, please come to my house!”

“But sir, I have a wife and four children…”

“Bring them along!” the rich man said.

They all climbed into the limo. Once underway, the poor fellow said, “Sir, you are too kind. Thank you for taking all of us in.”

The rich man replied, “No, you don’t understand. The grass at my house is over three feet tall!”

Source: Comedy Central

Sep 03

20 years ago today in Michigan’s UP, a young couple very much in love got married.  That couple was Mona and I.  September 3, 1988 was the day that began a journey of partnership and friendship that has grown into a life relationship that simply couldn’t be any better.

Ron and Mona 20 Years Later

9 months and 5 days after being wed, Anna Hutton was born.  I’ll never forget sitting in our bedroom on the bed matress, which was on the floor because we had no real bedroom furniture at the time, and contemplating the reality of parenthood within our first year of marriage.  I thought Mona must surely be better prepared for being a mother than I was for being a father.  I hoped she was, because I was clueless.  We were thrilled and scared at the same time.  Fortunately for me and our kids, Mona quickly proved that she got it.

Over the course of the next 20 years, God revealed His plan day-by-day.  The condensed version of the story looks something like this…

1988 Get married.
1988 Move to Brainerd, MN and rent an apartment
1989 Buy a house in Brainerd, MN
1989 Have a baby girl (Anna)
1990 Ron changes job and we move to Port Orange, FL
1991 Ron changes job and we move to McHenry, IL
1992 Move from McHenry to Crystal Lake, IL
1992 Have a baby boy (Ben)
1993 Ron changes job and we move to Ormond Beach, FL
1995 Have a baby girl (Emily)
1999 Ron changes job and we move to Farmington, MN
2001 Ron changes job and we move to Ormond Beach, FL
2007 Anna graduates from high school and moves to Tallahassee, FL to attend FSU
(next?)

20 years condensed into 13 lines?  That’s not right.  Why’d I do that?  The gaps in between the lines span month and years.  It’s the everyday things that make up life and form bonds that no man can break.  It’s knowing that your mate knows you better than any other human on earth, and yet would do anything for you.  While only God’s love is perfect and unconditional, I don’t think there’s anything closer here on earth than what Mona and I have together.  I adore her, and she likes me pretty good too.

Mona… thank you.  I can’t wait to see what the next 20 years hold in store for us.