Jonathan Being Like His Daddy

I really think he might be a genius...

Just kidding, but Nathan and I both thought this was pretty smart.

Jonathan put his cup in this old Chinese food container...we didn't think anything of it.

Then we realized he uses it to keep his hands from getting cold. It is now a regular thing.
He almost always looks for his cylinder to put his cup in. It is easily accessible in the Tupperware cupboard.

Mascara

There are no words...

Canoeing on Jordan Lake and Happy Birthday to Nathan!

In honor of Nathan's 33rd birthday on April 25th, we went canoeing on Jordan Lake with Grandpa. Here are some pictures from the day:

After he fell and hurt his back :(

Catching some rays!

Jon has allergies and couldn't stop sneezing, but he did have fun!

Grandpa made the beautiful canoe when I was a little girl. It is cedar strip and the seats were caned by my grandfather.

Nathan and I started out the day by going to a shooting range. (Thanks to Auntie Ashley for watching Jonathan!) Nathan shot one gun that he had never shot before. He also taught me how to shoot. I love being with Nathan when he is teaching me something. He is so sweet and loving, while explaining everything in detail. It was great!
After the shooting range, we went out for sushi! We were introduced to it on the cruise and Nathan had been wanting to try it. It was great! Then, we headed to the car wash in Apex. This is one of Nathan's favorite things to do. We vacuumed the truck out, too. Since we were in Apex, we went to Pelican's for a pina colada sno ball. They are so delicious--perfect treat for a hot day.
Then we went home and got Jonathan and picked Grandpa up for our canoeing adventure. He was busy with re-organizing his garage and was too busy to go, but who can resist JPA?

After canoeing, we went home and showered and then met Adam, Ashley and mom and dad for dinner at Chili's. After dinner, Nathan, Adam and dad went golfing at Knight's Play.
Nathan was able to use the driver he got for his birthday! It was a great day!

Great Grandma and Grandpa Nobles

My dad recently went to Florida to get my grandparents and take them home to WNY. They have been going to FL for the winter every year since I turned 5! This was their 25 winter in Florida. They have only had help going back and forth the past few years. They are both in great shape--they eat well and exercise every day. It has definitely made a difference in their lives.
They enjoyed spending time with Jonathan. Here are some pics of him with them.

Showing Great Grandpa and Grandma his toys

Stealing a bite of Grandpa's ice cream

Getting some from Grandma, too!

Showing off the singing graduation bear from Aunt Linda

Another Reason to LOVE Nathan Ashley...

He just called me from the Apex Beauty Outlet to ask me what makeup I need because I forgot to go the other day when I was in Apex. Did I mention he has the 17 mos. old baby with him who hasn't taken his morning nap yet? Oh yeah, it is my day off and he is working, too.

Venting

A fool gives vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control. Proverbs 29:11

This verse was posted on the screen at the end of church. The teaching was about anger. I know that I am a person who gets ideas "aloud," meaning that my best ideas typically don't come when I am sitting alone and pondering how to solve a problem, but almost always come when I am talking to someone and processing through a situation. Knowing this about myself, this verse really hit me because so many times in my life I have justified gossiping as "venting" because I know that I am a verbal processor. It really struck me that I am wrong and that God is working in me to make a change. It hurts, but I am joyed (I really mean that-it makes me happy!) to have a God who knows me uniquely and He wants me to be more loving toward Him and others tomorrow, than I am today. That puts me in awe of Him because I know He cares so much about me, individually.

As I was thinking about the venting thing, it also occurred to me on another level how damaging gossiping can be when it comes to confrontation. I do not consider myself skilled in confrontation and I think I am starting to figure out why and I share my thoughts because I think it can be true of others, too. I typically find myself scared of confrontation because I am so nervous, anxious and worried about how the other person will respond to it. Could it be that the reason I have anxiety over it is because I have been "venting" to another person and I have been very candid with them in how I feel about a particular person or situation? I don't choose my words carefully in a venting setting, I just let go and say things openly and without regard. However, if I really were to confront a person who I cared for and loved, I would never speak to them in the way I just "vented" through the situation. When a confrontation takes place, albeit rarely, I am careful and thoughtful because, although I may be angry or hurt, I still regard that person as important in my life. But, because I have been so candid in my venting, I am worried that they will respond to me in a candid way...why? Because that is how I "practiced" in my venting. That is how I trained my brain to think in regards to how the conversation would go. That is a disservice to my brain because the other person cares about me, too, and they wouldn't approach me that way. So, ultimately, I don't confront another person because I am anxious over it. Then anger, frustration and confusion build, which breaks down my relationship with that person and ultimately, my relationship with God. I know that is not what God desires because remember what I bolded in the first paragraph? He wants me to be more loving toward Him and others tomorrow, than I am today.