2010 Nutt Family Newsletter

It is finally again the end of another year. We draw closer and closer to our Lord coming back to take us to Heaven. Heaven indeed sounds sweeter and sweeter the older you get. I would have to say that 2010 was probably the hardest year yet in my life, in our marriage and for our family. Yet, through it all, the Saviour brought us thru it. The Lord has been so good to the Nutt family this year and we just want to praise him for how good he is. Looking back over the year shows just how good God has been. When January came we were preparing for Grace’s birth. We had a baby shower on January 9^th given to us by our church here in Iowa. We continued to prepare but during this time I was scrambling to find work and finally work came thru Manpower with a company I worked with on and off for the rest of the year. C & S Bird Feed Company has had me employed on and off throughout the year.

Then early Tuesday, January 26 morning, Steph’s water broke and we went to the hospital where Steph labored for almost 23 hours and then at 1:32 A.M. on January 27, Grace Madison Nutt was born to us. I remember the first thing being is that her crying sounded just like a kitten crying. Mom and Dad Trader drove out to see us and Grace, and Dad Trader stayed till the following Monday, February 1 and had to get back because of work, while Mom stayed to help out with Grace till that Saturday, February 6 where she caught the Amtrak train that took her back to Michigan. They were a blessing to see and spend time with. February 14^th, Valentine’s Day, Grace got to go to church for the first time. Uncle Tim Nutt came out to Iowa for a visit March 13 & 14^th to see his niece. In April things starting to slow down at work and eventually shut right down and did not pick up till June. We’ve been managing with unemployment for now. On April 30-May 1, the three of us went to a Marriage Retreat in Ames, Iowa that our church puts on and it was very informative. We especially took note to the sessions on child rearing. This is a retreat Steph and I look forward to going each year, but this year we didn’t have the money and thought we wouldn’t be able to go and God so graciously made it possible so that we could go. In May and June Steph and I celebrated our first Mother’s Day and Father’s Day and also another big event was Steph turning 30 this year!

Also in May the three of us borrowed a car from a church friend and we went to Michigan for vacation for the family to see Grace. It was a very relaxing vacation because we stayed for almost two weeks (May 26 to June 8). Grace got to meet all of the Nutt/Feldman clan on her Daddy’s side and then see her Grandma and Grandpa Trader again plus her Uncle David, Great Grandpa Giles and Grace got to spend Memorial Day with her cousin’s Autumn & Tyler Trader, Grandma Ruth Nutt and Uncle Tim Nutt. It was a joy to go see the very first church service for Northridge Baptist Church in Chesterfield Township, Michigan on June 6, that Pastor Tim Nutt is pastor of. I believe God is going to use him greatly. We got back to Iowa and it was back to work for us. I was able to work again for C&S and the summer rolled by quickly. In August, Steph started taking Cake Decorating Classes at Hobby Lobby and she has her own website in case you didn’t know with pictures of her past cakes and I might add she is very good at decorating cakes and cupcakes or cookies. Her website address is: www.yourheavenlydelight.webs.com.

Also in August, Steph started The Pampered Chef business and is doing very well. God has really opened the door for her to sell the kitchenware products and accessories. If any would like to order Pampered Chef or just find out more information on it, please feel free to contact us. In August for me I got to be an actor in a short movie that a church friend of mine put together for teen camp. It was a comedy which talked about how good God is and that we ought to “taste and see the Lord is good…” In late September, Steph and I started Weight Watchers for one month. We knew we needed to lose weight badly and Weight Watchers was offering a half off for one month price and so we joined for just one month and to date I have lost 20lbs and Steph 6lbs. Oh, and Grace is just gaining pounds, she is now at 18lbs 1oz. In October we had such an Indian summer so we had garage sales for two weekends just to clear up some clutter. Also, October 23, here at our mall in town they had a craft show with tables set up and so Steph and I tried to sell Pampered Chef and some bakery delights such as decorative cakes and cookies. Cupcakes and brownie bites. Sad to say but Pampered Chef sold better than our little bake sale.

In November I turned 36 and realized I got just four more years till I’m 40! Sigh! Thanksgiving was nice and quiet for us as we celebrated with watching the parades on TV and a nice Turkey dinner around noon and then later in the day we had some church friends over for a very nice fellowship. God has sure been good to us this year and we are very thankful for all that he has done and are looking forward to what he will do in 2011. We so want to thank all our family members for your love and support while we have been out here in Iowa. Your prayers have been so appreciated. Iowa has been tough but very good for us, not just as a family but also as we take our spiritual journey.

Throughout the year we have had ups and downs, as I’m sure you have also. But one constant remaining thing has been that God is always with us every step of the way. The Devil tries to destroy our family or our lives but God is there to give us grace to get thru it. We know the Devil has many more trials, temptations and snares for us but God is faithful and as the verse says in 2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound towards you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:. We know not what the future holds for any of us, but we cling to that verse as a promise from God. Steph and I hope to grow closer to God in the next year than ever before. We hope to see more people won for him, more lives that were wrecked by sin, changed gloriously for him. Please continue to pray for us as we also pray for and love you all very much. Merry Christmas everyone and have a God Blessed New Year!

Grace loves McDonalds!!!!

Hello everyone!! Tonight we took Grace out to eat at McDonalds and she enjoyed her time very much. As you may know, Grace is now 10 months old. She is walking with our help and is barely talking. Most of it is still gibberish but she is very alert and is having conversations with us. She grunts and waits for us to respond back to her.

Tonight was her first time we got her a McDonalds Happy Meal! Steph and I got her a Chicken McNuggett Happy Meal and she went to town on the fries. Mommy cut them up so they were bite size for her and, yes it's official... Grace loves McDonalds french fries (so does Daddy)!!! Enjoy the pictures!!!!