G Days

Our Girl

2011-10-20T16:32:00.000-04:00

This pretty much sums up Avery's feelings about the cute bows I try to put on her head!

Sweet blue-eyed girl, at 10 months.

Well, Avery has not gotten nearly the face time on my blog that her brother did. BUT...there are so many more things to keep up with when you have two children instead of one.

Miss Ave will be 11 months old in a few days and I cannot begin to describe how quickly this first year of her life has flown. She is such a joy and has THE best smile you have ever seen! She has an adventurous little spirit and lately, loves to explore everything that she is not supposed to get into...favorite spots being: bathroom drawers and the laundry room closet where all the shoes are. She also wants to be everywhere her big brother is. She follows him around to see just what he is doing. She still crawls everywhere, but we think it won't be long before she is running. Yes, running. There's a good possibility that Avery will just skip walking all together. She's just like that! She walks along the furniture and will take a couple steps toward us if we bribe her. She will be hard to slow down once she figures out she can walk on her own!

Avery is a great sleeper. She takes a nap in the morning, an hour and a half on a good day, and a nap in the afternoon. She sleeps all night unless she's having tooth pain (like last night). I think she might be getting a mouth full. There are two teeth on top that are just poking through, and another one that looks like its pretty close.

We've discovered that she is not a girly girl. She does not want to leave bows on her head or cute shoes on her feet; she'd rather chew on them. And she loves to dig in the dirt; she chews on that too! Sometimes she forgets that she is just a little thing and makes her way right in with the big kids when we play with friends or go to the county preschool program with Luke.

Avery loves getting attention and playing with her family. She knows just where to find Mommy, however, when she gets tired or hungry. She's quite opinionated when it comes to what she wants:) Our family dinners are filled with squeals, sometimes shrieks, when she's not getting food in her mouth fast enough. Luke just sits there and covers his ears! She loves her thumb when she gets sleepy. It's the sweetest thing to watch her pop it in her mouth and crook her pointer finger over her nose. Her head goes limp too, the instant she starts sucking!

We thank God every day for the blessing of our little girl. I can't wait to see all the personality and passion that continues to blossom in her sweet body! We love you Avery Renae!

Fall Kiddos

2011-10-20T16:04:00.000-04:00

Sweet Avery Renae is standing all the time. Surprisingly, she just stands still. The second this girl starts stepping, there will be no keeping up!

Our loving Luke Michael just can't get enough of being outside! He is getting quite good at his baseball skills and at digging holes in the front landscaping beds.

Rainy Fall Day...

2011-10-20T15:59:00.000-04:00

I woke up feeling pretty sleepy this morning and not incredibly motivated to get anything done. However, I was given a good reminder at our Mom's Connect group at Hillside Community Church this morning. Even though I am in the midst of stinky diapers, potty accidents, piled laundry, dirty dishes, and rainy weather, I can glorify God today. I can choose to do all of those things to His glory and praise Him the whole time! So I'm trying:)

We are a few days behind on the preschool front because of a busy schedule this week. But I found an awesome blog where this wonderful mom has taken time to compile packets full of themed ideas for preschool at home! I have LOVED looking through it and already have used some of the ideas this week with Luke. We collected leaves outside, before it started raining for days, and brought them inside to sort and match and rub. Do you remember doing that? You put the leaf under a piece of paper and rub over it with the side of a crayon. We used fall crayon colors and made beautiful leaf prints! As soon as I get some googly eyes from the craft store, we are going to make some leaf puppet on popsicle sticks too!

This is Luke's paper apple with his wonderfully traced letter A!

We did some fun apple things a couple weeks ago. I saw this great idea for an apple sandwich snack that we haven't tried yet, but plan to! I'm convinced that I'm having just as much fun with all our little projects as Luke is!

Preschool, Home Style

2011-10-10T17:16:00.000-04:00

So Luke turned 3 in May, and of course, we think he's a genius! He needed to start preschool. We decided not to send him to school yet for several reasons: he's still pretty young, it costs money, and I am slightly qualified to do some teaching of my own:)
I've been so excited about all the stuff we are doing, and I'm going to try to blog about it regularly. We are doing a simple alphabet theme the next well....26 weeks! More to come.

Is It Really July Already?

2011-07-01T14:38:00.005-04:00

Summer has been a long time coming, or so it feels, up here in Michigan! Every time we have a couple warm days, they have been followed by days with temps in the 60's. But, lo and behold, it is July 1st and summer is definitely here! We have been packing in lots of fun already and have a busy couple months ahead. (Oops, I got the order backwards.)

Mike's Father's day present was tickets to a Whitecaps baseball game for him and Luke and their buddies, Rick and Evan. They had a fun night!
Luke had his first sleepover at his cousins' house, and we've gotten to see them several times in the last couple months. It's fun to watch all 4 of the grandkids have fun with each other!

We've also spent several days at my grandparents' lake house. We are trying to convince Luke to go tubing this summer, but so far, this is as close as we've gotten:) I love the perched little princess in the picture too!

My cousin Monica got married in May and this is a picture of her and the rest of my beautiful cousins (and sisters). Lots of girls!!
May 15 was Luke's 3rd birthday and we celebrated having Avery baptized that same morning. It was a joyful day!

Easter Weekend

2011-04-27T14:09:00.005-04:00

"God sent His son, they called Him Jesus
He came to love, heal, and forgive.
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives. Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future. And life is worth the living just because he lives."

We spent an incredibly blessed Easter weekend with family. Saturday we were able to celebrate with my dad's family, most of whom live in Illinois and we don't see often. It was so nice to be able to catch up and spend the day talking with each other. Sunday we went to my parents' church and then over to my grandpa and grandma's house for another family lunch. Luke and Avery are the center of attention everywhere we go. They are so loved by our families and it gives Mike and I such joy to watch them be loved on!

I am finishing up a Beth Moore bible study on the tabernacle and have been in awe of how much our God loves us and wants to dwell with us; I was especially struck by this during the week before Easter. God has used this study to teach me a lot about the history of the tabernacle and to remind me of how perfectly he has planned EVERYTHING. God designed the Old Testament tabernacle to be built so that He would have a way to be with his people. His glory filled the tabernacle, but it didn't stay there because the people were disobedient. Later, Jesus walked among the people and His presence was literally with them, but He couldn't stay either. He became the final sacrifice to forgive our sins. Now, God has sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in us. We get to be the tabernacle. We are inhabited by God's presence and His glory. We are called to daily sacrifice of ourselves in order to allow God to reveal himself to others through us! God has chosen us to show his glory here on this earth. How incredible!

Did you know that if you divide the Old Testament tabernacle directly in half (according to the specific measurements God gave), there are two perfect squares? At the center of each square is the ark of the covenant (on one side) and the altar of sacrifice (on the other side). The ark represents God's presence. The altar represents the sacrifice that must be made in order to come into God's presence. A perfect plan, made so long ago. Praise God for providing the sacrifice so that we can be always in his presence!

Stuff to Do

2011-04-07T15:16:00.004-04:00

I realize I should have posted this a couple months ago, in the dead of winter, but better late than never! We've done some fun stuff while being stuck inside; I love hearing new ideas of things to do with Luke. (Share if you have any!) He is so creative and loves to try new 'projects'. I've gotten these ideas online, in magazines, and from the Bright Beginnings preschool we go to during the month.

* No-mess finger painting! Squeeze a good amount of finger paint, different colors if you like, into a large ziploc bag. Seal tightly, getting air out. Duct tape top and bottom of bag to a square piece of cardboard. You now have a flat surface to 'paint' with your fingers, moving the paint around through the bag.

* Bird Feeders We have had so much fun watching the birds come to our deck to eat the bird seed off the feeders Luke made. There are two beautiful cardinals that come each day, a male and a female. We didn't have pine cones, but spread peanut butter on sticks instead. Then we rolled the sticks in the bird seed. Luke even loved just running his hands through the big bowl of seed!

* Fruit Loop Necklaces For our snack one day, we strung a piece of yarn with fruit loops. Luke thought it was the best thing ever to bite the cereal right off the string:) I had bought some fun noodle shapes to use too, but I still can't decide if that is too girly of a craft!

* Sponge Stamps Cut fun shapes out of small kitchen sponges and use them, with washable paint, as stamps. We needed bigger paper for this one!

* Paper Chains These are a great way to count down to a special occasion. We did decorate and make some paper chains this winter, but never as a countdown. Maybe we'll do one for Luke's upcoming 3rd birthday??

* Cooking We have done lots of cooking/baking together. Luke is a great little sous chef! I let him get the measuring utensils and add the ingredients to my recipes, and he usually has his own bowl to measure in whatever he wants. He loves to mix flour and brown sugar and baking soda and cinnamon or WHATEVER! And he always wants to try his creation:)

* Homemade Playdough We have yet to try this because I'm waiting until our real stuff dries out. I have heard this is a good recipe since the kool-aid makes it smell good!

2011-04-03T22:14:00.002-04:00

I'm so into good deals! Thought I would share this one. Walgreens has a new photo deal each day this week. Today's is a free 8x10. Check it out! Just click on the Photo tab when you get there.

Significance

2011-04-03T21:32:00.004-04:00

There are days, the past few in particular, when I struggle with the significance of the things I do. It is a challenge for me to voice these thoughts, but I do so with the hope of being an encouragement. I am confident that I am not the only woman and mother who battles with her own thoughts of self-worth. My sweet Jesus, when I finally decide to surrender to Him, always reminds me that my worth is in Him.

This past week was filled with much at-home time. The kids and I were sick with colds, and by Tuesday morning we were on our last box of kleenex and my positive attitude was getting wiped away with each snotty tissue. I hate it (as I'm sure all moms do) when my kids are sick. I feel like the world should stop because I'm worried about them. I get sucked into our house and our life and our little sickness. I do not feel like, or look like, a good wife. I wonder what I should be doing to be more productive. I feel like I can't go anywhere or get anything done. I feel like my house is a wreck. I think about all the things I'm missing out on. I feel like I should be doing more to contribute to our income. I feel tired and wish I could get some alone time and some rest.

Did you notice how many times I said "I"? Yeah, I did too. As the week came to an end, I began to think rationally again; I finally prayed to ask God to forgive me for my selfishness and to give me a confidence in my role as a mom. I was in such a sorry fog that I forgot to pray FIRST. When I did, God reminded me of a few very significant things.

* I have such an encouraging husband.

* My kids sickness is temporary. They have healthy, self-healing bodies. Praise God!

* I can praise him during sleepless nights because my baby loves to see me:)

* I am blessed to be HOME with my kids.

* I have an intelligent mind to teach my kids, and to be creative in ways to contribute to our family's income. It doesn't have to be with a salary.

* Mike has a wonderful job.

* I will leave the house again:) (sounds silly now, I know)

* Spring is just around the corner.

Thank you, Jesus, for forgiving me and for reminding me.

Look-A-Likes?

2011-03-10T14:53:00.004-05:00

When Avery was born, I did not think that she looked all that much like her brother, but as she grows, I see more similarities. I've just been dying to do this with their pictures since Avery was born so I can see what everyone else thinks! The first and last pictures are of Luke and the middle two are of Avery (Her cheeks hadn't fully popped in her towel picture!).

Life with two kids is worlds different than life with one, as I am sure many of you can attest to. The biggest challenge is finding the time to balance my time (as I sit and waste time instead of cooking dinner)! BUT, it is a blessing beyond belief that God has chosen us to take care of these two precious children!

Luke is two months away from his third birthday; all grown up. He has been potty trained since last August and lately is very insistent upon doing all potty-related things by himself. Truthfully, he wants to do ALL things by himself! I am amazed at how much he is learning to do. Luke comes to a bible study with me each week and goes to his own 'Little Lambs' class. His teachers tell me how he likes to put his hands in his pockets when they sing, and how he doesn't really sing but they can tell he likes the songs. Guess what he does when we get home? He sings! He is learning to love Jesus and we are praying that Jesus will fill his sweet heart soon! Luke loves to talk to us about everything. We have a hard time getting him to eat his dinner because he has so much to tell us. He says the most random things sometimes, but it is obvious that he has been pouring over what to say for a long time. Oh, how he takes after his Daddy in his contemplation! Some of my favorite sayings lately have been, 'Mommy, I didn't want to wear this shirt this morning and I was whining, but I'm better now.' And, in response to me telling him something, 'Ohh, I'm gotcha.' And, as we were walking out the door the other day, 'Let's go Princesses!' Luke is an adoring big brother and he does (so far) treat Avery like a little princess. He talks to her and loves to make her smile. He is a wonderful helper if I need to get something for her. He's even volunteered to change her diaper, that is until he saw the mess that was in it:)

Avery Renae, at three and a half months old, has more than stolen our hearts and filled us with even more joy! She has a temperament very similar to her brother's; she is easy going and easy to please. The first thing she shows off in the morning is her precious smile! Nights are typical for a growing baby, I think. She goes to bed at about 8, gets up once a night to eat, and goes back to bed until about 8. Her days are spent swinging (eating), laying on a blanket while we play with her (eating), sitting up in her Bumbo seat (eating), napping (eating), practicing her tummy time (eating). Avery has figured out how to bat at her toys and get her little fists in her mouth. She loves to talk with us, and lately loves to hear the sound of herself squealing in a very high-pitched voice (cute during the day, not so cute in the middle of the night). She is enamored with her big brother and is really starting to notice and watch everything he is doing.

We are so thankful for our two sweet miracles!

I'm Back...

2011-03-10T13:18:00.000-05:00

So much has happened in our lives in the last 10 months and I am sad that I haven't been able to keep up with my blog posting. I have, however, been able to thoroughly enjoy the changes that have taken place in our growing family. Luke is changing and growing up so quickly right before our eyes, and our sweet daughter Avery has added even more joy to our home! More to come soon!

Happy 2nd Birthday Luke!

2010-05-19T16:24:00.001-04:00

Our sweet boy has turned TWO! It is hard to believe that we met Luke for the first time only two short years ago. I can picture being in the hospital room with Mike, watching the doctor hand Luke, wailing and wrapped in a hospital blanket, to us for the first time. We were parents, holding the most precious child both of us had ever seen. We still thank God for the miracle of our first son, Luke Michael!

Luke is full of life, full of smiles, full of words, full of fun:) He loves to read books, play with Mommy and Daddy, ride tractors, and play ball (doesn't matter what kind). He is quite particular about certain things. He likes to make sure his blocks are stacked straight when he's building a tower. He always helps me vacuum. He helps pick up the toys in his room each night, his animals have to be lined up in just the right order.

Lately, his favorite sayings are, "Oh yeah, did," in response to a question (sometimes he sings it), "Mommy come too," he still likes to be with me, "Luke have it now," we're working on that one!

I could brag for hours! Each day brings new learning experiences and new joys. Happy Birthday Luke Michael! We love you!

Decorating Easter Eggs

2010-03-31T14:56:00.000-04:00

Our fun-loving boy decorated Easter eggs for the first time a couple days ago. He thought it was very exciting dropping eggs from dish to colored dish! You'll hear from the video that he is in the 'parrot' stage of talking:) He does say plenty of things on his own, but is bound to repeat everything we say also. We smile about him every day with the new things he's learning. Happy Easter! We serve a Risen Savior!

Wilken Drive

2010-03-28T14:10:00.011-04:00

We are blessed beyond belief to be moved into our new house! A week ago, yesterday, we rented a moving truck to move all our things from the apartment and the storage unit into our new house on Wilken Drive. Despite the snow on moving day, things went really well. Several wonderful friends and family members came to help us. Most of the moving was done before lunch time.

The house itself is wonderful. Mike and I keep saying we feel spoiled to be living here, especially after living in a tiny apartment for the past four months. Luke loves the fact that we get to play outside all the time! There are three bedrooms upstairs, a living room, dining room, and kitchen with an eat-in area. The basement is finished, minus trim around the windows, and carpeting. We are making changes to the bathroom down there, as well as a few other things, before we finish it off.

We are looking forward to the warmer weather to be able to tackle some projects outside the house as well.

Luke has made the transition to his big boy bed since the first night of being in the house. Mike turned his crib into a toddler bed by removing the front rail and adding a small toddler rail. Luke thinks it is the greatest thing on earth to be sleeping under a John Deere blanket, doggy in hand, while wearing his Elmo pajamas! He is such a good boy and always sits in bed and waits for us to come get him when he wakes up (even with the temptation of books and toys close by). What a sweetheart!

Crafting:)

2010-03-15T15:54:00.000-04:00

Inspired by my quilting teacher, Sara Pastryk:), I decided to make a new bed set for Luke's room at our new house. We will be moving in this weekend and with the move, we are switching Luke to his big boy bed. He is VERY excited about having a John Deere blanket on his bed and curtains on his window! I am excited to see how they look in his room...I'll post more pics then!

Snow is Melting!

2010-03-07T14:26:00.000-05:00

We have been LOVING the recent sunshine over the last few days. Luke's favorite thing to do is shovel snow. It's not very effective, note his tiny shovel, but he still thinks it's great! He constantly says, "Mommy, vovel no?" (translation, Mommy, shovel snow?). The hat picture was taken as he was attempting to put his own shoes on, shovel in hand, to go outside to shovel. We're glad he loves to be outside!

Reading

2010-02-26T15:18:00.000-05:00

Blessings

2010-01-11T14:52:00.000-05:00

Maybe you've heard this song on the radio; I can't even remember who sings it right now. "His love's like a hurricane, I am a tree, bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy. When all of the sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory. And I realize just how beautiful You are and how great Your affections are for me. Oh, how He loves us. Oh, how He loves us, oh, how he loves!" I felt these words (I've heard them many times before) just a few days ago as the song played on my car's radio.

My dad has polycystic kidney disease, causing the function of his kidneys to fail. After his kidneys dropped below a certain level of function, he was put on two donor lists in order to receive a transplant. They told him the average wait-time to receive a kidney was five years. God had a plan. When my parents began to spread the news of my dad's condition, we were blessed beyond belief by several people who came forward to be considered as donors. One of those people proved to be a match, and the planning and testing for the transplant began. Surgery was scheduled for December 10, 2009. A week before the surgery, final blood tests were done on my dad and his donor. On December 8, my dad found out that there was one antigen in his blood that had changed, which meant he would reject the kidney. The surgery was cancelled. It was a hard realization to grasp. God still had a plan.

On Saturday, January 2, 2010, the University of Toledo hospital called my dad about a kidney they would be receiving. He and my mom drove to Toledo for final blood tests. They waited at a hotel while the rest of the family waited by our phones. The transplant coordinator called my parents to let them know that there was a good chance that my dad's antigens would be too high to match. God had a plan. At 5:00 Sunday morning, the final match was confirmed. The surgery ended up being Monday morning at about 9:00.

My dad was supposed to have surgery on Tuesday, Jan. 5 to prepare a spot in his abdomen for dialysis. The dialysis would start on January 18. Instead, he was blessed with a young, healthy kidney a day earlier! We are still praying for the continued health and recovery of his body. His attitude and faithfulness amaze me. My dad has had several difficult health issues to overcome, and through them all, he has been a shining testament for his savior. I am so thankful that God has given me an earthly father to mirror my heavenly father.

When the realization of the surgery, and the prospect of a better quality of life, finally hit, my dad's affliction was 'eclipsed by glory', the glory of our faithful God who plans and provides for our needs. My dad, and our family, have been showered with prayer throughout this entire process. Oh, how He loves us!

I love you, Dad!

Sledding

2010-01-11T14:44:00.000-05:00

After 20 months of living with Luke, the 'firsts' in life are becoming more scarce. This past Saturday, we made our own 'first' by taking Luke sledding. He could have cared less that it was about 20 degrees outside; he loved sledding!

Strawberries are not called Apples

2010-01-11T14:32:00.000-05:00

This is just a fun lunch time laugh that Luke and I had the other day!

Elmo

2010-01-11T14:21:00.000-05:00

Make no mistake, Luke loves to play like a boy! He throws his toys across the room, shoots his arms in the air to yell 'touchdown' when he sees football on tv, and 'vroom vrooms' his cars all over the living room. But, our boy has a sweet, tender heart that I love! He saw me crying a couple weeks ago and came over, wiped my cheek, gave me a kiss and kept saying, "Mommy, better." He's especially into giving kisses right now, complete with sound effects. He's so much fun:)

Christmas 2009

2010-01-11T14:05:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful Christmas this year, filled with lots of family time. We were able to be in Portage with my family on the 23rd and 24th and then came back to Byron Center for the 25th and 26th with Mike's family. Luke was great at opening presents! He now has lots of new toys here at the apartment (some of which are packed away for future excitement).

Apartment Life

2009-12-04T13:31:00.001-05:00

We are getting more and more settled into our apartment as the days go by. Really, there is not much to settle, as you can see from the picture of our living room, we don't have our furniture here! We have decided to leave most of our things at the house until it sells. Thankfully, we do have a comfy bed, and Luke has his crib, to sleep in. Having so few things here has actually been eye opening...it has made me think about the things that I really NEED. My husband, my son, my Savior, food and warmth. I am so blessed to have it all!

Mike is enjoying his new position in the product development department of Universal Forest Products. There are a lot of new things for him to learn about, but he catches on quickly. He gets to work on different projects all the time and I think that will keep him on his toes.

Luke is getting used to apartment life. It's been a challenge to keep him busy and occupied. He drew on the wall with crayons the second day we were here. He likes to watch the squirrels and the birds that come to play on our deck. We went outside this morning to enjoy the first real snowfall of the season. We got over 6 inches of snow last night! Luke and I bundled up and stomped through the snow. He wasn't sure what to think of it at first; he wanted me to get it off of his boots!

Counting...trying:)

2009-12-04T13:18:00.000-05:00

Our little baby is almost 19 months old. Luke is beginning to act more like a little boy than a little baby. We are so proud of him and all that he is learning; he seems to soak up and repeat everything that he hears. His vocabulary has expanded greatly in the last few weeks. One of his favorite topics of conversation is his family. He goes through everyone's names and I ask, "Where is Grandma (or whoever he is talking about)?" to which Luke replies, "Home." Sometimes I'll find him looking at books and 'reading' them to himself, with amazing inflection in his voice, I might add. He has a rocket to play with in the bathtub, he loves to say BLASTOFF (you'll hear that in the video). Luke has the sweetest personality and he loves to help everyone. He's always willing to offer a bite of his food (if he can feed it to you himself), or a drink from his cup. He helps set the table for dinner, always wants to put his shoes away in the closet, and his newest fascination is getting the mail from our tiny mailbox in the apartment. We love him dearly!

Go Tigers!

2009-10-06T14:53:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday, Mike and I got to spend a fun night out with friends. Rick and Julie got tickets to see the Tigers play in Detroit. We had dinner at Hockeytown before the game, and nervously walked into the stadium as we watched a BLACK cloud slowly blow over us. Thankfully, it only sprinkled for a few minutes and the rest of the night was great! We had nice seats and awesome company! Too bad the Tigers lost!

ONE!

2009-10-06T14:46:00.000-04:00

Luke is talking and understanding more every day!

Meal Time Nap

2009-08-12T18:57:00.000-04:00

Luke woke up at 6:00 this morning, so needless to say, he was very tired. We ate lunch at 11, but it wasn't early enough. He could barely get his lunch down as he was falling asleep. Thought you all would enjoy this too:)

Heritage

2009-08-02T15:42:00.000-04:00

As it is with every child, Luke grows up a little more each day. It has struck me recently how he has begun to exhibit little pieces of his family members in his budding personality. His grandpa Grasman's tractors (and everything else that moves) hold a special allure each time he sees them. I think Luke is already growing a great love for the farm his grandpa works so hard on. Luke's joy in the outdoors and his love for things that grow and hold beauty reminds me of his grandma Grasman. He loves to help me take care of all our plants. There's also a little music and rhythm coming to life inside of him. Inherited from, and encouraged by, his grandma Glass, Luke makes music with anything he can find and always bounces to the beat. Luke's little body is already learning to be coordinated when it comes to sports. Luke loves to play, yet he is also reserved when he wants to be, reminding me of his grandpa Glass's love of athletics and his strong, quiet nature.

A blessed heritage is one of the most wonderful things we can pass down to our son. I am so thankful for our families.

July Pictures

2009-07-20T15:08:00.000-04:00

14 months old already, Luke is really enjoying summer time! He loves to play outside in his car...getting in and out, over and over. He loves to play with the basketballs and shoot hoops with Daddy. We have a fun park in our neighborhood that he loves to play at too.

No No

2009-07-20T14:52:00.000-04:00

Our sweet little Luke has learned a word that has the potential to be not so sweet! The day before I took this video, he was getting food boxes out of the cupboard and trying to dump them out. I told him no several times and would move him away from the cupboard, but he kept going back. Finally, I succeeded in distracting him and left the room to get some laundry. When I came back around the corner, he was standing by the cupboard with a box in his hand. Caught red-handed, he looked straight at me and said "No, No!" This was my clear indication that he knows what he knows what that word means! Still, it was pretty cute:)

Our 5th Anniversary

2009-07-04T13:53:00.000-04:00

Mike and I celebrated five years of being married on July 3. We took a wonderful trip to a bed and breakfast in South Haven, Michigan the night before. The weather did not cooperate the way we wanted it to, but we still had a great time being together. The Carriage House was beautiful (We'd definitely recommend it)! When we got there, Mike had scheduled a 1/2 hour massage for each of us. Appetizers were served at the house at 5:00, and then we went to a great Italian restaurant downtown for dinner. After dinner, we went to Sherman's for ice cream. We had a delicious breakfast in the morning and got to spend a little time at the beach before we picked Luke up at Mike's parents' house.

It was so nice to spend some time alone with my husband. I am blessed to have such a loving, hard working, godly man as my partner in life. I treasure his friendship and love him more with each passing year. These first five years have flown by. We have learned new things about each other, grown to understand each other better, and still have a "little thing" for one another:)

Mike, I love you and am so happy to be spending my life by your side!

Luke's First Tractor Ride

2009-07-01T14:12:00.000-04:00

Father's Day weekend, we took a trip up to the farm. Luke is fascinated with anything that moves, so of course, he noticed his grandpa's big tractors right away! He has seen them many times before, but this time he really wanted to sit on one. Already he wants to figure out all the gears and know just how everything works. The day after the video was taken, Mike took Luke on his first real ride. I think Luke thought it was pretty loud at first, but he still loved it!

The Baby's Cruisin'

2009-06-11T15:05:00.000-04:00

On April 24th, Luke took his first steps on his own. We were very excited for him that night and thought that was the beginning of his "upright" life. However, Luke thinks like his daddy. What I mean by this is that he thinks and thinks and thinks and thinks:) Luke refused to walk for weeks! He had to consider his options and make sure that walking was going to be a good decision. By June 1, he had made up his mind. Confident in his decision, with no coercing from Mom or Dad, Luke let go of the furniture and starting walking everywhere. We kept him up past bedtime that night because we were having so much fun watching him walk. Each day, he walks more than the day before. It's still a shock to watch him toddle into a room behind me!

(This video was taken yesterday. Luke loves to say BOOM when he falls down or when he runs into things with his toys. It's pretty funny:) )

Outside!!

2009-06-11T15:01:00.000-04:00

Luke loves playing outside, and we've had lots of fun getting out of the house when the weather is nice! He knows how to play in the dirt (really well), smell flowers, water flowers (He knows where the watering can is and always wants to help), and mow the lawn with Daddy. We love summer!

Grandma Glass

2009-05-31T22:29:00.000-04:00

My grandma, Marian Glass, went home to be with Jesus on May 20. I miss her, but it's for selfish reasons. She is forever safe, forever healthy, and forever free from pain.

Over the past two weeks, memories have flooded my mind; memories that I want to share with my family now, and my kids some day. Grandma's house was an hour away from ours; when we were younger, this allowed for lots of sleepovers. My sisters and I shared the room with the bunk bed/trundle. I would worry that the bed was going to collapse on me since it had been around since my dad was young:) The house sits on a big hill with a creek at the bottom. All the cousins would roll or sled down the hill, depending on the season. Grandma had the best toboggan! We would catch turtles, or watch John and Blakey catch turtles, and count them in the bucket. Christmas time holds the most memories with my grandma. Usually right on Christmas day there'd be a great meal (with lots of mashed potatoes for Emily), Barbie game-playing (Abi never cared if her boyfriend was Poindexter), John and I sharing our bench when we got old enough to be a the adult table, cheating with the Rubik's cube, taking candy canes off the tree, playing with the train, sitting in front of the fire or space heater, wrapped in Grandma's shawls, white elephant exchange fun, Grandma's hand made gifts for us, and a lot of sharing and catching up with family. Grandma made delicious chocolate cakes for each of our birthdays, each year! She spent countless hours watching our sporting events, from AYSO soccer games to college volleyball. She brought treats for my team during preseason on several occasions. She would stop by my dorm room to bring chocolate chip cookies. She knew all my roommates and my teammates, and they all called her Grandma Glass.

The memories that stand out the most right now are the more recent ones. One year ago, Grandma drove to our house to meet Luke, her sixth great-grandchild, when he was a week old. She just sat on the couch and stared at him; she told me she didn't want to let go. I had the privilege of watching Grandma line dance at one of her classes. She was pretty good! I remember sitting at her kitchen table on a beautiful day this March while she got excited because we let her eat the crust piece of a loaf of bread I made. Only a few days before she died, she was at our house to celebrate Luke's first birthday. She loved holding him and watching him play with the little egg shaker that she kept in her purse for him. She brought it for him to keep that day. I am so thankful, as I look back, that God gave me a treasured last memory of my grandma. I can see Luke taking steps, on his own, toward her and giving her neck a squeeze before she left. I gave her a hug and we both said "I love you."

As I worshipped in church this past Sunday, I was in awe of the joy around me and the joy I felt about praising God. It made me think about what Heaven must be like on a Sunday morning, or every morning for that matter. Grandma is worshipping WITH God, and I cannot imagine a more joyous scene. Thank you, God, for preparing such home for us.

I love you, Grandma.

2009-05-18T20:35:00.000-04:00

family pictures

Happy 1st Birthday, Luke!

2009-05-18T20:34:00.000-04:00

Luke had a fun-filled Sunday afternoon with his family. They were all in town to celebrate his birthday. (We did miss Aunt Jen and Aunt Bekah!) I know it sounds cliche, but it is hard to believe that a whole year has blown by since we brought our little baby home from the hospital. He has brought so much joy and excitement to our lives, and his birthday party was no different. He received many new toys from his wonderful family. He tasted cake and frosting for the first time; I think he liked it! He played outside. Most importantly, he got lots of loving! It was a great day!

One Year Old

2009-05-15T17:04:00.001-04:00

My Sweet Luke,

One year ago today, your daddy and I got to meet you for the first time. We had prayed and waited for you for nine long months, and we were so excited when, on May 15, you were ours to hold.

I am amazed at the way you have changed and grown in the past year. My love for you has grown each day, with each cry, each smile, each new discovery. You are a joy in my life, and I am so lucky to be with you every day! You are a precious son. I thank God that I get to be your mommy, and I pray that you will let Him find a home in your sweet heart.

May 15 will always be a day to remember the joy and love that filled my heart when you were born. I love you, Luke Michael!

Love, Mommy

Little Man!

It is so hard to believe that you are already a year old! Getting to see you each day and see how you change makes time fly by! You've brought so much joy to Mommy and I; your contagious smile, hearty giggles and your loving hugs melt our hearts everyday! I love coming home each day to see what new adventures you've discovered. I can't wait to see what God has in store for us as a family and for you as my little man! Happy first birthday and I look forward to many more! I love you, Luke Michael!!!

Love, Daddy

Such a BOY!

2009-05-10T21:07:00.000-04:00

Ok, before you watch this video, please know that I do intend to teach our son to be a gentleman and act politely and not do gross things. HOWEVER, I love hearing him laugh, and I'll pretty much do anything to hear him giggle. We just like to have fun! At dinner one night, Luke let a little burp slip out and then thought it was a pretty funny sound. He started giggling, so I imitated the noise and he laughed even harder. (disclaimer....I am not really burping, just making a noise with my mouth. I promise!)

Congratulations, Jen!

2009-05-10T12:12:00.001-04:00

Last weekend, we were in Holland celebrating Mike's sister, Jen's, graduation. She graduated from Hope with a BSN and we are so proud of her! She is the last of the Grasmans to finish up college, hard to believe. It was a beautiful weekend, and the tulips were in full bloom. Luke had fun playing with his cousins and wishing he could run around with them!

11 Months

2009-04-17T10:14:00.000-04:00

Only one more month until Luke's birthday. I hope I don't have to stop calling him my 'baby' when he turns one! Each month brings new surprises and new achievements for our little man. This month we added cabinet locks in the kitchen and bought a connecting gate to block off certain areas of the living room. It's almost impossible to contain Luke, but we try to keep him out of trouble! He has his own cabinet in the kitchen with some tupperware in it, so he isn't completely locked out:)

Luke says 'dada' all the time. I think I've heard 'mama' a couple times, but it's not his word of choice! He just started clapping his hands and he loves to play the "How big is Luke?" game; he throws his hands straight up in the air! He's a great sleeper; Mike and I are very thankful for that! He loves to push around his walker. He's pretty steady on his feet, but still has not been brave enough to take steps on his own. He is a happy, healthy little boy, and we love him like crazy!!

Play Date

2009-04-03T10:49:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Luke and I went over to my friend Mary's house for some lunch and some fun! We have several close friends who all had children within a few months of each other. We have been getting together for lunch every so often since our kids were born, but we missed a few months with all the holidays and everything. Yesterday was pretty exciting with all of the babies now walking or crawling. It was great to watch them play with each other instead of just laying on blankets staring at each other! The lone girl in the group, Addie, had her pick of boys between Luke, Ethan, Keegan, and the twins (Owen and Ian). She's a lucky girl:)

(The pictures: Ethan followed me around while I took pictures, I think he's got experience with that:) Luke and Keegan had fun pushing Ian on his toy; I don't think Ian knew what was going on behind him! We attempted to get a group picture. I snapped away while all the other moms kept the bunch on the couch. Such sweet babies!)

One Step Closer

2009-03-30T22:13:00.000-04:00

Each day, Luke is getting closer to walking. Just today he let us only hold onto one of his hands when he walks. Usually, he will stop moving if we let go of one hand. We're waiting to see if he'll be walking before these first 12 months are up!

Go Get It!

2009-03-30T21:40:00.000-04:00

I know every parent probably says this, but we have the smartest son in the world! Luke's brain has been taking in so many new things for the past 10.5 months, and now he's starting to let us know that he's been learning! So far, there are three things that are Luke's "toys of choice," his tractor, ball, and lion. He knows them all by name and we caught it on video so we could brag a little bit:) Watch!

If there's trouble, he's into it...

2009-03-30T14:04:00.001-04:00

This first picture will give you a good idea of what Luke does when I leave him alone for a second. He intuitively knows to get into the exact things he's not supposed to be touching. Of course, they're the most fascinating things! In his bedroom, his clock and monitor are the cool toys of choice.

The other picture is Luke watching his favorite sigh language video with his lion. So cute! He is always very attentive when we play this video. Over the last couple weeks, he has really been picking up some of the signs. It's so fun to watch!

Another Date

2009-03-30T13:54:00.000-04:00

Luke gets to date MUCH more than I was allowed to when I was his age. His special friend, Addie, comes over a lot to play with him! Last week Addie's mom, Stacy, had a meeting and she dropped Addie off at our house for a while. When I was pregnant, I thought it would be fun to have twins. After babysitting Luke and Addie by myself, I'm not sure if fun would be the right word for having two babies at once. Luke and Addie are both very good-natured babies so I didn't have it too bad. I did feed them both lunch at the same time. Luke was very jealous that Addie got her bottle first, so he tried to steal it. Addie likes her food to come fast, so I was throwing Cheerios on Luke's tray in between Addie's squeals for more food! I felt like Super Mom, sliding back and forth on my stool between the two high chairs. We had a fun morning, and Luke and Addie had lots of fun playing together! They are such sweet babies:)

10 Months!

2009-03-19T20:41:00.001-04:00

Luke is 10 months old as of this past Sunday. Time is flying by; it's hard to believe he will be 1 soon! We enjoyed his "birthday" outside as it was a beautiful March day! As always, Luke is learning new things each day. His latest accomplishments include walking behind his walker (and now maneuvering around obstacles), signing 'milk' and 'all done' and 'more', crawling to the door every day when Daddy comes home from work, playing peek-a-boo (so cute...I'll have to post a video), and smiling SO much it makes our hearts melt!

Florida Vacation 2009

2009-03-14T21:53:00.000-04:00

Mike, Luke, and I had a wonderful vacation in Florida last week. We had the chance to fly to Naples to spend a few days with my grandparents who are staying in Florida for the month. My sister Rebekah was also with us for the last couple days of her vacation. It was quite an adventure to take our first "far away" family vacation! Luke is a professional flyer now...he loved watching all the people on the airplane and banging his hands on the fold down trays (I'm sure the people in front of us enjoyed that). He slept through some of the flight, but was very happy when he was awake. Grandpa and Grandma graciously shared the beautiful house that they're renting with us. We enjoyed using the pool outside every day! The weather was perfect, and it was so nice to be outside in the warm air. We had relaxing evenings at several delicious restaurants, where, as you can guess, Luke was the center of attention. We discovered that he really likes to be social during meal times. He wanted to be in on our conversations, but he doesn't have volume control:) Everyone thought it was cute though. Grandma and I got to take a trip to the outlet mall one day, and Mike and Grandpa watched the Boston Red Sox play in a spring training game another day. Luke loved spending time with his great-grandparents! Thank you so much Grandpa and Grandma for sharing a wonderful vacation with us! We love and miss you!

Overnight Without Luke!!

2009-03-03T12:01:00.000-05:00

Mike and I were able to get away overnight last weekend for the first time since Luke was born. My parents were more than happy to keep Luke overnight! We went to Detroit to watch the Red Wings play. I'm not going to lie, we bought the cheap seats, BUT cheap as we are, we eyed some (empty) good seats during the entire first period. We decided to make our move during the first break and ended up watching the rest of the game from the 7th row!! We had dinner beforehand in Greektown and rode the People Mover to the game, and Mike got to see Gordy Howe (former Red Wings player) who was at the stadium signing autographs. We spent the night at the Omni Hotel on the Detroit River and took advantage of our chance to sleep in! It was a great time!

Luke had lots of fun with and slept well for his grandpa and grandma and probably didn't even notice we were gone! Aunt Anna brought him a lion which he loves to play with. We've been working on his ROAR!

Banged Up Boy

2009-02-26T20:28:00.001-05:00

Today was a rough day for Luke...as you can see from the picture. He thinks he can stand, walk, lean, jump, swim, and climb all by himself, but today his face found out that he can't! I'm not sure I'll ever get used to the way boys like to be daredevils; I have a feeling it gets worse as they get older! This afternoon Luke bumped his cheek on his play table and then again on another toy. Tonight, he took a head first dive into the leg of the end table while trying to stand up. A short 10 minutes later, he banged his head again on a handle of the desk drawer. We took some pictures so he can brag about his battle wounds to his friends. Then it was bath time. Luke wanted to try his hand at swimming and took his first, face-first plunge into the water.

Rough day....Mommy needs some sleep!

Table Time

2009-02-17T18:17:00.000-05:00

Luke is pretty big stuff! He pulls himself up so he can stand by himself. He loves his table because it makes all sorts of different sounds. He is also quite a chatterbox!

9 Months Old

2009-02-15T21:56:00.000-05:00

One of my friends pointed out that we not only have a 9 month old baby today, but we also will have a 1 year old in 3 short months! I do not know how Luke got to be this old already. He lights up our house with his smile each day. He has begun to greet us in the morning by standing in his crib and watching for the door to open. He loves the morning and always wakes up in a playful mood, ready for fun! He finds everything BUT his toys to have fun with! Such a boy!

A Busy Month!

2009-01-29T21:06:00.000-05:00

Luke is going on 9 months and continues to learn how to do new things constantly! He is crawling and now wants to explore everything he has been staring at for the past 8 months. Somehow he knows how to find all the places where he should not be. He pulls books off of the bookshelves, opens the entertainment center doors to remove the DVD's inside, crawls under the computer desk to reach for the cords, heads for the trash can in the bathroom while I'm getting ready in the morning. He's fast too:)

Two sharp little teeth have made their appearance in his mouth. He's back to sleeping much better now that those are in! Luke loves playing in the kitchen with Mommy. He'll mess around with anything I give him. Other kids are fascinating to him! He loves to watch them. We have switched carseats, and Luke is now in his big boy seat. He enjoys looking out the window. He knows how to feed himself little snacks. This has its downfalls however, because today I caught him eating a piece of carpet he had picked out of the corner and popped in his mouth. Gross!

We love seeing the joy that our little boy already has for life!

Mr. Curious

2009-01-08T14:54:00.000-05:00

Now that Luke can move his little body where he wants it to go, it has opened up a world of discovery for him! He still cannot crawl, but he's getting close. He easily rolls and scoots his way around to whatever he wants to explore. He enjoys grabbing books from under the coffee table, opening and shutting the doors on the entertainment center (just to hear the noise), grabbing the rocks on the base of the fireplace, and heading toward any new thing we put on the floor near him.

Luke's curiosity is not limited to the living room however. He has recently discovered that the bumper in his crib is not totally connected to the bed. He digs underneath the bumper to find the ties to chew on. He pulls the bumper down to scope out what's going on in his room. This picture is how I found him this morning. Busted!

Mmmm!

2009-01-02T15:51:00.001-05:00

Luke is a very good eater overall. We tried feeding him an avocado the other night and got a kick out of his reaction! I don't think Luke cares what the books say about avocados being healthy for babies:)

What Do You Want From Me?

2008-12-09T21:15:00.001-05:00

This must be what Luke is thinking every time we sit in front of him with the camera. Mike's grandma asked if Luke ever got to play or if we just took pictures all the time. He's just so photogenic:)

Luke and His Girl

2008-12-07T17:03:00.000-05:00

Let me just say, as a proud mother, that girls find Luke very handsome! He's got some stiff competition among our friends, however, considering he was one of about five other baby boys born within a few months. It appears as though he's realized this and decided to make his move on the only girl in the nursery, sweet Addie Grace! :)

So Thankful!

2008-12-01T16:32:00.001-05:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend traveling to see both of our families. We are so fortunate to have two amazing families who love us so much. Luke had lots of fun playing with his cousins and seeing all his relatives. He continues to be the center of attention:)

We spent Thursday with my mom's extended family which we have been doing ever since I can remember. It's fun to catch up with everyone and see how the family continues to grow and change. Friday I ventured to the mall with my mother-in-law and sisters-in-law. We were not totally crazy...we waited until about 11:00 to brave the crowds, and we did find some good deals! Mike spent some time hunting, but much to his disappointment, did not shoot anything this year. He also helped with some projects around his dad's house. We stopped back by my parents' on the way home to celebrate my dad's birthday.

I was challenged on Sunday at church to train myself to be thankful. It's easy to remember things I'm thankful for around this time of year, but not so natural through the rest of the year. My thankfulness and love overflow for the wonderful family God has blessed Mike and I with. On top of that, we have many other blessings to count! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

(...The picture of Luke in the tub is somewhat unrelated to Thanksgiving, but it was taken over the weekend. We are thankful for our son, bath time, and rubber duckies...)

Tagged!!

2008-11-19T20:40:00.000-05:00

I have been tagged by Jessica.

Share 7 facts about yourself. Some random and some weird.

Luke is in bed and Mike is gone tonight so I'm sitting here wasting time instead of doing laundry or something!

1. I could live off of cheese and apple juice. I absolutely love them:)

2. I've never had a hamburger from McDonalds (or any other fast food place). Stacy informed me that I'm a hamburger snob. I guess it's true. I only like homemade ones on the grill. I've only ordered a burger from a restaurant 2 times in my life!

3. My favorite place to visit is Charlevoix, Michigan. I would love to have a house up there someday for our family to stay at on vacations. The city is called "Charlevoix the Beautiful" and it is.

4. Lately I like to watch Matlock on tv while Luke is eating lunch. How old is that show? It intrigues me:)

5. I have shot 2 rabbits in our backyard (and killed them!) with a pellet gun. One I shot from our bedroom window, the other from outside the garage. Don't be alarmed, we only shoot things at very safe times.....i.e. when the neighbors are at work and all the dogs are inside. Yikes:) We kill the rabbits because the eat everything! I take pride in my flowers and my hostas!

6. This is getting harder.....um...I love to bake and cook things! I wish I could open my own bed and breakfast! I would LOVE to decorate the rooms, make fancy table settings, and cook all day long!

7. I am the oldest of 7 granddaughters on my mom's side of the family and Luke is the first BOY to come along. He will be surrounded by all sorts of aunties at Christmas!

Six Months Old

2008-11-13T20:26:00.001-05:00

This Saturday, the 15th, will be Luke's six month birthday. Where has the time gone? In six months he has grown over 8 inches in length, more than doubled his birth weight, learned to coo, scream, stretch, smile, bounce, reach, spit, laugh, growl, roll over, sit up, suck his toes....and this is just the beginning. He is nothing short of a miracle! Mike and I thank God every day for our healthy, happy son!

Luke's personality is already starting to shine. He takes things in stride and goes where we go. He loves to watch what's going on and figure out where noises are coming from. I think he will be great at figuring out how things work, like his Daddy. He loves to smile at people and to be entertained. He never lets us forget that he is in the room; he loves to jabber!

I would venture to say that Mike and I are used to "baby" life now, though Luke continues to teach us new things every day! I am sure that he is just looking out for his mom and dad's well-being. He wants us to stay flexible and be ready for anything. Everyone tells you how much life changes when you have kids, and it's true! It's amazing how different things are. It's amazing how WONDERFUL they are. We are so in love with Luke Michael and so glad that God has entrusted him to our care!

Fall Fun

2008-10-29T21:40:00.000-04:00

In an effort to catch up on my blogging, I'm combining some of our fall events to post. Our family has gotten to do lots of fun things already this fall. Luke just follows us wherever we go! We enjoyed a hayride at the Riggenbach's with all of our church friends. It was a perfect evening to be outside, and we didn't lose any kids off the side of the wagon:) Mike and I celebrated our 27th birthdays. My parents came over to celebrate with us. Luke bought flowers for me and some golf balls for his dad. Mike ended his birthday snuggling with Luke and reading him a bedtime story. Precious! We just got back from our yearly camping trip with the Grasman family. Luke is a pretty good camper already. He enjoyed hiking (while napping on Daddy's back). He had lots of fun watching his cousins run around and wishing he could play with them. We love the beauty of fall time and all the fun it brings!

Adventures in Eating

2008-10-15T13:29:00.000-04:00

Someday our son will be mortified that we put this video on the Internet for the world to see, but right now, it's pretty funny. Be warned...this is not for the weak-stomached. We started feeding Luke some food this past week. This was our first attempt; later ones were more productive. Note also that we learned a couple valuable lessons, one, don't feed babies in the living room, and two, remember to change the diaper before meals. We'll write it off to being first-time parents.

Rolling Over

2008-10-09T16:00:00.000-04:00

As you can see, we just got into the exciting world of videotaping:) This is Luke practicing his new skill of rolling over. Let's just hope he always listens to me and obeys as well as he does in this video.

Luke's Discovery

2008-10-09T10:06:00.000-04:00

A couple days ago, Luke realized that he has a lower register to his voice. He uses it all the time now when he's talking his baby talk. It is hilarious!

just some fun new pictures of our sweet Luke

2008-10-08T11:08:00.000-04:00

(This is why mom's give up on doing their hair!)

4 Months Old

2008-09-15T14:27:00.000-04:00

Today marks four months since our little Luke came into the world. I cannot believe how much our lives have changed since then. I cannot believe how much HE has changed since then. Each day he sees something new that triggers a smile, and his smiles melt my heart! Each day he gets a little better at holding his head up and grabbing onto his toys and pushing up on his legs. As he gets older, I am reminded daily that life is precious. I am so thankful that God has given Mike and I the responsibility of being Luke's parents.

Yesterday we opened a couple boxes from the basement which held new toys for Luke. People would probably laugh at how excited Mike and I were to watch Luke enjoy these new things for the first time. Even with the torrents of rain coming down outside, there was such joy inside our house! This gave me a bit of a revelation. God takes the same delight in me that I find in my son. How simple a truth! How amazing is His love!

2008-09-03T10:00:00.001-04:00

I just had to put this picture on here because it completely encapsulates my son! We had a long weekend with family, and it was wonderful. BUT it was also wonderful to be home. Luke just acts more like himself. His neck and back are getting stronger and stronger, so we've being trying out his Bumbo seat. He loves it! He reminds me of Mike in this picture because Mike SO loves to relax and that is just what Luke is doing! God has entrusted us with quite a little miracle:)

Luke and Evan

2008-08-20T14:47:00.000-04:00

from Luke....

This is a picture of Evan. We stayed at his house this weekend in Grand Rapids and our parents are making us be friends. I think we'll get along someday because our mommies and daddies get along so well. My dad played baseball with Evan's dad starting way back when they were in elementary school and my mom played volleyball with his mom in college. Evan's mom and dad introduced my mom and dad to each other. My mom told me a story about the night she met Dad. She and Evan's mom were camping and they talked all night about how they would marry our dads and live close to each other and teach at the same school and have their kids play together. So I guess it's pretty cool that Evan and I are only 2.5 weeks apart. We're looking forward to trying that baseball thing together.

2008-08-13T14:35:00.001-04:00

Luke and I are figuring this thing out together. I think he'll be a computer nerd:)

2008-08-02T19:52:00.001-04:00

I did it:) We have a blog! Give me a few days to put more than just these words on it. :)