Back For Another Year

Mike and I aren't late sleepers. In fact, 'sleeping in' for us happens once a week... Sunday mornings we stay in bed until about 8am. Between 7:15-8:00am, we usually have 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or even 5 children piled in the queen-sized bed with us. We listen to begging for the ever-popular 'all-in-one' breakfast. We listen to cries of, "I'm squooshed, there's no room for me." We listen to playing or fighting by some of the children in the nearby loft. We listen to more requests for breakfast. We ignore the never-ending question of "When are you guys going to get up?"

This morning it was quite uneventful. Joshua came in and laid with us first, and drifted in and out of sleep. Drew was cooing quietly in his crib. Megan was sleeping in. Ellie soon quietly came and crawled into our bed too. But Luke? Where was Luke? We knew he was awake, but we heard nothing from him.

The minutes passed. 8am came, 8:15am came. There were no requests for breakfast, no-one was getting squooshed, there was no one playing in the toy room. Before long, Megan joined us in the bed, carrying the now unhappy baby who was in desperate need of a diaper change. And in came Luke; seven people now piled on the bed. Luke's demands began. But there were no typical demands for breakfast. Instead it was,

"Everyone get out of bed, line up at the top of the stairs together and wait until I tell you to come downstairs."

The diaper change, the potty breaks, daddy getting clothes on, mom finding her slippers, were trying Luke's patience. But before long, our line was formed. Our descent was beginning. Luke ran ahead.

As we entered into the family room, from behind the couch, we hear Luke's animated, excited voice exclaim,

"It's Christmas. There's something for everyone." And then, in Luke's unique, off-tune, eight year old singing voice we hear, "Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way..."

The singing continued while each of us observed the display of 'gifts,' by the homemade Christmas tree, and recently given Christmas candy cane decoration. Each gift had been carefully tied with leftover pink ribbon from yesterday's baby shower, and a Laffy Taffy thoughtfully placed on top.

The gifts; Dad's office chair for Dad, stack of Nana's borrowed china plates for Mom, the kid's chair for Ellie, Megan's school bag for Megan, and Joshua's tractor and train for Joshua and Drew.

(The homemade Christmas tree.)

Luke's singing (mixed with laughter) continued while we all laughed and smiled at Luke's creativity and excitement. (Poor Mike, he smiled and laughed so much his almost-healed-lip-cold-sore, split open.)

It looks like Mr Christmas has arrived in time for this year's holiday season.

All In The Head

Apparently, Luke can 'choke down' cooked spinach if he doesn't have to see what he is eating. (And has a big drink of water close by.)

A FHE To Remember

Tonight Ellie gave us the Family Home Evening lesson. While Ellie held up pictures, Megan whispered in her ears the correct things to say and Ellie told us the story of Lehi and Nephi's family sailing to the Promised Land. (Taken from the Book of Mormon.)

When the story was finished. Ellie asked Megan to sit down. Ellie cleared her throat, pushed hair away from her face and began 'her' synopsis of the previous told story.

"Laman and Lemuel and Nephi couldn't find the boat. They looked everywhere but they couldn't find it and the boat had to get to the kingdom. They wanted to build a temple and a boat, but they just had to build a boat all day. Then the boat and all of them 'drownded' and they got tied up and then they found their kingdom and the wind stopped."

After her story, Ellie was prompted to end with her testimony.

Again Ellie cleared her throat and simply stated,

"I believe we can go to the temple if we don't smoke. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

My Eternal Family

Today was our Primary Program. Each Primary child got to draw a picture that depicted their eternal family. The drawings were each copied several times and used as Sacrament Meeting programs. I thought it was a creative and unique idea.

Luckily someone had pointed my kids programs out to me soon after arriving... So I wasn't surprised when the Primary president approached me just before the meeting started and said...

"I love Luke's program, nothing says 'eternal family' like a gun."

Baptism Day

This evening Luke was baptized. Though this experience was VERY Different from Megan's Baptism, it was nonetheless a a very special occasion.

As we sat in the room waiting for Mike and Luke to change into dry clothes, I was overwhelmed with the love and support of our family and friends in attendance.

We are truly blessed to have the blessings that the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings into our lives.

Pretty in Pink

You'd think that after three boys. I would have got my money's worth out of a blue snowsuit...

But instead, the other night, Drew graciously wore the pink snow suit as his two brothers (and two sisters) had to before him...

(Joshua, December 2007, 8 months old)

(Luke, April 2002, 5 months old)

(Luke only wore it once, Joshua twice. As for Drew, well the cold weather is barely beginning...)

Happy Birthday to Luke!

The camping theme birthday party was a big hit... roasting hot dogs, shooting homemade bow & arrows and playing games in a tent!
Thanks to Daddy and Melanie who had to step in and run the whole party, as Mom sat on the sidelines, thanks to the stomach flu!!
What do you get when Mom has the stomach flu and Nana, who is just two weeks past major surgery steps in and does the cake at the last minute?

You get a cake that probably turned out better than if Mom didn't have the stomach flu!!!
(Thanks Nana!)

Luke was in a hurry to get into this world.
Ten days early, and after an hour and half of P.A.I.N. and just seventeen minutes at the hospital, Luke made his entrance into the world.

He has been in a hurry to get the most out of life ever since.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUKE!!!
8 YEARS OLD TODAY!