Summer Plans

It's been over 90 degrees here the last few days. We've been so blessed with amazing weather this Spring and I don't want it to end! I'm not ready to be shut inside this apartment with two active toddlers, one of which turns as red as a tomato in the heat. Last summer was brutal on us. Ella had just been born so we were not able to go out and do a lot, especially because my recovery from having her was particularly tough...she was 10 lbs, 9 oz after all! I get cabin fever pretty quick and usually make it a point to leave the house every day. Last summer it just wasn't possible, and I nearly went crazy from it! So...to avoid a crazy mama this summer and to keep these two monkeys busy, I am going to be proactive! I have created a summer schedule to keep us going, keep us on track, give us a plan. It involves leaving the house everyday, doing lots of free indoor activities, and seeing friends and family. I do not have to stick to this plan everyday, but it gives us a gameplan for the days we have no other plans. Movies will be a big part of our afternoons, because that is the hottest part of the day. Errands will be run before 10 a.m. and swimming will happen as much as possible. We will survive the summer, and yes, we will enjoy it and make wonderful memories while we're at it!

A Few Sweet Moments to Remember

I just had to write these down today. It's been a pretty typical day around here: Get up, watch some Clifford, eat breakfast, run some errands, go grocery shopping, fix lunch, clean up, get ready for nap, read stories, naptime. Mixed in to this somewhat normal day have been some very precious moments, exchanges between me and Luke.

Luke: I see a cross! (when driving past a church)

Me: Oh yeah, I see it. What does the cross mean?

Luke: It means God.

Me: It means God loves us.

Luke: God loves us.

Me: Yeah, God loves us so much he sent Jesus to die on a cross for our sins.

Luke: Yup, that's what it says!

Me: Hey Luke, see that school? That's where Mama, Uncle Doug, and Uncle Dave used to go to school.

Luke: I want to go to school someday.

Me: You will go to school someday, but I will miss you when you're gone all day.

Luke: I'll just be right back!

At naptime...

Me: I love you, Luke.

Luke: I love you, Mom.

Words cannot express how much I love this little boy. He is so dear to my heart!!!

Easter Weekend

We had a wonderful Easter this year! It was a very busy weekend, but it was jam-packed with tons of great people and lots of fun! On Saturday, we were lucky enough to get tickets to Disney on Ice. We had the suite for Kevin's work at U.S. Airways center, so it worked out perfectly taking both the kids. Ella's at an age where staying still is simply not an option, so it was great to have some wiggle room in the suite. Luke absolutely loved the show. He was a little nervous and didn't know all the characters yet, but his little face full of wonder was priceless. His favorite part was Nemo and the shark. Ella actually watched the first few minutes of the show and when she saw Donald Duck she said, "Duck....hi!...Duck!" So sweet. We stayed for the first half of the show and then left at intermission because I had to get home for the next event!

This is what Luke's hands looked like through the entire show!

After Disney on Ice I was privileged to be a part of Ali's baby shower. My dear friend has waited so very long for this baby and we were so happy to celebrate his coming with an awesome shower! She was showered with tons of gifts and a great time was had!

The next morning it was Easter! I feel like it snuck up on me this year because it came sort of early. Easter is one of my very favorite days of the year. A day we are reminded that Jesus rose from the dead, that death and sin have been conquered, and we have such sweet freedom in Christ! We went to church at Bridgeway Community Church, which we have visited a couple of times now. It is very close to where we live and we enjoyed the service! From there we went to Doug and Sarah's place where the kids did an Easter egg hunt and we had a lovely brunch with my family. Dylan and Ella's dresses were almost the same, but getting a good picture of them together was tricky!

After that we headed to Kevin's parents' house and had an awesome time relaxing in the sun and ate a yummy dinner. It is so nice that they live close to Doug's and we could do both visits in one day. Despite both kids having very minimal naps that day, they hung in there pretty well! Once we got home, we were exhausted, but very blessed to have such great families to spend the holiday with.

10 on the 10th: April Edition

Luke-isms

At 2 and a half, Luke is so very funny and expressive! He cracks us up daily with his little sayings. Here are some examples:

1. "I got an idea"...always followed by a fact. Here's how it usually goes:

Luke: I got an idea!
Me: Oh really, what's your idea?
Luke: Ella has teeth.

2. When we ask Luke if he had good dreams, he either says "I had a little (wittle) dream, digging in the dirt" or "I had a big dream."

3. "It's just like my car too!" He says this one every time he spots a PT Cruiser while we're out driving.

4. "I just already did it." When we ask if he has to go potty.

5. "When I was a baby, I ate carrots." We're not sure why he is saying this one...but he says it a lot!

6. "There's an alligator in the tree," "There's a shark in the lake," "The coyotes are eating waffles." All these are thanks to Grandma's wild imagination and Luke's extreme gullibility.

7. "I love Clifford, the big red car!" He sings this one to the Clifford themesong.

8. "I think Ella's tired." He says this when he wants to play with certain toys that are only out when she's napping. Doesn't matter if she's just woken up or is nowhere near naptime!

9. He calls asparagus "Veggie Tales" and makes them dance to the themesong. Also, he pronounces it "beggie tales"

10. "I'm dawake" "All daboard!" Not sure why he adds d's to the beginning, but it's cute!

Here's a picture of our sweet little man. We love him so much!

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