Moooooooooooahhhhhhhhhhh

Luke lives for the one day of the week when Daddy mows. He talks about it all week long. He also talks about it the ENTIRE time that Dad mows. He just runs around the house saying "mooooahhhh" and "cuk" repeatedly. He also gets to take a couple of spins on the tractor too which he LOVES!

"Cuks"

Luke's newest favorite thing is a truck (or "cuk" as he loving refers to them). He loves trucks of all shape and size! We finally broke out the fire truck our neighbors gave us when he was born. He has grown into it. I remember when that truck was twice the size of him! Keep truckin' Luke!

Cool Treats

Summer is so much sweeter with a mushy ice cream sammy!

Month Seventeen

Dear Luke,

This has been an unusual month. It is different because it feels like it has gone by in about 45 seconds. I don't know where it went! We have gone non-stop this month. Some of the highlights have included the airport, fishing, The Butterfly Palace, and Bass Pro. You are pretty impressed with fish, trucks, and wheels so there are always lots of fun things to see around here.

You are currently very excited about spoons. You ask for a "stoon" every morning when we sit down to eat breakfast. You like to attempt to feed yourself and I am trying to sit back and let you practice. It is sometimes difficult to watch you smear yogurt all over your face but I am getting the hang of it.

Daddy and I took you to Jumpmania on a rainy Saturday. You learned all about jumping and how much fun this activity can be. You now try to jump on your own but you haven't quite made it off the ground yet. I think it will be a while before we get there but you love to practice.

Your words are becoming more clear every single day. It is true. I've heard kids are like sponges and you are proving that to me. You help me around the house and learn new words every single day. You put the plural ending on a lot of words which I get a kick out of. When you look where we keep all the cleaning supplies you call them "soaps". Sometimes I open up the door just to hear you say "soaps".

You go to daycare at the gym and all of the ladies love you there. They say you are one of the happiest kids they have seen. There is nothing more we want than for you to be happy! We have had to remember to pack you snacks for the gym because you constantly try to tackle and take other children's' snacks. You also are a little aggressive with the babies. You try to hug/love on them so we have to remind you to be gentle. You love babies and puppies. You try to show them just how much you adore them with squeals and tackles!

Dad has started chasing you around the house making very strange noises. This pleases you to no end. You squeal your head off and run as fast as your little size 6's will get you to the other end of the house. I think this is one of your favorite daily activities and I KNOW it is one of his!

We are three weeks into swimming lessons. The first two weeks all you did was swallow water. We were all miserable. It was very hard for you to hold your breath. This last session was by far your best. You went under water and did so well. You LOVE swimming in the pool. You grin from ear to ear as soon as we get to lessons and don't stop until we have to get out.

I just cannot tell you how much fun this summer has been for us. I have two more weeks off with you and we are going to enjoy them to the fullest. Thank you for being our incredible, sweet, baby boy!

Love,
Mama and Daddy

Emily's First Fishing Trip

We took the kids fishing at the Rutledge-Wilson farm. Emily was finished fishing after about the first ten minutes. She wanted action and we couldn't blame her. Angie and Kati Ann fished for an HOUR solid. They wanted to catch a fish for Emily so badly! Angie wound up catching a fish on her last worm. She saved the day! The fish wasn't exactly a trophy but it was enough to spark Emily's interest. She was begging to go fishing again when we were packing to go home!

Hanging With Uncle Tony

Uncle Tony came to visit from Michican again. We love seeing him and we all HOPE HE WILL MOVE CLOSER VERY SOON! We had several fun gatherings while he was here. Luke loved playing in the pool and cooling his jets. He also got a new bike that he is going to grow into over the next few years. It comes complete with a helmet, bell, and horn (which he loves to toot). It sure was nice having Tony back. Can't wait for him to get back and play again!

Rutledge-Wilson Farm

We discovered the coolest place in Springfield today. Melissa and Hayden went with us to the Rutledge Wilson farm. It was amazing! We were there for over two hours. That is like a week in toddler time! They have a pond where kids can catch and release fish. They have a petting area for animals. They have a stable full of cool critters. They have the greatest slides and climbing area. I think the boys liked the tractors the best. They could have driven them all day long. We had a picnic on a blanket to top it all off. We will definitely be back several times this year. It is my new favorite place!

Butterfly Kisses

We went to Branson today and took the kids to The Butterfly Palace. It was AWESOME! Emily loved it the most. We couldn't leave until a butterfly landed on her. She got her wish and had several land on her delicate little hands. She was so careful with them. She couldn't hardly crack a smile for the camera becasue she was concentrating so much. They also had a bug and reptile room. The first picture below is of GIANT cockroaches. They were Angie's FAVORITE. I've never seen anything like them. They ate food that was the size of dog food pellets! Ethan liked the gift shop the best. It had lots of cool toys. Luke had one butterfly land on him. He was okay with it for about 3 seconds and then he was ready for his visitor to carry on about his business.