Six Months

Our little Luke is now six months old!  The time has flown, but we are glad to get those first six months under our belts!  This little guy is so sweet....although this month he has reminded me that babies are still a lot of work and really don't like crazy schedules.  It's good for me to re-think all of my commitments and try to stay home more...it makes for a happier baby.  I love that this baby loves me so much...when he spots me, his eyes follow me around the room, begging to be picked up.  When I do scoop him up, he holds onto my clothes and hair and nestles into my neck.  He is happiest when he is being held by me!  It is the perfect anecdote for the pre-teens around the house who sometimes seemed annoyed by my very existence!
Cole loves his little brother and is always asking to hold him...this has surprised me a little...I didn't know quite how he would feel about having someone new around the house!

Luke tried his first food...oatmeal baby cereal...not a big fan, yet!

Tod took some amazing pictures of Luke one afternoon while they were out on the back porch watching Jordan practice pitching.

Luke has been a little bit fussy this month (I think he must be teething), but the one thing that keeps him entertained during our crazy mornings is watching the girls practice their instruments.  Such a captive audience member!

I love this baby boy so much.  I am so glad to have him in our family!

My Amazing Trip

I really love to blog!  I wish there was a way that I could carve out more time to do it.  I love to go back and read about the things we have done and the things I have documented.  One thing I wanted to be sure and record was my amazing trip to Virginia last month.  This trip was a dream come true for many reasons.  First, I got return to the area where I served my mission 15 years ago!  Second, I got to spend time alone with 3 spectacular people- baby Luke, Pat, and my Dad.  Seriously, I never get to really enjoy and soak in any of these people without the distractions of every day life, so it was very special.  Also, since Dad and Pat have 8 kids between them and 26 grandkids, this was a very unique, treasured situation!  Finally, my other 4 kids got to enjoy some time with their dad at home, and that is always something they love!!  (Although I'm still trying to figure out if anyone showered or combed their hair while I was gone....and what did they eat?  I'll never know!)
I flew out on a beautiful, hot Sunday morning.  Luke was so good on the flights and I was able to relax and actually look at a magazine while he slept!  When I arrived in Richmond, Dad and Pat where there to meet me, and we headed for Williamsburg.  It was so surreal to be in the same area where I had lived so long ago. I kept looking at all the signs on the freeway and the memories were just flooding back.  As usual, I just can never get over the trees back east.  They are so thick and close together...just beautiful.  We checked into the Williamsburg Plantation and enjoyed a yummy meal at Outback.
The next day we headed to Jamestown.  It had changed a lot since I had been there, and it was neat to see all they had added, including a beautiful museum.  What a historic place!

One of my favorite pictures from the trip...me with my little buddy sitting in the church.

That night we made a yummy homemade meal at the hotel- it was polenta which we used to eat in Helper.  And our grandmas threatened to spank us with the polenta stick!  The meal was delicious.  Leave it to Dad and Pat to pull off a beautiful meal even in a condo!  This is actually a photo of breakfast, but you get the idea!  We did our grocery shopping at Food Lion which is a store we loved as missionaries.

The next day we headed to Yorktown- the site of the last major land battle of the Revolutionary War.  I was especially excited because I never got to go there while I was on my mission.  It was really a neat place, and once again, so much to learn.
They had a little trolley that took you around to the different places.

I really liked the army encampment.  It was fascinating to think about how the soldiers lived and what they endured.  We "endured" the Virginia humidity which is something else!

We ate lunch at a restaurant that overlooked the ocean.  It was such a great view.  I tried to just live in the moment and keep it with me forever.
That night, we were all tired out and wanted to watch a movie but the main TV wasn't working, so we piled on the bed instead.  We laughed and laughed about the "selfies" we took.  Oh, how I love these 2 people.  I am so thankful to have them in my life!  They were so fun to travel with- laid back, positive, and always looking to learn and try something new and different.

The next day was my last one there and we wanted to do some last minute souvenir shopping (always a favorite, even when I was a missionary!)  We also went to Colonial Williamsburg and College of William and Mary.  The whole time we were there, I was terrible with directions (nothing new!) and could not find my old missionary apartment.  Finally, at the last minute, I was able to find it! (We had driven by the turn off several times!!)

 We also had lunch at this yummy Mexican restaurant that we used to go to all the time!  It was still very delicious and just as I remember it.

I had to take a picture by the famous Williamsburg sign.  I used this same pose for my Christmas card when I was there as a missionary so long ago.

We also tried out some self timer poses before I left.

This little guy was such a gem, and I so enjoyed being able to just hold him and focus entirely on him for a few days.  The only thing he didn't really like was the pack and play....he slept with me instead, of course.

Our flight home was a bit less of a smooth sail than our flight there...but we still managed.  I almost missed my Chicago connection but managed to make it just in time!  I was so ready to see my other kiddos and Tod...it was so fun to meet them at airport and swap stories of our adventures.  Thank you Dad and Pat, for a wonderful few days.  It was so great to be together and so neat to visit my old mission stomping grounds!

Luke at Five Months

Well...Luke Angelo is 5 months old...actually past the 5 month mark, but that's okay...each time another month passes I think about writing down some updates...but let's be honest, he's #5 and there just aren't going to be as many "written words" about him.  I have taken a ton of pictures...but today as I'm going through the pictures I'm realizing, I don't have many pictures of just him alone.  I'll work on that...rest assured that he may not have the coolest baby book or most documented past, but this baby is LOVED and ADORED and SPOILED in every way.   And so I want to write down the things to remember about our Luke right now:

-He is a good sleeper!!!!!  Hooray!  For the most part, he sleeps all the way through the night!!!  So exciting after my past 2 non-sleepers!  Once in a while, he will rouse up in the middle of the night for a quick meal (like last night), but I secretly think he does that just for some alone time with me!  We are still trying to work on naps in his crip, but he is even getting better at that.  What a gift that he sleeps...somehow having to deal with a middle schooler and not getting sleep just doesn't mix right for anyone!

-Luke is the "life of the party".  Yes, I realize he is only 5 months old and can't do much but everywhere we go, he is the star!!  He is smothered with attention and love and cuddles at the elementary school, in the store, at church, at soccer games and everywhere else.

-  Luke has already had his first haircut.  Those who have seen him know that he had some serious dark, long hair going on.  Finally, Dad couldn't take it anymore and got out the shears.  There were some tears (mainly from the baby) and there is a ziploc bag of dark curls hidden somewhere.  He does look so cute and grown up now!  The kids hardly recognized him when they got home from school.

-Luke is our most argued over "possession"...and I mean that in a good way...I am always hearing shouts of "I get to hold him first" or "you took him from me before I was done" and on and on it goes.  The kids have been the best helps with him and he loves them- the girls can feed him and put him to sleep and entertain.  I have missed their help while they have been at school.

-He just finished up his physical therapy- because he was such a big baby and kind of "stuck" in one position, he wasn't able to turn his head to one side.  He developed a flat spot and we wanted to get it taken care of before it got worse, so he got to go physical therapy for a while.  We learned a lot, and it made me once again appreciate people who are really good at their professions.

-This kid can put up with a lot!  Some days it feels like he never gets out of his car seat...and we are never home long enough to get in a good nap.  Last week, at the end of one busy day I laid him down on the floor amidst the noise and chaos.  Kids were playing, friends were traipsing in and out, someone was practicing violin...and he just dozed off to sleep...right there in the middle of the floor.  As I looked at him, I thought this is the perfect baby to come to this family at this time in our lives.  How we love him.
-It is nice that in the afternoons, Luke and I get to enjoy a little bit of peace while everyone is at school...I have tried to stay home during that time...I am glad that Luke reminds to slow down and relax and drink in all things "baby" about him.  Sometimes I get discouraged trying to keep up with everything, especially with the age range of the kids...but then I hold him close and he puts his cheek against mine, and I can't think of anything better.
-We love you Luke, more and more everyday.  So glad you are ours!!!
Just for fun...a picture of Regan around the same age- I am seeing some resemblance!