Happy Birthday, Jonathan!!

Saturday was Jonathan's 28th birthday (yikes!). I took him out to dinner and a movie, then we came back to his sister's for cake and ice cream. All in all, I think he had a pretty good day. :)

Pondering what it feels like to be 28!

Showing off the amazing cake. haha

So this is what it would be like to have twins....

And some fun pictures of Luke's wild hairdo after a nap last week. They really don't do it justice--his hair was all over the place!

Sweet Baby Emmalee

Just to update everyone...Emmalee went Home today. Please continue to pray for Ali and Jon during this difficult time.

Fun at the Park

Jonathan and I took Luke on a bike ride to the park this evening. He seemed to really enjoy himself!

So much fun!

Our little monkey

"I am Luke, master of the rings. Check out my guns!"

All that playing wore him out!

1 Spoon + 1 Pot = 2 Much Fun

I decided it was time to introduce Luke to the amazing world of using pots and pans as drums. He played for quite a while and loved making noise! And I love that it's cheap entertainment!

"Hmmm, what's in here anyway?"
"Let's see...add one moose to the pot and stir..."

Enjoying the Great Outdoors

Luke loves swinging in the backyard! Daddy likes to swing him high, which always gets a smile out of Luke. :)

Peyton went to get a drink of water and somehow the bucket got stuck on her tags. Thought it made for a cute picture...

Who Needs a Jungle Gym....

when you have a coffee table?!

A Belated Easter Egg Hunt

Yes, Easter was a month ago, but the weather was cold and not everyone was around, so the big hunt was postponed til today! It was a beautiful, warm day and Luke loved looking for eggs! He and Julia didn't get the good M&Ms and Skittles in their eggs, though. They had to settle for oyster crackers and marshmellows instead. How boring!

I think he's more interested in the tree branch than the egg!

This was Luke's first time really to sit in the grass and feel the new textures. Not sure what he thought of it...

"I found one!"

"What kind of hiding place is this??"

"I hit the jackpot!!"

"Can you help me get this egg open, Tigger?"

Notice the looks on everyone's faces...this is serious business!

Lydia worked up a sweat, er, a snot, hunting for all those eggs!

Luke and Daddy relaxing by the fire after the big event.

My two favorite guys. <3

That Easter egg hunt was exhausting!

The whole crew after the hunt.

What a fun day!!!!!

Please Pray

My wonderful friend and her husband just had their first child last Thursday, April 10. Baby Emmalee is in critical condition after her heart surgery yesterday. They were aware of her heart condition before her birth and the surgery was planned, but it's still a major thing for a one week old baby to go through. Those of you who went to IWU probably remember my friend, Ali Watts. To get updates on baby Emmalee, click on their link on our blog (Jon and Ali Feldman). They are really in need of your prayers right now!

Working on Those First Steps

Luke absolutely loves when we walk with him. He thinks he is the coolest kid on the planet. Oh wait, he is! ;)

9 Month Stats

Luke went to the doctor today for his nine month check-up. He is 27 1/4 inches long and 16 pounds 2 ounces. His length is in the 50th percentile and his weight is slightly under. Dr. DeLapp wasn't concerned, so long as Luke is eating well. Trust me, he eats just like his father! Here are a couple cute pictures of Luke. He got to go to the park with his cousins for the first time yesterday. He wasn't too impressed with the slide or swings...they were rather boring to him. If he isn't his father's son...

Don't mind my arm...

Update on Peyton: She had her surgery and is home now. She's in a little bit of pain, but doing well. It wasn't as major of a surgery as last time, so she's using her leg a little already. They just shaved a small part right on her knee this time instead of her entire leg, so she doesn't look like a poodle this time! :) She's glad to be home, although I think she's still mad at us for sending her to "that place".

Poor Peyton!

Our poor puppy has to have surgery again on her knee tomorrow. :( Last week she was outside playing when she just started limping on it. No yelping or falling, nothing that caused it that we can see. It's the same knee that she had surgery on back around Labor Day. The vet said in some cases (1 out of 10--lucky us to be in the 10%!) the stuff they use to mend the knee can snap. He said it's an easy fix and he's doing it for no additional charge, so that's a huge praise since Jonathan said he was not paying another $500 for Peyton to have another surgery. Hopefully this will fix the problem completely and she'll be back to normal in no time!

Weekend Pics

My whole family got to come up for a quick visit this weekend. It's always great hanging out! :)

Now that's some serious hat hair!

"Not now Auntie Em...can't you see I'm concentrating??"
Luke loves when they come to visit!

Luke and Uncle Jacob getting down.

Luke loves to "sing" like this. He thinks it's hilarious!

It's Official...He's a Genius!

Check out what Luke learned to do this weekend...

Luke's Nine Month Pictures

Lukie is nine months old today!! I've got a lot of pictures this time because, well, he's just so stinkin' cute! :)

Here are some facts about Luke at nine months:

*he lights up when Jonathan or I come into the room

*he looks for Peyton whenever we ask him, "Where's Peyton?"

*he loves to clap and wave

*he has at least four teeth coming in on top (ouch!)

*he's quite the sleeper, usually sleeping at least 12 hours (with a 6:30am nursing in there)

*he has lately just been taking one long nap, that lasts anywhere from 2 1/2 to 3 hours

*we have yet to find a food he doesn't like!

*he is moving ALL over the place

*he loves to pull himself up now and thinks standing is the coolest thing ever

*before going to bed, he has to wave to the bears his aunt painted on his wall and also wave/touch each animal on his mobile (a little ocd maybe??) :)

Looking Forward to Summer!

Jonathan and I are trying to plan a possible vacation this summer to Kentucky or Tennessee. We'd love to do some hiking while there, so we dug out the backpack Jonathan's sister gave us to try it out with Luke. He loved it! Jonathan "test drove" it around the house and Luke thought it was the greatest thing.
By the way, if anyone has any good tips or must see sights in the area we're looking at, let us know. We're trying to get away with a somewhat cheap vacation that isn't too far away, considering gas is projected to hit $4 a gallon by summer! :(

Luke's Many Talents

Here are some videos of Luke's newest talents. He never ceases to amaze us with his death-defying feats! And, to my credit, the clothes in the laundry basket are actually clean! ;)

Read This for a Good Laugh!

For those of you who know Jonathan, you know that he has had his 1993 Geo Metro for quite some time now. Each winter, he says it'll be the last for the ole Metro, but it's still kicking and getting 45 miles per gallon! Sure the turn signals don't work and the hood has flown off into the street before, but it's been good to him through the years! Well tonight we were looking on Craig's List and found this post for a Geo Metro. It made us laugh so hard!! It makes Jonathan's Geo look like a Cadillac. :)

1994 Geo metro - Windshield cracked. Door hinges missing on drivers side - door falls off when handle pulled and must be "placed" back on to close. Passenger side door will not open at all, probably for humanitarian reasons. Muffler fell off, now in back seat but you wont notice the noise because the shame will be deafening. Car would overheat if engine would stay running long enough but mercifully, it will not. Steering wheel loose and missing mounting nut. Front right brake rotor damaged when wheel fell off while driving. Many dents(several from my foot), scrapes, rust and holes here and there. Radio has "William Shatner Christmas carols" cassette tape stuck in deck, enjoy. Radio catches on fire at random. Minor smoke damage from radio and other misc. electrical fires though not on headliner as it caught fire as well and was thrown from vehicle. Front bumper fell off (I left it). Brakes squeak,wheels squeak, wipers squeak, everything squeaks and/or is broken. Headlights blink on and off, turn signals do not. Drivers seat mounting rails broken off in back, brick under seat. "New car smell" has given way to "old rat decomp". Stains on upholstery are primarily not urine related. Engine has original horsepower (both) and few of the critical parts have fallen totally off. Rust holes in floorboards covered with tattered garbage bags and duck tape scoop up exhaust fumes from missing muffler. Car will not make it, must tow (preferably on a trailer with a solid deck and sides to avoid leaving a trail of parts behind as they fall off during your trip). thanks-Jumpinjoe

Chuck E. Cheese

Luke got to go to Chuck E. Cheese today with all his cousins. He was into it a little more this time than before. :)

"Are you sure this is supposed to fun, mom?"

Luke and Julia hanging out with Chuck E.

Cousins are the best!

Go Griffins!

Tonight we went to another Griffins hockey game, this time with our friends Andrew and Erin and their little girl, Emma. The kids surprisingly did great, considering neither one got a good nap today and both are dealing with incoming teeth! :) Luke loves hockey games!
Emma wanted to hold Luke's hand so bad!

Here's just a cute picture of Luke with a green bean on his nose.