Dear Lucas (5 years 10 months 1 week and 3 days)

I guess the biggest news this past month is that our family has grown by four paws. Once again we have a kitten and it is the sweetest little at ever. You decided to name her Squeakie because when she meows she squeaks a little bit. She loves to play and snuggle. She even gets along with Jadie.

The day we got Squeakie we also went to Matthew's graduation. It was really cool to see him graduate. After it was over you were so excited to run up to him and say congratulations.

Thursday was your kindergarten awards night, it was kind of like a graduation with out the cap and gown. You looked so handsome all dressed up and you even wore a tie.

During the awards ceremony you guys sang songs and had different lines to say. You had a line at the start of the program and it was, "we weren't sure exactly what to do each day." Then everyone got a special medal. Afterwards we went out to dinner with Grandma, Grandpa, Tony, Lori, Joseph, Josh, and Matthew. You even got presents afterwards.

The day after awards day was field day and man was it HOT! Your class was supposed to do 12 events but I think you guys only made it half way. I remember doing field day when I was a kid so it was cool to get to see you guys do some of the same stuff.

I can't believe you just have a few more days of Kindergarten left. Next year you will be a big first grader. You will also be in the gifted program next year.

You are still good friends with David and Gabriel. They spent the night a few weeks ago for the first time. You all had a ball. I'm sure we'll do all kinds of fun stuff this summer and next year they'll be at your school.

I love you to the moon and back,

Mom

Matthew's Graduation

Matthew, our oldest nephew graduated this afternoon.

That's my brother talking during the slide show of Matthew's life so far.

His speech was awesome. We are so incredibly proud of him and his accomplishments. I know this is just the beginning.

Dear Lucas (5 years 4 Months),

So here we are and another year is coming to a close. We just had a wonderful Thanksgiving and we have so many reasons to be thankful. It has been so much fun to decorate our new house for the holidays. I'm also thankful that we have more room to have family and friends over more often.

Your cousin Steven has been coming to spend the weekend with us once a month. You really enjoy him being here. He is 12 but he is so awesome about treating you like a big kid. When he was here this time you guys built a tower of books at the Children's Book Festival and built periscopes at the Lowe's kids clinic. When he left this last time you were so upset to see him leave that you cried. It was so sad.

A few weeks ago your Dad helped build a house that is going to be on a show called "Extreme Makeover Home Edition." He helped his co-worker install shower doors and mirrors in all the bathrooms. We went down there a few times to see the house being built and you thought it was so cool because for once you could see "where" your Dad was working. I can't wait to see the episode when it airs in a few weeks! We might have to let you stay up and watch it too!

Last week we got together at your Grandparents' house to celebrate your cousin Colby's 7Th birthday. It was the first time since Joshua was born that all six grandsons were together in one place. Matthew is about to graduate from High School in a few months and Joseph and Joshua may be moving away soon so opportunities like this one will become few and far between.

Before school got out for Thanksgiving your teacher put together a special feast. You guys got dressed up in costumes that you made and sang three songs. Then it was time to feast on things like fruit, cheese, veggies, pumpkin pie, and apple juice. I love times like that when I get to be called "Lucas' Mom" and get to see you interacting with your teacher and classmates.

This weekend we went to Holly Days in downtown Savannah for the first time. You got a chance to play in "snow" and you loved it. You ran around and threw snowballs, made snow angels, and just had a blast. I hope one day before you are grown that we can take you to somewhere with REAL snow on the ground but until then this was pretty awesome.

The other cool thing we did at Holly Days was go "ice skating." Well, according to you it is "board skating" because it was more like you were skating on a big cutting board. You have never roller skated or ice skated but you were a natural. I was worried that you were too young and that I was wasting the $5 renting you skates. You sure proved me wrong, You were a natural! You begged to take the ice skates home with you. I can't wait to take you in a few weeks to go ice skating at the Civic Center.

I just know this is going to be the best Christmas yet. You are so excited and it is rubbing off on me. Before Thanksgiving you were begging to put up decorations. I let you have our little old tree that we used when we lived in the trailer and it is now your night light. Some days you will decorate it with your toys. One day you put a construction hat on the top and toy tools on the branches and one day you had a Super hero action figure tree. I can't wait to see what you come up with next.

Little one, I love you to the moon and back,
Mommy

My Grandma's Funeral

My Grandma Carey Strickland passed away on December 11, 2009 (one day before what would have been her 84th Birthday.)

Lucas' first time wearing a suit.

Joseph got all dressed up too.

Curt with my cousin Eric. Someone asked Eric if Curt was his older brother.

Our little family. Lucas has been taking his Great-Gram's death pretty hard. He doesn't really understand what is going on and has a million questions that are so hard to answer.

All of the Great-Grandsons

The boys looking out a window at the old Primitive Baptist Church which is next to the cemetery where my Grandpa and now my Grandma are buried. Several of my ancestors were ministers there.

What a Difference a Year Makes

Cousins (and cousins to be) and Lucas' 3rd Birthday Party

Lucas' 4th Birthday Party

Cute Cousins

Uh-Oh! We have a streaker on the loose! It must be wonderful to be three and so free.

Happy 16th Birthday Matthew!

We love you and we think you are pretty great!

Old Friends

I had completely forgotten about these pictures of Lucas from his first Disney trip in January 2007. He thinks it is pretty cool that he got to"meet Buzz and Woody" when he "was little."

Dear Lucas (36 Months),

Yesterday I tried to take in every moment because it was your last day of being 2. Your Dad thought I was being silly. This morning you woke us up by coming to snuggle with us in bed for a few minutes. It was so nice since you like to cuddle less and less as you get older. While you were snuggled right next to me you informed us that you were now a big boy. You also said being 3 feels so much different then being 2. I think you already look older then you did yesterday.

After a few minutes of cuddling you were done and out of our bedroom. The house was REALLY quiet so I went to investigate what you were doing. I found you sitting on the floor in the middle of your birthday presents with two of them already unwrapped. I thought I had hid them (I know, I know, I should know better by now.) Originally we had planned on saving your birthday presents from us until later on in the day. Since you had already started opening them I figured there was no turning back now so we took the rest of the presents back into our bed and Daddy and I watched you open your presents. I LOVE this age. You were just as excited over your single hot wheel car as you were over your new train set. When it was time to go to church you didn't want to go because you wanted to play with your new toys. We went anyway and you had fun. Usually though, you want to hang around afterwards playing with your friends. Today, however, you ran straight for the front doors to leave because you were VERY ready for your birthday party.

The minute we got to your Grandparent's house you were ready for your party to begin. There was no way to explain to you that you still had to wait for three more hours for your birthday party while we set up and got the food ready. I was so glad when some of your cousins showed up early because you were so excited to play with them that you cheered right up.

There must be something magical about turning 3 because today you went down the big slide for the first time. Usually you climb up the first few steps and then change your mind and go back down the steps. Today you ended up sliding down four times in a row.

A few months back I asked you what kind of party you wanted for your birthday and you told me you wanted a dinosaur party. I had so much fun planning your party and making decorations with you. This past week you helped me make and fill a dinosaur egg pinata and make "dinosaur teeth" for a dino dig.

We kept trying to ask you for the last few weeks what you wanted for your birthday and you would always answer with things like "cake" or "candles." You certainly got your birthday wish fulfilled. Our friend made you a really cool dinosaur cake and you patiently waited for us to sing happy birthday before you blew out your candles.

You really loved getting to play with all your cousins today. I think it is so cool that you guys get to grow up together because I never had cousins that lived in the same city I lived in when I was a kid. It is also kind of cool that so far all your cousins on my side of the family are boys. I bet you guys are going to have a lot of fun together as you grow older. I'm also super excited for you to meet your new baby cousin in November.

Bugga, I love you to the moon and back,

Mama

Happy Birthday Matthew!!!

How are you already 15?!?!?! We love you!

Elo

This evening Lucas and I stopped by my brother's house to drop off clothes they let Lucas borrow this past winter. We didn't plan on staying long but before we knew it a few hours just flew by. Lucas was having so much fun playing with his cousins and I enjoyed catching up with my sister-in-law Lisa. We used to all hang out just about every weekend but now we are all so busy. It was so nice, just like old times. Lucas was very excited to see that his cousins had "Elo!"

Cousins

Matthew Reading "Lucas the Littlest Lizard"

Thought I would update

Today is my nephew's birthday and the poor kid is sick. Well I guess Matthew isn't really a kid anymore he is a tween! ha ha. I remember when he was born I had just turned 11 and I had the day off from School and I was in the 5th grade. After ever one went to a Chinese restaurant which will soon be gone because Armstrong (the university where I graduated) bought the strip mall to make the campus bigger. Anyway I wish he wasn't sick so we could do something for his birthday. Oh well there is nothing wrong with stretching out your birthday, it just lasts longer then.

Last night we (when I say we I mean me and Curt) had dinner with his mom Andrea. All Curt could talk about was the baby and how he wants to change the computer room/ office into the baby's room. How we needed to stock up on diapers and how he wanted to go to the Build a Bear store in the mall and make our baby a teddy bear. It was really sweet. So maybe this weekend we'll get started.

We are going to get a new computer desk (a smaller one) one of those cheap student desks to put in the living room. Which will be good so I can work on eBay at any time of day and not wake the baby up. Then we are going to buy one of those combo heat and air conditioning units for the baby's room. That way it will be safer then using a space heater.

I just can't wait until we find out the sex of the baby! Well I think I am going back to bed for a little while.

My Mood : hungry Now Playing : the cars outside going to work and school