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

Dear Lucas (4 Years 11 months),

Your very first summer vacation from school is well under way. You keep asking "how many more days of summer do I have left?" You are so worried that it is going to be over tomorrow. Even though you won't admit it I think you miss school though. You have been talking about your classmates and teachers a lot lately. "Mom, when our teachers say 'Criss cross apple sauce' we sit like this and put our hands in our laps and listen" and "Mom, can you show me how to write your phone number? You need to give it to Tatem so she can call me." I am pretty sure that you are going to go back to Pooler Elementary in the fall and it would be neat if some of your friends were in your kindergarten class.

This summer seems pretty tame compared to all the fun road trips we went on last summer but you did get to try out your very first slip=n-slide a few weeks ago. You had a blast but then again you are part fish. You love to be in the water any chance you get. It doesn't matter to you if it is a kiddie pool or a day at the beach. If you are in the water you are happy.

One thing you did get to do so far this summer is go to Vacation Bible School. Your Grandma took you with Shane and Colby and I think you enjoyed it. They had a western theme and ever since you've been wearing a cowboy hat and asking me to make you lassos out of things. You going to VBS made me reminisce about all the times your Great Gram took Lori, Eric, and I to VBS when we were kids. I've been missing her a lot lately, especially since all the fun road trips we took last summer were with her. I am so grateful for the memories of you and her together.

Okay, so we have gone on one road trip this summer but it wasn't really a vacation. We had to take you to Emory in Atlanta so you could see a specialist about your eyes. This time your Dad went with us too and he got to see how much "fun' doctor appointments can be... for instance when we had to hold you down so you could get eye drops put in your eyes while you are screaming bloody murder and saying "Mommy please help me!" We actually have to go back in a few weeks so that you can be put to sleep so they can get a better look at your retinas. They think that you may have holes in your retinas and if so they should be able to fix them with lasers. So part of me kind of hopes they find holes so they can "fix" your eyes and be done with it... so more hurry up and wait.

I'm still watching your friends David and Gabe a few days a week. When the three of you are together you fight and then when you are apart for a day (or even a few hours) you all beg to play together again. Your favorite toys right now are your stuffed dogs and all of you boys like to pretend they are real. Whenever you see a commercial on TV for the humane society you ask me "Mom can we please go adopt ALL of those dogs? They can live hear with us. You have such a big heart.

Really you boys are more like family by now then just friends. One day a few months ago I was driving you home from school and you told me, "You know Gabe and I fight sometimes because we are like brothers." You've also started asking again when you are finally going to get your big brother, oh and you want a kitten to now too. I thought about getting you one of those furreal kittens... those battery operated toys that purr... wonder if they come in a big brother style too?

I love you so very much,

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.

Happy Birthday Mom

Start Your Engines....

Lucas wanted a Race car themed birthday party, so that is exactly what he got. He also begged for a pinata and we filled it with cars fruit snacks and little toy cars. I also had a table where the kids could decorate their own license plates or trophies if they wanted too.

What a Difference a Year Makes

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

Lucas' 4th Birthday Party

Shane's 8th Birthday

Cute Cousins

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

Three Little Monkeys

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