Dear Lucas (6 years and 4 months,)

It's been a great fall so far. We had fun decorating the yard for Halloween and for the first time I didn't have to carve the pumpkin! This year you and your Dad scooped out all of the guts and gave it a funny face.

Right now you are very into Harry Potter so your Halloween costume was an easy pick. I had fun collecting the pieces to pull it all together. I even made you a broom out of sticks and found you a stuffed owl for Hedwig. It's been a blast falling in love with all things Harry Potter with you. I can't wait until you are old enough to finish the rest of the books. We stopped reading them together once they got a little dark and more mature.

We went trick-or-treating with your friend Preston and his sister Sierra. It has become a sort of tradition. I think this is the fourth year in a row we've all gone together. As always you guys had a blast! You got so much candy but the funniest treat was a Kraft cheese single. You thought it was hilarious.

I had to go to work and you had school the next day so we didn't stay out trick-or-treating long but that didn't stop you on wracking up the candy. You went through the candy and picked a few pieces and left the rest out for the Sugar Fairy who switched it out for a Lego board game.

This month your school had its very first awards day of the year. You made high honor roll and it couldn't be prouder. When you walked up front to get your certificate you saw me sitting there in the front row and your face lit up. I live for moments like that.

Over Veteran's Day weekend we planned to take care of my flight benefits for the first time and head to California to see our family. Flying standby was certainly a learning experience and you were a trouper. We spent a lot of time just sitting and waiting and not getting on planes. I think you took it a lot better than most adults would! I can't wait to go on more adventures with you!

While we were in California I went to our cousin Davia's wedding and you hung out with our other cousins. You had a blast playing with Ben and Ean. I don't think you even missed me while I was gone.

One of the coolest things we did while we were in California was go to the beach at Sunset. It wasn't planned it just happened that way. It was so pretty and you could care less that it was cold and windy. You still ran in and out of the waves and dug in the sand.

Getting back home to Georgia was another adventure. We ended up spending the night in the airport in Atlanta. When we got to Savannah I took you straight to school. You were really great at catching up on your homework. You even had to do your first report in a short amount of time. You could choose any animal and your of course decided to learn about Snowy Owls (the same kind of Owl as Harry Potter's Hedwig.) I can't believe you are old enough to write research papers!

One of my favorite fall traditions is taking you to the Children's Book Festival at Forsyth Park. In the years past you wanted your picture taken with the book characters like Clifford, or Pooh but you had no interest this year. Instead you wanted to sit and hear Peter Catalanotto read one of his books and talk about how he ended up writing and illustrating children's books. He was very inspirational and talked about how all kids are artists and that you should just keep writing down your stories and drawing. You were enthralled by everything he was saying and you slowly made your way up to the front of the group. Ever since you've been making little books and writing stories.

Over Thanksgiving break we finally accomplished another first when I took you to play miniature golf. You really enjoyed it. I don't know why we haven't been sooner. The place is right near our house.

For Thanksgiving your Uncle Ted wanted to take us all to his favorite restaurant Maggiano's. We all loaded up and headed down to Jacksonville. It was so much fun. We all sat at two tables pushed together and passed four courses of food around the table. It was nice to try something different as a family. I'm so glad we took a family picture before we left.

Before we left we also made sure to get a picture of all the cousins together now that Teddie is here. I am sure it is the first of many to come of the seven of you. Good news, Joseph and Joshua won't be moving after all. I'm so happy that you get to grow up together!

The Day after Thanksgiving we headed to Tybee Island for some fun at the beach. Ever since we went in California you had been begging to go back to the beach here. We built a "Sandman" and tried to get a good picture for our Christmas card. I can't wait to experience another Christmas with you! Every year it just gets better and better!

I love you to the moon and back,

Mommy

Dear Lucas (5 Years & 5 months),

It's hard to believe Christmas has come and gone and soon you will be going back to school. This has been the best Christmas yet. It's been so magically watching you get excited about every little thing. We've gone to the Roundhouse to watch "The Polar Express," you decorated a gingerbread house, we saw the nativity story acted out in front of us at the journey, and we wrapped tons of presents. In all the excitement and craziness I think the best moments were just cuddled up next to you singing Christmas carols and drinking hot chocolate.

Right before Christmas your aunt Sam and your cousin Caden moved in with us for a while. So far so good and it's been nice having them around. I think the only one having any problems adjusting is you. They are staying in your playroom so you've had to give it up for now. Also, suddenly you have a little person there trying to "mess with your stuff."

The very same day that Sam and Caden moved in three of your cousins came to stay with us for a short visit. It was a loud but fun house for a couple of days. You really had fun playing with Levi. One time he was not listening to his Mom and she was joking and told him that if he didn't behave she didn't want to take him home. You immediately said "that's okay, he can stay here and be my brother," and for the rest of his visit you kept referring to him as your brother. When his little brother Isaiah did anything you thought was wrong you would run to their mom and say "that boy is being mean to my brother." When it was time for them to leave Erica explained that she had to take Levi home because all his Christmas presents were at their house. You were fine with that but you keep talking about how now that Christmas is over your brother Levi will be back soon.

Before Christmas I took you to see Santa and luckily there was no line. You were able to talk to him for a few minutes. The only thing you asked Santa for this year was a Nerf gun and a hot wheels track. Christmas morning you were so excited to see a nerf gun next to your stocking you didn't even notice any of your other presents for over an hour.

Since we are in a house with a whole lot more room we were able to get a decent Christmas tree. Since we've had you we've always had a tiny Christmas tree. This year that little Christmas tree went in your bedroom and served as your night light. Christmas morning the tree was packed with presents and our house was full with family and it was such a great feeling.

The day after Christmas we were just hanging out at the house and I looked out the window and noticed a few snow flakes floating down in the air. It was so exciting and pretty to see snow falling around all the Christmas decorations. Just as the sun was starting to go down some of the snow started to stick and covered the roof and started to stick to the ground. You drank hot chocolate while we watched the snow fall around us. It was the perfect ending to a perfect Christmas.

Sweet-pea, I love you to the moon and back,

Mommy

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

Massachusetts Bound

Last week I took Curt's sister Sam and her boys Steven, and Caden to the train station so they could go to Massachusetts to visit Curt's other sister Angela.

Dear Lucas (4 years 9 Months and a few days)

It is so hard for me to believe that your first year of school is almost over and even harder to believe that you are almost five. Time seems to be on fast forward lately. I am looking forward to the lazy days of summer when we get to go on mini adventures again.

Your friends David and Gabriel still spend quite a bit of time with us and if you go a day or two without them you seem to go through withdraws. Then when you guys are all together you guys fight and argue. I guess they are more like your family now then just friends. Next year the three of you will be going to the same school and probably riding the bus together. I hope you boys stay friends for many years to come. The only thing I hated about growing up as an Army brat is that I didn't get the chance to grow up with kids I knew from the sandbox years.

Our new house is right around the corner from Lowe's and it is becoming one of your favorite places to spend a Saturday morning. They have free projects for kids and it is right up your alley. You love working with your hands and building things.

One other activity that you are really loving right now is Tee ball. I am so thankful that we signed you up. I might be biased but you are pretty good at it too. You can hit the ball pretty far and you have quite an arm on you. It is really teaching you how to be a good sport and teamwork. Plus it is so darn cute to watch. In the middle of your first game an airplane flew overhead while you guys are on the field and half your team is looking up at the sky going "ooooh look, an airplane"

We just got back from your third trip to California and your first time seeing the Pacific Ocean. The first thing you did when you hit the beach was ask me for your swim clothes. You were a little shocked when you felt how cold the water was and when I told you that the water there NEVER gets warm, the expression on your face was priceless. The cold didn't keep your feet out of the water and when we finally left they were BRIGHT red from the cold water.

While we were in California, we stayed in this awesome rental house with a ton of our family. I think I heard there were twenty five adults and 9 kids staying on the property. That wasn't counting everyone that came and just didn't sleep there. You had a ball playing with your cousins and it really made me wish that there was a way to move Georgia and California closer to each other. You are already planning our next trip back, and this time you are insisting that your Daddy HAS TO GO. I couldn't agree more.

Luc, I love you more than hammer head sharks,

Mommy

Love Them

The Moore Family in Corral de Tierra, CA on April 25, 2010

Easter Family Time

Seacoast Easter Egg Hunt