The Didi Story

Every few days, when I put Luke to bed, he wants to hear the "DiDi Story".  I thought I would put it here so he always has it :)

Luke,
When you were still in Momma's belly, her friend Tiffany gave you a horsey and he waited in your room until you were born.  One night you were so upset, Daddy went to get you a stuffed animal to hold and it happened to be the horsey.  You loved that horsey.  You took him everywhere-- to the park, to dinner, on road trips, to friend's houses.  You LOVED that horsey.  You named him Didi when you could finally talk (Didi is how you said "Horsey").  You got so attached, you slept with Didi and when you were upset you would suck on his tag instead of a pacifier.  You sucked on his tag so much, that he eventually got stinky.  I would try to bleach his bottom and then wash him but you would get so upset that hour without your Didi.  One day, Granna was visiting and she said "Lets just get Luke another Didi to rotate out when one is being washed".  Granna was BRILLIANT!  She had to look all the way in London, England to find another Did just like the first, she mailed it to us and it was infact THE SAME!  (just fluffier).  We introduced you as if it was the old one, you looked it over with a puzzled look on your face, turned it over to find the tag, took a little suck, and BINGO!  We had our Didi substitute.  This worked great for awhile.  I would keep the alternate Didi up on a shelf in the laundry room and switch out when we needed to.  But, one day, you saw the extra Didi and wanted me to get it down. I did, and at that moment you realized there were two Didis, so then you would never give one up.  Sigh.  You loved both Didis, took care of them, hugged them, slept with them, sucked on them.  (this next part, I leave out of story time, but by the time you are reading this, I think you will be able to handle it) When you turned two, Daddy and I thought we would test out cutting the tag off of a Didi.  Although you were cute sucking on your Didi, we didn't want it to rock on forever.  When he went in the wash one day-- (you always help me throw Didi in the "bath"), I snuck back in and cut the tag off then put it in the laundry bag with Didi.  When you helped me get Didi out, you got SOOOO upset that Didi's tag fell off.  It was traumatic.  So, you clung tightly to the other one.  When you were almost 3, you were sucking on your last Didi's tag in bed as I was reading you a story.  The tag was only hanging by a thread, so we knew to be watching for it's demise too.  The tag fell off in your mouth and you cried and cried and cried.  I almost cried with you.  I tried to talk you through the fact that it was the same Didi and we could still love him, but you cried yourself to sleep blaming yourself that you sucked the tag too hard and it fell off.  The next night, you worked it out and sucked on the nubben.  You are 3.5 now and you still sleep with your Didis and they still comfort you when you are upset, but you don't take them with you places anymore.  You did tell us awhile back that there is a Girl Didi and a Boy Didi.  We thought that was silly, but we would hand you one and you would insist "That is not the Girl Didi."  One day, Daddy figured out that you knew which one was which by their markings.  The girl Didi has a more brown face and the Boy Didi has a whiter face.  You can tell which is which by looking at their backs too, but we don't know how you do that!  You only suck on the girl Didi now.  I think you will always love your Didis and they will always have a special place in our family's heart!

Pinch Your Cheeks

Brewer Girl

 +

 Brewer Boy

=

True Love!

High Jumpper

Luke got to celebrate his buddy, Brady's, birthday party at a trampoline park... he saw the girls next to him doing gymnastics so this was his attempt :)

Cori- 3 months

3 Months has come and gone... it has been a fun month!

Eating:  4 oz. every 3 hours... like clockwork.  You really only cry when you are letting us know you are hungry now.  Your reflux medicine has done us wonders and you rarely show signs of it now!  

Bedtime:  You usually eat at 7pm, 10pm, 2:30am, and 6am... Daddy is switching off with me every other night to get up with you, so it has been do-able!

Sizes:  3 months in clothes, 2 in Pampers Swaddlers, 1 shoe

Favorites:  1.  You still love to ride in the car... some of your best sleep is logged there!
2.  Luke... you love watching him and smile so big when he kisses on you

3.  Bath Time!  You have found your legs and LOVE to splash water.  I have given up keeping the mirror clean.  You see yourself in the mirror and make the sweetest smirks!  

First trip to the church nursery (10 weeks):

 Checking out a goat at Drew's birthday party

 This picture cracks me up

I stuck my tongue out at you and you copied me at 11 weeks 

First Day at Stepping Stones:

 First pick up- this was a big adjustment- for both of us!  Your naps are super short because you are waking up to all the activity around you.  I thought I would be miserable knowing you were at Stepping Stones, but Mrs. Pam, Mrs. Jett, and Mrs. Ruth love you so much, it is like you get to be around grandmas all day, so it has been easier knowing you are with them.  You give them huge smiles throughout the day, most days they say you are friendly and quiet.  

Super Cori

Cori, you are now 3 months and so pleasant to be around.  You add so much to our family and we are so thankful you are a part of it.  When you finish your bottle at night time, you turn your whole body into mine to cuddle and doze off to sleep.  I pat your back and just hug on you to soak in your little size.  I just can't believe the next time I pick you up, you inevitably get bigger!  Thank you for letting me kiss on you so much... your sweet soft cheeks just beg for them!  I love you sweet girl!

Halloween 2012

 This Halloween, Luke's running buddies from school went trick or treating together... 

 Powering up with pizza at Josiah's house

 What is Halloween without dry ice! 

My Babes:

Punkin'

 Luke would get a piece of candy and run to Brent yelling "Daddy, do I like this kind?"

The Superhero Squad :) 

 Iron Man (Patrick), Spider Man (Josiah), Captain America (Brady), Iron Man (Luke)

All their little light up shoes were so cute running ahead of us

The haul:

Checking all is accounted for before bed

4 Years Old!

Our boy is 4 and he wants everyone to know it!   We had his party at Jump For Fun with his buddies and he had a ball!  

 Luke was on the run, so we had to be quick with the camera

 Cori watched

Sarah babysat when Cori got fussy- she knows how to calm!

 Buds

 Jumping squares to the party room

Birthday Boy holding fire... this place is brave!

Relight candles are so fun!  You get more wishes that way :)

 Eating Cupcakes

 Superheros

 (Brady, Clayton, Luke, Josiah, Patrick, Drew

After his party, Luke and I went to my company's Fall Festival... He got his face painted like Captain America

 We went home and opened presents from family next... Luke was the center of attention all day and his sweetness and thankfulness when opening presents was so fun to watch.

 What a "Smashing" good day!

Luke, you have wanted to be 4 for months now and it is finally here...  As you went to bed the last night of your 3's, so sleepy from skipping nap, you humored your Momma and gave me the best hug of your 3's and curled into me and let me tell you all about the day you was born.  I left a puddle of tears in your bed as I thanked God for these 4 years and you told me I was getting your pillow wet.  I am so proud of the boy you are becoming... you are a hard worker- you love helping Daddy do projects, you are such a perfectionist that Miss Erica says the other kids rush through their work to get to play stations and you are intently sitting doing your work to get it just right.  You are strong willed and reason so well now that "because" doesn't cut it anymore when Daddy and I give you directions!  You are learning how to write the alphabet and when you moved into Jr. Pre K, you were one of the two in the whole class who could write your name!  You have welcomed Cori into our family so well- you are protective of her and love to make her smile.  She watches you every time you come in the room because you are so much fun!  You still have a few words you say wrong... When Mrs. Blanca corrected Rac-a-roni, I begged you to un-correct it! You still say Ittle (little), Member (remember), c-OVers,  MaskES (masks), and P-sketti (spaghetti) in an Italian accent.  You bring so much joy to our family.  I can't wait to see what 4 brings as you grow into a sweet boy that we are proud to call our son.  I love you to the dinosaurs and back, sweet Baby.

Fall Party in Jr Pre K

Luke's School had a Fall Festival on Friday and got to wear their Halloween costumes!  Daddy took the day off to come play too!

They had centers all day long where they got prizes and candy!

Picking the nose never gets old!

Pony Races led by their awesome teacher, Miss Erica

Lots and lots of food to share with friends.

20 Questions, well 27 :) - Luke's Interview

1. What is your favorite color? green

2. What is your favorite toy? I play with all of them.  Super Heros.
3. What is your favorite fruit? Ummm... Cherries (in fruit cocktail)
4. What is your favorite tv show? Super Hero Squad
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Jelly Sandwich
6. What is your favorite outfit? Spiderman
7. What is your favorite game? Cootie
8. What is your favorite snack? Cookies
9. What is your favorite animal? Hippo... or... Giraffe
10. What is your favorite song? Ummm... How Great is Our God
11. What is your favorite book? The book we're gonna read soon
12. Who is your best friend? Patrick, Brady, Josiah, Drew too
13. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?  Bacon  
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play
15. What is your favorite drink? Blue
16. What is your favorite holiday? Easter
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Didi's
18. What do you ask me every night before bed?  I want you to scratch my back.  And what are we gonna have for breakfast.
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Cake
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Um... Five
21.  What do you want your job to be?  Fly over cities like a Super Hero 
22.  What makes you happy?  When I stay on green
23.  What makes you sad?  When I stay on red
24.  What is your favorite game to play at school?  Ring around the rosie
25.  Who is your favorite teacher at school?  Miss Erica
26.  What is your favorite Bible story? Noah and the Ark 
27.  What was your favorite thing at Daddy's work? Playing basketball

4 is Coming Fast!

It is almost here, Lukey!  You want to be 4 so bad!  Today, you are celebrating with your friends at Stepping Stones.  You got new Super Hero undies at breakfast... you picked out Super Man today.  Here, you are doing a tough guy pose:

All dressed and ready for cookie cake!

 We are looking forward to celebrating you this weekend and the wonderful four years you have blessed us with!... To be continued.

KCBI Devotional about Prayer

I just loved reading this-- puts everything in perspective as I look toward going back to work next week... a desire to bear fruit and delight in the Lord, not to be burdened with what is beyond my control!  Hope you enjoy!- Abbey

And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us.  – 1 John 5:14 

Last week we looked at how we need to confidently speak with God as a father and friend, believing that He hears our prayers and answers us.

But does God hear and answer everything we pray? According to many Scriptures we often hear quoted regularly, it certainly seems that way. For instance in Mark 11:24, Jesus states,

“…whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Yet the truth is, any promise in the Bible that God will answer our prayers means His answer will fall within the protective boundaries of His will. This week’s Scripture from 1 John tells us that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us.

So how can we know when our prayers fall within the will of God, and when they miss the mark? In John 15:7-8, Jesus tells us:

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples.”

As you walk with God and live in Him, and as you allow His Word to guide you, the Holy Spirit will reveal to you the will of God and will help you pray so that you will bear much fruit. And as you do, you bring glory to God and experience the joy of a life filled with fruitfulness.

Psalms 37:4 reads,

Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

God wants you to delight yourself in Him… to abandon yourself to Him… and to approach Him in prayer. He will give you your heart’s desires, and He will also shape your heart’s desires to be more like His.

Pumpkin Patch 2012

Every year, Leah's mom invites us out to Decatur to the pumpkin patch and a big lunch at her home!  This year, Luke was PUMPED!  On the drive out, he kept saying "We are going to the cOUntrrry"!  So fun!  We look forward to it every year!

My Pumpkins

 Our Buddies (9 weeks to 7 years)

Luke, Clayton, Drew, Owen, Caroline, Sadie, Maggie, Cori

Last year pic for comparison :) Owen was there too just not pictured.

 Not sure about holding the chicks at first... got tickled

 And didn't want to put them down

 Petting Goats

 Racing Rubber Duckies

 Running in the corn fields

 Barrel Ride

 Hay Ride (last year, one pumpkin)

This year (two pumpkins!)  Last year, Holly said "I think by next year we will have more babies at the patch"  It didn't dawn on me at that time it would be my baby!

 Face Paint

 Picking out the perfect pumpkin

We had a ball and I just love that this has become a tradition.  Leah's Mom spoils us rotten when we see her loving on our kids and feeding us homemade goodies.  Fall has arrived!