Luke is a year and a half!

You blow kisses all the time, but "Ma Ma" is still working for voluntary kisses:

You love Allie! She is a trooper with you...

But she still doesn't want you to pick her up!

You have no fear

You are a great helper!

You still love bath time and run to the tub every night when we say it is time. You have started lining up all of your "guys" along the ledge... the blue whale always faces backward and the rest are forward facing

You pick up rocks every time you see them. They have pebbles between the flagstone steps around the pond at daycare and you pick up pebbles every day to throw them into the pond.

When we sit down at dinner time, we say "Let's pray!", you hold your hands out and we grab them, Daddy and I bow our heads and pray-- you look back and forth at us smiling, then we say Amen. You echo an "a Mem" with the sweetest smile on your face.

18 month well check stats:

Height- 33 inches
Weight- 25lbs. 8 oz
Shirt Size-24m, Pants Size- 18m, Shoe Size-7, Diaper Size-5
Luke's iron was slightly low, so he will go on supplements... we are pretty sure if you would just eat more Moo Cow and less Bock Bock, we could have avoided this predicament! We broke 3 rules after visiting Dr. Terk... in celebration of getting your Hep A shot, we drove FORWARD FACING to Chick Fil A, you had nuggets cooked in PEANUT oil, then we topped off the night watching Elmo on TV... it was a pretty big day!


New words: You will repeat most things we say like Granna (Nana), Pops, Granddaddy (da dee), Grandma (Mam Ma), but you generate these on your own: Purple, color (olor), Allie (AA aaa), airplane (uP), star (sta), Down, I go, duck, Elmo (Mel Mo), Two, Five (Fie), Night night (Ni Ni) softly with a smile, Please (pese)- repeatidely, Thank you (Than tu)- whispering, Water (wa wa), COOkee- with a smile, More (Moh, Moh)- repeatedly, Kick (kik), and Brent's favorite Bus (Buch), you point out cows in pastures, and anytime you see anything even remotely round, you call it a ball



I dropped you off at day care this morning... Daddy usually does and I am thankful for that. I hate leaving you for a full day, so I do better picking you up. We put your fruit in the refrigerator in your class then you walked into the big kid room with me by your side. You stood there a minute, I kissed you lightly and didn't make a big deal about leaving (you teeter on separation anxiety, I think). I backed away slowly and shut the door. You didn't know it, but I watched you for 5 minutes or so. You are always shy in the mornings and all I wanted to do was run back in there and hug you one more time. You stood and watched the other parents talk with your back against the wall, then you finally pulled a toy off of the shelf. I breathed a sigh of relief and walked away praying for your strength and independence as I left. It made me picture God's love a little better today. Luke, as much as I love you and would give my life your you, it doesn't even touch God's love for you. I wonder if God has the same thoughts-- He walks beside us knowing we may be about to go through a trial like the big kids room, He puts us in it and watches as we maneuver our way through it hoping it increases our faith/dependence. The only difference is I had to leave... He stays there watching you always. Does his heart ache when you don't run to him at the end of the day? Yes. Does he think of you constantly when you are not with him? Yes. But he always watches, sometimes silently, hoping that the trial he puts you in will build your character. He loves you more than I can Luke, and I love you up to the moon... and back.

Mothers Day 2010

My boys took me to La Hacienda Ranch for Mother's Day... it was fabulous! The food was yummy, the company sweet, the presents great, and the cards sappy! I couldn't ask for anything more!

The native getting restless! Brent told Luke it was a cow and he went to chewing...

We played obstacle course while Daddy was working in the yard...

And the day ended just as it began... sweet voices in my ears...

Going with the Flow

I grew up with a sister... this boy stuff is a new ballgame for me! I am becoming less type A than I ever thought I would because watching Luke have fun minimizes the messes in my mind!

Brent was grilling out last weekend and Luke needed something to keep him busy for a minute! I remembered reading about a craft in Parents magazine that involved food coloring and cornstarch... as I quickly threw those together with water ('eyeballing' the ratios of course!) in a zip lock, I passed it off to Luke to detract his attention from the grill. As I was making sides in the kitchen, I heard an "Uh OH" out of Brent... I opened the door to a boy, a husband, a dog, and a patio covered in blue powdery cornstarch. I laughed. I guess I should have double bagged it!

Luke and Brent were playing with matchbox cars last night.
After dinner, we were cleaning up and found one here:

Luke also had his first Poo Poo in the bathtub this week. I'll spare you the pictures, but as Brent was trying not to throw up, I thought to myself... I love every minute of this child!

Mini Van Love

Brent loves him some mini vans. No, we are not in the market for one, but he has always had an affinity for them since his first car was a pink Astro Mini Van... he "stumbled" upon this clip on U-Tube... we thought it too funny not to share!

Click Here.

And NO, I will never, EVER drive a mini van.

Visiting our Tyler Rose

Last weekend, we headed to Tyler to see Honey. We had a good time, ate too much food, and played outside in the pretty weather.

Luke rang the wind chimes

We played hide and seek

Went on walks around the neighborhood... the azaleas were still blooming

Honey loved on Luke

Brent brought out the matchbox cars that he had as a child and Luke was enthralled! Pops was too!

When we were leaving Luke brought me my first flower from him (Brent prompted this, but I still count it!)

Pool Time!

Hot day... cold pool!

(check out our boy's Farmer Tan)
This is how he decided was the easiest way to get in...

M-U-S-T S-P-L-A-S-H!!!

Burr! That is cold!

Maybe I'll just play with the hose!

A Million Times, Yes

I slowly walked into the kitchen tonight as Brent was emptying the dishwasher (he's taken, Ladies!) and here is the conversation that took place:

Abbey: (huffy and defeated that I have to leave home after already in my comfy clothes) "We are out of milk. I need to go get more..."

Brent: "This would be a good time to have that Kroger built down the street".

Abbey: "I don't want to gooooo. (pause, pause) I'll do the dishes if you--

Brent: (cutting Abbey off) "A million times, YES!" (Before I could take a breath to finish my thought, Brent abandoned his spot at the sink and was already in our bedroom putting on his shoes).

Abbey: "go."

I hope he just hates doing dishes... I guess I will know if he returns home tonight!

Fly That Freak Flag!

We may be freaks (or just dorks!) but:

1. I like to take hot baths and eat cold ice cream (together)
2. Brent likes to sing about buttercups (the flower) on the highway
3. We choose to eat "sloppy dogs" instead of sloppy joes (a change of the bun makes them much less messy!)
4. We got rid of cable to save $1,000/year and haven't missed it... Gasp! (Don't worry-- we still watch some shows online and subscribe to Netflix... and we havn't gotten to football season yet)

What are your hang ups? Come on, you've got em!!!

How To Pray for Your Child- April

Growing up, I took comfort in knowing that my parents were praying to God on my behalf. They still do! My mom sent me an article (from BSF) that breaks apart 12 ways that I can specifically pray for Luke this year.

This month: Be protected from the evil one in each area of his life: spiritual, emotional, physical (Luke 22:31; John 17:15)

Dear Jesus,
Thank you for being the ultimate Protector- thank you for walking beside Luke where ever he goes... when I can't be there, you are- thank you for giving this worrier of a mom peace that there is nowhere Luke can go that you are not beside him. Please protect Luke's mind from the evils of the world- remind him of your truths so that when he is tempted that he can stand up against the Temptor. Create in him a passion to know you and be more like you. Put in him a desire for discipline to be a man after your own heart- show him that you have uniquely gifted him so that he has purpose in this life. When Satan attacks his emotions, I pray he turns to you- when he is angry, hurt, embarrassed, afraid, unsure, please help him to always come back to you. Guard his body- he only has one... please keep him from harm and go before him every day when he faces decisions involving peer pressure or short lived pleasure. When he makes bad decisions, I pray he gets caught. When he makes good decisions, I pray he feels peace. Help him to respect others and understand that every person is valuable. Please teach him early that insults hurt and that words have the power to build up, and destroy. Show Luke to clearly recognize sin and run from it when tempted, but when he goes through trials, teach him reliance on you. As I watch you work in his life, I pray you keep me out of the way from the lessons you want to teach him and that you nudge me when I need to step in. Most importantly, keep us both dependant on You as only you can protect Luke from the attempts that Satan makes on his life.
In your Name I pray, Amen.

Happy Anniversary!

Something in your eyes, makes me wanna lose myself
Makes me wanna lose myself, in your arms
There's something in your voice, makes my heart beat fast
Hope this feeling lasts, the rest of my life

If you knew how lonely my life has been
And how long I've been so alone
And if you knew how I wanted someone to come along
And change my life the way you've done

Well, if you knew how much this moment means to me
And how long I've waited for your touch
And if you knew how happy you are making me
I never thought that I'd love anyone so much

It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me
It feels like I'm all the way the back where I come from
It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me
It feels like I'm all the way back where I belong

This was our last dance song at our wedding- obviously I choose it, not Brent :)

Brent, I can still listen to this song and remember that same giddy feelling I had that night that I was yours "Forever Always". I look back over these 5 years and realize what a wonderful choice I made that day- to go through life with you is a priveledge, a challenge, and a blessing. Now, five years later, I can speak to the fact that God designed our marriage for you an me... our goals for our future, our finances, our political views, our hopes for our children all line up and I just have to believe He had me wait for you- YOU! It is neat to see all of these things unfold over five years of marriage and I just have to think that the next five will knock our socks off. I love you Brent Brewer and I am proud to be your wife.

A Mid-Week Pick-Me-Up!

Uncle Chris and Aunt Christy came up for some mid-week fun with Luke! He had a ball at the playground:

And feeding the ducks:

They played so hard he even cuddled with Aunt Christy!

Gam-ma (Deb swears Luke said it at Easter with Dwight as her witness!) came up also to give us a night out while she watched Luke... we had dinner and played cards. I can't remember why the sunglasses were so funny, but we had a good laugh taking these pictures!

We bought Luke a whistle to leard how to blow... hopefully this will help with blowing his nose :) He loved it-- have we created a monster???

Family Pictures