Sisters

Samantha & Faith got haircuts, so I thought I would get some cute pictures. Too bad they had those blue lollipops!

Luke is 10 months

Luke is 10.5 months old now! Is that crazy or what? My baby is fast approaching toddlerhood.

Luke:

• has four teeth
• stands alone frequently (for a few seconds at a time)
• is still a mama's boy
• loves to make smacking sounds with his mouth
• continues to be a growler, especially at Grammy and Grandpa as they engage him in growling matches.
• Dad, da da or any variations thereof continues to be his favorite word
• upon hearing yea, he claps his hands
• gives a high 5 on request, enjoying it so much he often does it 4 or more times in sequence
• likes to feeding himself mac n cheese and any other table food we will let him try
• so much more that I am probably forgetting at the moment

Dinner with the Lennards

We had a great visit with the Lennards. It was great to finally meet Cassidy! We missed TJ, but are extremely grateful that he is serving our country. Thanks TJ! Unfortunately, Samantha and Noah were both sick, so they weren't able to join us either. Samantha was really bummed, as she loves Cheyanne and was anxious to meet Cassidy. Noah truly was too sick to realize what he was missing. I know he would have loved hanging out with the boys. Cheyanne, Cota, Faith and Cassidy

The mommies with their newest family members Three Amigos!

All the Lennard kids plus Faith

Cassidy ix adorable!!

Cheyanne and Faith having fun during dinner

Looking Back ~ May 2007

It was great to get the three families (Lennard, Masyr, Miller) together when Ri came home! Cheyanne, Elizabeth, Faith & Ri
Lennard, Miller & Masyr Families

Mommies & daughters

January 2008

312!

Three hundred twelve days ago our little Luke was born. As you may have quessed this isn't one of those typical markers of childhood, but is of great significance to our family. Faith was exactly 312 days old when we held her in our arms for the first time. Guess who figured that one out?

Luke has been a joy to watch, to love and to hold. These days have been absolutely precious and priceless. These past 312 days have been full of smiles and milestones (1st smile, 1st bath, eating solids, sitting up, cruising, standing alone, 1st tooth, 1st coo, 1st words and so many more). The milestones that marked Faith's first 312 days were not ours to have. I remember just asking God to allow us to have Faith home by her 1st birthday. He answered that prayer, plus he allowed her to be home for Christmas, her first tooth, her first step and he even let us be the first ones to feed her using a spoon.

Turkey Shoot!

Turkey Shoots are kind-of funny. My dad, sister and I have been to several shoots throughout the years. It was a hit and miss tradition, no pun intended. This year, my dad thought it was time to take the older grandkids. It would be their first experience shooting a riffle and shotgun. Noah was very excited! Unfortunately, Sam became too sick to go.

As I recalled my first shoot, memories of turkeys running the wilderness quickly came to my head. It only makes logical sense that one would shoot a turkey, given the name of the event. Arriving to targets was quite the disappointment that first year. Like many people before him. Noah was also anticipating actual turkeys. Funny, thinking on it now, I probably would have a hard time making a turkey kill. I wonder why I was disappointed! Targets are a lot easier to clean up and I am fine picking up my Turkey at the grocery store. I guess as a kid, you don't think it all the way through.

Noah, my sister, dad and I journeyed the couple of miles to the event. Noah was a bit nervous, but was very excited to shoot after getting safety tips and help from grandpa. He did pretty well with the riffle! I wouldn't call him a sharp shooter, but he did graze the target (not bad for my city boy). The shotgun was a little interesting. He let the gun slip off his shoulder a bit, so he had a little bruise on his arm. I think the bark is a little harder than the bite while shooting shotgun. I think people tend to get nervous and that causes most of the kick. Anyways, he'll do better next time.

Two Top Teeth!

Luke is desperately trying to get his top teeth!

If you look closely you can see the teeth underneath the gums! The pictures that show the red shirt were taken the day before the teeth actually emerged. If the pictures seem a little funny, it is probably because he is being held upside down.
This was the only way we could see the teeth. On Saturday, March 28th two of Luke's top teeth broke through.

Intramural Basketball Championships - Noah

Noah has been playing "lunch time sports" at his school. The most recent sport was basketball. Noah's team, the Bruins, was vying for the championships. They lost the game by only 1 point. The game went back and forth until the end. I think that Noah's team would have won if one of their key players wasn't absent. You got to hate it when somebody gets sick, especially if it is Markie. That girl is an awesome player!!

I just wanted to mention that these sports are possible because of Mr. Pryor. He gives up most of his lunch time to run this program. He is a great guy and an awesome teacher. He expects the kids to meet his high expectations and he is not going take any garbage from them. Truly, he really cares and I am hoping that he is Noah's teacher next year.