First Steps!!

Yesterday Seamus took his first two steps!  It was unexpected.  He hasn't shown any great inclination to walk.  He walks along furniture, or holding your hand, but he doesn't seem super interested.  Seamus can get where he wants to by crawling.  Yesterday he wasn't walking towards anything in particular.  I was in the kitchen and he had crawled over to the loveseat, pulled himself up, and then he just walked out into the living room.  He sat down on his hands and knees on my yoga mat and then began to cry because I, of course, was jumping up and down and shouting, and scaring the poor baby.  But boy were we excited!  High fives all around.  Three cheers for Seamus!

Seamus and his Ba-

I know I sometimes get carried away with photos of my boys.  Children are beautiful, and the ones that you know the most intimately are the ones you see the most beauty in.  So it makes sense to think my kids are the cutest kids in the whole world.  Because they are. :)

Do you recognize this shirt?  Luke made it for Derek for Father's Day...3 years ago!

Birthday Soccer

This year we celebrated Luke's birthday by going to his very last day of soccer.  It also happened to be the hottest, most humid day we've had this Summer.  And of course, soccer was at the end of the day, after Luke had spent the entire day outside playing in the hot sun with his neighbors.  I think that had something to do with the fact that most of his time was spent lying in the grass while the other children played around him.  Don't get me wrong, he did LOTS of running.  But it usually had nothing to do with where the ball was, or where it was going.  More often it was running in circles until he fell down, dizzy, or running and then turning and shouting, "ZOOM!"  Derek and I were both surprised that he was not being more competitive.  Usually if there is a game going on, he has to win.  But yesterday, when we tried to explain the game to him during a water break I told him, "Be sure you don't knock down the kids in orange, because they're on your team.  You want to help them get the ball to the goal."  Luke responded, "So I should only knock down the children in blue?"  I said, "No, you really shouldn't knock down anyone. You are supposed to take the ball away from the children in blue, without knocking them down."  He seemed to lose all interest after that.

Warm Berry Days

We went berry picking.  My shoulders are now as red as our berries.

Some of us ate more than we picked.  Others enjoyed catching toads more than hunting for strawberries.

One of us stained his outfit so badly that it will most likely end up in the rag pile...red!

The pile of hulls was greenly gratifying as a result of using my new pinchy tool.  Very little berry lost to the knife!  It's true what my Dad always says, "Use the right tool for the job".

Now for some jam.  This is one recipe that never disappoints.

Luke is Four!

Luke, you are one of the most passionate people I know.  Whether it's throwing a ball around with the neighbors, learning how to swim, screaming in anger, or laughing with hilarity, you do it loud and strong and give it all your focus.  You have an incredible attention span, for things that pique your interest (movies are one of your favorite treats, and you can sit through an entire film, or an entire bowl of cookie dough!).  You show incredible courage and strength in testing the limits of your body.  You climb to immense heights and jump down again.  You tumble and fall, and laugh as you pick yourself up.  You love to dance. You are attentive to other people's feelings - you are aware when other people are angry or sad or scared or hurt.  You are strong willed, which some people use as a nice way of saying stubborn and unruly, but which I say means you know what you like and go after it. You will not be cowed into following the herd, you will choose your own path.  I love that about you!

You love to read.  Sometimes I will wonder where you are and find you sitting quietly in front of the bookshelf, paging through a pile of books. You pick up new words and phrases the way dogs pick up fleas. You show little interest in "crafts", but when given a pen, you find very creative uses for it and its ink (see the above photo).  You can spend hours narrating your race cars adventures.  You can make your brother laugh the hardest laugh I have ever heard.  You care little for shirts, and would rather wear swim trunks everywhere so that you're always ready should you chance to see a pool, fountain, or sprinkler.  You enjoy jumping into the pool, totally submersing your head and pushing off the bottom with your feet to come back up again.  Your favorite toy at the park is the slide, and you love the challenge of climbing up the slide from the bottom - especially the really steep one.  You like the swings, but really only if somebody else is swinging beside you.

You are very social.  You often wake me up in the morning with the words, "Who are we going to see today?  Are we going to do something fun?"  I can't plan enough outings for you.  You generously invite total strangers home for dinner, and prefer to take your snacks out front to share with the entire neighborhood (when you came in to ask for grapes for a fourth time I became suspicious.  My suspicions were confirmed when I looked out the front window to find all the neighbor children sitting on the steps, eating grapes). 

You are active, but you rest long and well.  You still take naps, sometimes up to three and a half hours in the afternoon.  You sleep eleven hours at night, and always sleep straight through.  You have been excited to share a room with your brother the last two months, but every now and then you want some space and you take a nap in the spare room, or in mommy and daddy's bed. You like to play catch with your brother, but you also sometimes need to take a few toys to the kitchen table and play alone.  You love being outside, and sometimes shout at me when I call you in for dinner that you won't come in when it's so nice out, "I'll come in when it's Winter!"

You are learning to tell the days of the week based on when your Dad is home, "It must be Saturday, Daddy's home!"  And anytime Dad is working on a project you want to be there, pitching in.  You love watching Dad use the power tools, and you love love love driving with Daddy in his work truck.  Your Dad is your favorite person in the whole world.

I remember praying that you would grow up quickly so that we could communicate with you.  And you have.  You have grown up so quickly that sometimes I wish I hadn't prayed that you would grow up so quickly!  But we love who you are, who you are becoming.  We love talking to you, and hearing your stories.  We love that you can tell us what's wrong when you're hurt, and understand us when we try to explain complicated things to you...like how people are related to us (you've got genealogy skills kiddo!), or how internal combustion powers vehicles.  You are truly incredible. 

Dear Luke,
keep learning, keep growing, keep courage, keep loving, keep playing and resting.  God bless the path you're on, wherever it takes you.  We know you will find yourself on many wonderful adventures.  We love you, Luke.  You're FOUR!!!!

Fathers

I know it is getting less and less common for children to have their birth parents married, and their grandparents still married.  But our boys have three generations of faithful spouses, faithful parents, faithful grandparents to learn from.  I hope they learn the lesson well.  We believe that this is our genealogy of love: God, Jesus, previous generations, Derek, Luke & Seamus.  God the Father's love shows future fathers how to love.  

Boys of mine, for you the road ahead seems long, but I see you growing up so fast!  Soon you will be men.  I pray you grow up to love Jesus, be faithful husbands, loving fathers and grandfathers!  Love your own father and grandfathers, cherish the gift of their good examples.  Carry on the good example for the next generation to learn from.

Getting some air time

Luke quickly discovered that sending other things down the slide is almost as much fun as going down yourself.

Dear Derek,

 The other day you were tired and hot and sore, ready to come in and call it a day, when I came out to see how the boy's birthday present was coming along.  You had gotten far, but I still asked, "Are you going to put the slide up today?"  You sighed and answered, "My battery needs to charge a little."  I didn't know if you meant yourself, or your tool.  But I answered, "You know Luke would be thrilled if the slide was up when he wakes up from his nap."  You just nodded as you hauled your tools back into the garage.  As soon as your battery was charged (literally?  figuratively?  both?), you went back out and finished the slide.  The building isn't done.  The swings aren't up.  But you pushed yourself, finished the slide that very day, and made two little boys extremely happy.  Can you tell?  You are anything but selfish.

I don't always know how to love you best.  You don't need much, and you ask for less.  Sometimes I joke that you "put up with us" - this crazy family of yours.  But you don't.  You do much better than that.  You love us.  You listen to us cry. You are tender when someone is hurt.  You keep a close eye on finances, and take our family's needs seriously.  You come home after a long day at work to a screaming baby (yes, he's in a screaming phase!), a tired wife, a messy house, and a three-year old delightedly jumping up and down shouting, "Daddy's home! Daddy's home!", and you smile as you pick up the baby and give hugs all around.  I don't know if you know that those hugs are sometimes the only thing keeping me from literally chucking the burnt casserole out the window (or the screaming baby). You are gentle, and you teach me to be gentle too.

You are not a saint.  But you are my husband, and these boy's Dad.  And you do better than you think, at both those jobs. I said I don't always know how to love you best.  And I don't.  I wish you liked chocolate bars.  Or movies.  Or something I could wrap in tissue paper and hide under your pillow.  Instead I make dinners with ingredients you've never heard of, and make you a sacrificial guinea pig for my experimental meals.  Instead you sit endlessly in front of my camera while I shoot test shots to check my light.  Instead I drag home porch swings and french doors and old windows for do-it-yourself projects that turn into honey-will-you-do-it-for-me projects.  Instead I call you up at work, in tears about how the washing machine isn't working and Luke just pooped in his pants - again. Oh dear.  Maybe you are a saint.

Most days I feel really lucky to have you as my husband, father to our sons.  And the days when I don't feel lucky, it's just because I haven't sat down for a moment to think about it - I've taken you a bit for granted perhaps.  But even that is a reminder of how consistent you are, reliable.  If you're always there, never stopping loving us, you're just part of us, and that's the way we like it - the way it should be.  We hope you see that when we take you for granted, you have done your job perfectly.  But we try real hard not to take you for granted. And I wanted to tell you so.  Somehow. I want to love you the best way I know how.  I wrote you a letter.

I love you.

laura

   

Luke says:

Did you know that chihuahuas eat bananas?

All over Africa, in ancient Egypt, monkeys and giraffes eat bananas.

The horse runs.  Those are its gallops.

It appears to me that Linus would like my cookie.

Bouquet For My Dad

Dear Dad,
         I can't be near you today, when I'd really like to be.  I know you don't need me as much as you need skilled surgeons.  And since that is who is with you instead of me, I am somewhat comforted.  Perhaps you would find my presence comforting; the way I would be comforted knowing you were just behind those Operating Room doors, instead of 2,000 miles away.  I am sorry I am not nearer.  All my thoughts are on you this afternoon and I can't sit still.  I keep calling Mom, Sarah, Melissa, Derek, on the phone.  Listening, waiting, talking, talking and saying nothing important, and waiting to hear the words I'd give anything to hear, which are, "All's well.  He's doing great."  You have been incredibly patient these last few weeks, and now it's our turn to carry on the waiting game.
         While we wait to hear those magic words, I took these photos in my yard.  It's a lovely time of year here.  You would like it.  It's like April in Shafter!  June in Winkler.  My largest tomato plant has set two fruits.  My strawberries are pushing out green fruit.  The lilacs are at their peak, wafting scent up through the kitchen window.  This is my first poppy.  The hawthorne is attracting lots of bees.  I have a tiny "Prairie Joy" rose bud (not pictured).  And daisies and lavender and flax and honeysuckle and chives and irises and lily of the valley and pansies and spinach, spinach galore!  This is my bouquet to you, Dad.  I hope it cheers you.  It has done it's work on this end: reminding me of color, brightness, giving me fresh hope, and getting me out of my house and into the warm growing places you helped and inspired me to make.
          I love you so much, Dad.  So much.  So.  Much.

                                              laura

mm, mm, good.

Summer is here, and it's delicious.