Thankful for Family

What a Thanksgiving weekend we had! We stayed close to home with Papaw and Gammie. Of course Aunt Jess joined us, and we were also blessed to have Uncle John, Aunt Sara, Cousin Micah and Cousin Baby Selah (or La La as Logan calls her!) It was neat to watch Logan and Micah. Micah is 6 months older than Logan. In baby time that is a HUGE span. Last time we were all together (think August) Micah tended to play more with Lukas. But give Logan 3 months time and this time Micah and Logan were buds. Although Micah is still crazy about "Louie". Speaking of Micah - kids are SO impressionable. Just one example: After a day with all of us together and Micah hearing Lukas call Uncle Johnny, um, Uncle Johnny (aka Micah's daddy) Micah started calling his daddy "Uncle Johnny". So sweet! Both Lukas and Logan were crazy about the youngest LePage, Selah. She's just too sweet to not be crazy about! She has the best smile, it lights up the room.

See? She grew fond of her Uncle Joe. After a hint of hesitation she realized he was an okay guy.

I totally agree.

Logan took to squatting over baby LaLa. He'd do this to talk to her, to point to her, to kiss her (as seen in above picture) and to just look at her pretty face. Um, did you happen to notice the cookie? Never put it down in the literal sense. It sure went down his tummy okay. Gammie kinda likes her too.And Lukas whopped Papaw at some Memory. This is game face!And it's totally safe to say that all three boys are crazy about trains. A post bath time Thomas movie was in order. All three sat still and quiet for at least 3 minutes! It was a precious 3 minutes though.

Oh yeah, and in the middle of our Holiday we had to pause and celebrate PaPaw and Gammies middle child's birthday. Jonathan turned 30!!!

Cake and ice cream time! Um, did you notice the finger in the cake? Yeah, that's the birthday boy. Gettin' the goodies.

And just because I love him and this is typical, I will close with this:

Yeah...and ice cream cake

A couple months ago I was in the kitchen and Logan and Dada were in the living room. It was near bed time. I asked Logan: "Logan, do you want some water?" and from the living room I heard this very deep voice say "Yeah". Very deep. And it became a staple in our house. Logan would say it on cue. And he knew. He knew that it was the way he was saying it that would crack his mama and dada up. Well, last weekend I went to Texas. I came back four days later and Logan hasn't said the word since. He just nods his head. Oh, and he's gotten really good at the word "no" of course.

This story has a point. I promise.

So tonight after dinner we decided to finish off the ice cream cake. Logan loves the ice cream cake. Lukas does too. I dished Logan a slice and chopped it up. He watched my every move. Then it was time. I showed him the bowl. His eyes were huge. I simply asked him if he wanted the ice cream. He nodded. I said: "say yeah" and guess what? He said "yeah". Ohhhh but it wasn't the deep-from-your-gut-yeah. It was a high pitched baby yeah. But, the moment he said it he realized it wasn't right. So he said it again right away. The second time was the deep, deep "yeah". YESSSSSS! So, I whipped out the camera, knowing this could very well be the last time we ever hear this.

Bribery?

Yes.

Ask any parent. It works.

And here's proof:

Frogs and Skeletons

Yes, they can co-exist. Cute and scary. Frogs and skeletons.Lukas has wanted to be a skeleton for Halloween since he watched The Karate Kid movie this past summer. And Logan, well Logan's costume was inspired by the bin full of Lukas's old stuff. The kids did have a lot of fun Saturday night. We went over to our neighbors house where we were treated to some good chili and great company. Then we all headed out to seek out the best candy. Logan was a bit withheld at first. Lukas, an old pro. After some encouragement and witnessing how all this really worked, Logan took off. He became shameless really. He'd push his way right through the group of kids already at the door being served their sweet treat. And he'd shove his hand up as high as he could and leave it there until that chocolate bar was placed in his little hand. Then he'd toddle over to where my loving husband and I were waiting, place his new treat in his basket and clap for himself. Then he'd run after the other kids. On to the next house, knowing full well what to expect. It was PRICELESS. And if I had a better camera, I could have captured it, but alas, my camera stinks at night time. So you will just have to use your imagination based on the above picture and imagine this green ball of fur toddling from door to door and reaching for the sugar. I promise. It. Was. Adorable.! And Lukas has already picked through the candy, determining what's his.

And my! oh my! do we have a lot of candy. Good thing I'm pregnant. I can eat it all, gain 20 lbs because of it, and blame it on the baby growing in my belly!SHE's in kind of a funky position. Her legs are stretched straight out above her. Kind of curled into a backward C. Her feet are pointing straight down over her head. Just for those of you who aren't experienced at reading ultrasound pictures. Ain't she a beauty!? We can't wait to meet her in March!

Fall in Indiana Part II

Our Pumpkin:

Well, not technically. But isn't he a charmer? If you have never met Logan's Papa Dennis, you can go ahead and say you have cuz that's exactly what he looks like. Seriously. And seriously, here is our pumpkin: In the beginning they are orange and nice looking. In the end, they turn black and glow and have creepy looking faces. ooooohhhhhh.....aaaaahhhhh.....

My loving husband had the fun job of gutting the little guy.And Lukas had to not participate in this part because he nearly threw up when we showed him the inside of the pumpkin and made him touch it. See him in the background there? Looking away from the pumpkin? He's mentally telling himself over and over "to not throw up". Poor baby. Logan wasn't sure what to think either. He didn't go as far as Lukas did. Logan wouldn't even touch the stuff.Lukas started to enjoy the whole 'pumpkin' idea when I handed him the marker and let him be the artist.Then my loving husband got the great big, and I need to add, not sharp knife and got busy.Everyone was waiting patiently. With baited breath. Then, the minor details.And: TA DA!!It was a fun family evening. The seeds are boiled in salt water and laying out to dry. Tonight they should be ready for roasting! I wonder if any of my boys are gonna enjoy those as much as I will?

Fall in Indiana

Yesterday was our last day of Fall Break. We spent it at Papaw and Gammie's house helping with the leaves. I use the term 'we and helping' very loosely here. My VIP job was corralling our youngest. The weather was perfect and the leaves were beautiful. After spending the last 4 falls in Texas I think I forgot just how beautiful the changing of the seasons are. In East Texas it's hot, hotter, hottest and humid. And though I grew to love and appreciate the heat, I do love the sound of crunching leaves beneath my feet and that smell. ohhhhh that smell! I don't know what that smell is, but it is a wonderful fall smell. Maybe it's roasted pumpkin seeds, cool air and leaves all mixed together. Whatever it is, it's wonderful. Anyways, back to my job of making sure our Logan wasn't under foot or running from the very scary TracVac, I decided it was a prime photo opportunity.Logan felt safest in his swing on this particular day. Up off the ground, away from the noisy leaf blower.

After an hour or so, he adjusted to the noise and was out and about, running through the crunchy leaves.Our Lukas had the fun job of helping Papaw on the TracVac. At least I though it looked fun. Perhaps he didn't think so much of it?Actually, this photo is a bit deceiving. This, my friends and family, is Lukas trying his hardest to not smile for a picture. Big bum that he is. I betcha that tonight when we carve that pumpkin I can get a smile or two outta him....wait and see!

DADA!

It goes without saying that Logan loves his "da da".

But when your 'da da' is on TV, here's what happens:

Logan's Response

When we told him he was gonna be a big brother:No, not really. Obviously he' too young to comprehend this simple fact.

But, this was the look on his face when I said , "Logan! Smile!" And this was the response on my loving husband's face when we entered the suite we'd be sitting in to watch the Boilermakers take on Notre Dame. And this was the look on my face. Now, had I known before hand how the game would go I surely would have had a look on my face that was more comparable to the look on Logan's face in the picture at the top of this post. It was exciting, boring, then way too stressful to handle. And they lost. Did I mention the flags? Yep. There were many - more than I can count on both my hands. I think either 1) the players were doing it on purpose to annoy me, or 2) the referees were plain old flag happy. Ohhhhh, but it was fun. And I'd go again in a heartbeat. Flags, losses, and stress and all. Totally worth it.

Haircuts from home

Lukas has been blessed with the thickest head of hair I have ever seen. I just know that some day he will totally appreciate this gift he has been given. Until then, we have to remind him that he just has too much hair and it needs to go from time to time. Otherwise he ends up looking something like a space cadet might look like, I imagine. In our efforts to save money, I took myself to Smart Style for my hair cut because... well..., I do love and trust my loving husband with his clippers and all....but I think my hair deserves, um, maybe someone with more 'girl hair cutting experience'. Well, I was wrong. She was a girl with scissors and that's about it. I'm not sure she even went through beauty school and finished. Cuz she butchered my hair. Sniff sniff. I keep telling myself, it'll grow. And I know it will. But I did learn...no wait, I actually already knew, that you get what you pay for in the hair cutting business. But, we do need so save money. So it was a sacrifice I was willing to make....just. this. once. Besides, it'll grow....

Lukas on the other hand, his hair cut experience was way better than mine on this day.

Look at that precision. Do you have any idea how hard it was for Lukas to be this still?? He got popcorn afterwards. He was just that still.
Finished product. I should have taken a before and after picture....but you get the idea. A good home made hair cut. By the 'best daddy in the world!' And that has absolutely nothing to do with the popcorn reward!

And not to be left out of a post....here is Logan just this morning. Enjoying some Go-Gurt on his new favorite perching spot. The blanket basket. He loves to sit here and eat his snacks and watch the world go by. I sure do love my boys. Hair and perching spots and all!

Cows and Milk

Hi Cow. You are about to be milked by my child.

They just go together. Cows and Milk. Milk and Cows. And our Lukas has known for a while, thanks to Columbian Park and their fake cow with fake utters, where milk comes from. Although he had never actually seen it with his own two eyes until this past weekend. Oh yes. There were real live lactating cows. And milk buckets. And would you believe that Lukas was the first in line?? Oh yes he was!

First, a little training. (aka a pep talk)Lukas just settled right on in there and got busy getting some milk."ooooo Mommy, that's warm!"And yes, this cow made the typical low groan of a "mmmoooooooooo" every third squeeze or so. Now, I'm not a farm girl so I have no idea what this moooooo means. But I have had three children, so I am pretty sure I know the sense of relief she must have been feeling. We spent a good part of our day there at Prophetstown. Carriage rides, chicken chasing, horse wrangling, popcorn eating (we did wash our hands, promise) and lots of watching out for manure. And you know what Lukas' favorite part was? Yep. Cows. Lactating ones. I am certain this was the experience of a lifetime for Lukas.

Now, I can't say for certain, but I think there's a small chance he may never want to drink milk again....

Random Acts of Catching Up

Life has changed so dramatically for us in the last two months. Not only have we moved across the country, changed jobs and enrolled in new schools, we are also expecting baby number 3! We will be graced by (we assume HIS) grace in March. With all that, I have truly fell behind with our little blog.

For that I am sorry. I will try to be better! In my defense, we have had some serious Internet issues and logging on has been tough, to say the least. But, the problem seems to be fixed. Fingers crossed.

Lukas is thriving in 1st grade. He has homework and spelling tests that he has to study for. He has made good friends and really enjoys riding the school bus.

Logan is growing by leaps and bounds. His vocabulary is taking off. It's the sweetest sound.

We have kept our weekend full of fun since moving closer to family. Here are some pictures to prove it:

Logan enjoying a little evening snack

Lukas and his cousin Micah

Logan and his sleeping issues

Logan attempting some type of Yoga position

Lukas winning first place at the Pinewood derby at the Indiana State Fair

Exploring the Fire Trucks at the State Fair

It has indeed been a good summer, even though we relocated half way through. Memories are made everywhere; everywhere there are memories to be made!

1st Grade

This was August 2008:

All ready for his first day of Kindergarten at Bell Elementary. We thought he was a big boy then...but, boy oh boy! what a year a difference makes! Now he really is a big boy! Just look at him. All ready for his first day of First Grade at Burnett Creek Elementary.Again, I am amazed at how time has gone by. This is gonna be a great year for our Lukas. I just know it. His reading abilities will explode. He's gonna make some terrific new friends in our new town too. And we're gonna experience cold weather living and snowmen. We can't wait.

Kindergarten:

First Grade:
"There is no greater testament to the passing of time than a growing child."

Sleeping Patterns Part Deux

Okay. I know that Logan is growing up fast right before my very on eyes. But I still think he requires a crib. He is still just a baby. My baby. Anyways, he loves his crib. But he seems to have a special desire to be in a cramped place. And now that he is getting bigger, this has posed a problem in his crib. I guess a guys gotta do what a guys gotta do.
Makin' some room for those legs and piggies.

You might remember the original Sleeping Patterns post and this picture:How can that be comfortable? Someone help me understand.

ps - I realize he is wearing the same jammies in the old post as he is wearing in today's post. Dude has like 15 pairs of jammies. Maybe it's the jammies that are causing these funky sleeping positions? Is it possible? hmmmm...

Then there's this:

Yep. I think he just likes the confined sleeping place. But......Ahhhhhhh that is so much better! Cramped or not, Logan you are precious and loved!

Campfires and Family

Ahhhhhhh. This is life! Since our departure from Tyler last weekend and our arrival in Indiana, life has been kinda relaxing. My loving husband hasn't' started work yet and neither have I. So we have had lots of 'down' time. Aside from the minor details of having to find a place to live, unpacking, settling in, figuring out what we need and what we don't need, shopping for things we need and don't have, turning utilities on, trying to find the best deal on cable...or will it be satellite?, fixing things that broke during the move, fixing things that were already broken in the new (to us) house, changing diapers, and discovering our new neighborhood on bikes, we have been blessed with the opportunity to spend lazy moments with some very loving family. We are talking camp fires (and smores of course) trampoline jumping, tandem bike riding, long country drives, lazy mornings with bacon and pancakes, or a little biscuit and gravy and probably the most important thing to my loving husband and I has been the fact that our little boys can now play outside at anytime and it doesn't have to be in the water. Don't get me wrong, Texas was amazing. But the summers were brutal. And that's putting it mildly. No running and jumping outside for extended periods of time. And certainly no going barefoot. But here, up north, it's a different story! The boys have spent hours and hours playing outside. Barefoot. In the grass. It's been a blessing to witness and be a part of.
Life is good. Indeed. I love Indiana. I love being close to family. I still miss Texas and all my friends down there. But, Life Is Good.

Good Byes and Hellos

Let me start by apologizing for falling behind here on the LePage Family Stuff. But if you are even remotely close to us you know the big changes that have been taking place in our lives. These changes have totally consumed me. My thoughts. My prayers. My sleep. My friends. My friends. My friends. My friends. And oh, my friends! How I miss my friends!

My loving husband has gotten a job that he has wanted for years. And it's not in Texas. Nope. Not even close to Texas. In fact, it's precisely 1000 miles north of Texas. And if you are any good with your geography you'd know that would put us about 50 miles northwest of Indianapolis. Lafayette, Indiana to be exact. This is home for my loving husband. His dream. And here we are. Finally living it. Good job. Great little house. Close to family. Long, long, long way from friends and from a church we grew to love more than anything. Glenwood kept us in Tyler for a lot longer than we ever anticipated being in Tyler. It was worth every extra day we spent there. You wanna know why? Well, I'll tell ya.

Not only is Glenwood the "singing-est group of people", it's also the most loving and accepting group of people. And they all love God. And love to serve. Just look at these beautiful faces:

Did I mention the people of Glenwood love to serve? Well, that's an understatement. We knew only about 10 days before we moved that we were going to, um, move. So, we kinda started to mention it to people. People we thought might be able to help us. The night before we got the UHaul we figured we had 5 guys ready to come help us the next morning. And we felt totally blessed to have those five guys and their muscles. Well, at 7 am this past Saturday morning those five guys showed up right on time. But you know what? So did 5 other guys! Amazing. Today was unloading day. Welcome to Indiana. Where the weather is at least 20 degrees cooler! That in itself is a gigantic blessing! Now the boys can play outside anytime and we don't have to worry about them succumbing to the East Texas heat! We found a great little house. Picket fenced back yard. Perfect. Corner lot. Walking trails. Parks. Close to everything, but off the beaten path. And once again we had some amazing help! And this, my friends, is our new home sweet home. Texas LePage Family: Welcome to Indiana!

Saturday Morning

Let me start by saying that Logan slept in today. On the one day this week that I got to sleep in. Only Logan slept in a lot later than I did. 9:47 a.m. to be exact. WOW. Must have been a sleepy boy. But by about 8:30 a.m. our oldest was poking me with his little East Texas accent "I'm hungry mama. I really am." So I rolled outta bed and decided that since Logan was still sleeping I would surprise Lukas.He loved it! And he had no idea it was coming. Please excuse the M&M's. In my effort to eat sugar and flour free, I have had to keep the chocolate outta the house. I just happened to have these M&M's laying around with all my other cupcake cake ball items. And I think they worked just as well as the chocolate chips would have. Lukas didn't seem to mind.Once Logan woke up, he didn't seem to mind the M&M's either. In fact, they were his favorite part.Lukas decided he was still hungry. So he had just a regular pancake topped with strawberries and whipped cream.That's our growing boy. Eating us outta house and home. But hasn't gained a single pound in 14 months. 49.7 lbs. At his five year check up and again at his 6 year check up. As much as this boy eats, I cannot believe he doesn't weigh at least 49.9 lbs!

What happens when you give the whipped cream filled spoon to a one year old? Total happiness!Then a sugar high as witnessed in the following video:

Boys and Books

That is exactly how I feel Logan! All squishy faced. Anyways, the boys got some new books a while back. In my attempt to photograph my children together, I whipped out my trusty camera the moment I saw them plopped together on their little Wiggles couch.Of course, Logan wanted the couch all to himself. This is the way life is for a toddler. I guess he just needs his space.Oh but wait, what is Lukas looking at? This is a toddler with his curiosity peaked.Those books must be some really good reading. Would you just look at that excitment!?"Hey guys! Over here! Smile for the camera!" And this, my friends, is why it is impossible to photograph these boys together. One is always ready and the other usually has a 'huh, what's going on?' look. sigh. Oh well. Ya gotta love 'em!

Oh wait! Here's one more. Just to make ya smile a little bit bigger:mmmmmm...cupcake cake balls! Complete and total sweetness. The boy, that is.

Severe

What happens when this happens?Why, this happens of course:The boys' bathroom is our 'safe room' when the East Texas severe weather hits. And it always hits in the late evening. And last night was no different. Paying close attention to what was coming our way, I kept Lukas up past his normal bed time. When the storm reared it's ugly head directly at Tyler, Texas, Lukas took cover in our 'safe room'. Only he was so tuckered out that he passed out. Right there on the bath mat on the bathroom floor. You can't tell from the picture, thanks to modern technology and the flash of a camera, but our electricity was out, so there were several candles burning up on the counter. Lukas must have taken great comfort in the cushy bath mat, warm blanket, burning candles and the strange quietness that envelopes a home when there is no electricity running through it. He slept right through all the nastiness and uncertainty that blew through town and right over our roof. Even as the thunder lingered on all night and into the morning, he nor Logan ever winced. Amazing. I, meanwhile, was shaking in my jammies, listening to the walls shake around me. Jumping up at every crack of thunder. Having said all this you'd have no idea that I really do enjoy a good East Texas thunderstorm. But when the local meteorologists keep repeating the words "heavy rotation" and "take cover" all the while the city's warning sirens blaring in the night, it's then that I don't really enjoy a good ole thunderstorm. Peace out! And watch out for "heavy rotation"!

A Happy Baby

Well, actually he isn't technically a baby anymore. But I imagine both my boys will always be babies in my eyes. Their mamma, that's me.Would ya just look at those pearly whites? And see those two gaps there on the bottom? Well, Logan is very busy these days filling those spots in. If you look real close you might be able to see the little white buds.

Last night Logan had a blast in the tub. He always has a blast in the tub, but something about last night...he was just havin' more fun than usual.He had his tongue out most of the time too. He was so full of laughs. He would put the toys in, then pour them out so they would hit him...and the water would splash his tummy and chest. It was hysterical to him. And to me too. Just hearing his laugh is so heart warming. There's that tongue again....if you look closely. You know what though? This warms my heart even more. This smile. This happiness. This obvious love of life. This little boy has filled so many people's heart with warmth and joy: OH! Don't ya just wanna grab him and squeeze him till he pops??

I know you've seen the pictures from the fun bath time, but if you have a couple minutes you can watch the video and actually hear the happiness!

The Newest LePage

Introducing Selah Eden Rose LePage:

Isn't she precious? She is the very first girl cousin!! Way to go Jonathan and Sara!! She is the little sister of this sweet boy:That's the Micah boy! Gettin' some sweetness!

The Texas LePage's loaded up the car for Memorial Day weekend and drove north. A. Very. Long. Way. 694.3 miles to be exact. St. Louis, Missouri. The boys traveled very well. Thanks to portable DVD players, Nintendo DS's and Elmo! Oh, and fruit snacks and crackers. PaPaw was there. So was Gammie.And Aunt Jess too.

So, just enjoy the pictures. We had a blast and I think they will speak for themselves!

Yep. We had a good time. Life is great. Family is precious. God is so good to us all!

Banana Spilts, for real.

This is Lukas.
This is Lukas with his very first banana split.
This is obviously a very excited Lukas. Lukas earned one of those Free Dipped Cone cards from Dairy Queen last week. So in my moment of weakness the other day, I pulled into the drive through lane of our local Dairy Queen. As we are sitting there, Lukas says to me "Mamma, I want the three point four nine one." Confused, I said "what are you talking about?" He proceeds to point to the picture of the banana split. And below it is reads: $3.49. "Ahhhhh. So you don't want to use your coupon on this day, eh?" is my response. And as Lukas starts to talk about this picture of this banana split stating all the colors, how much ice cream there is...etc., my mind drifts far, far, far away. To a time long ago. A time when I could so easily be places upon my daddy's shoulders. He would set me up on those shoulders, take his hat off and let me brush his hair all the way downtown to Dairy Queen. I can still see the red benches that lined the front wall of the store where the walk-up order window was. This particular Dairy Queen had no inside seating. You either drive up or walk up. We walked. Every time. My dad would order one banana split and we'd sit on those benches and share our favorite treat together.

May 26 will mark the three year anniversary of my daddy's passing. May 27 he would have turned 68. *sigh*. I miss you so much daddy!

Well, after my fond memories of my banana split days, how could I turn my oldest child away from such a special, sweet, treat!? So we ordered up Lukas his very own banana split and took it home. Can you feel the excitement this has radiated?I mean look at all that sweetness! It's almost too much for me to handle! Help me now!

The first bite:

Look at that anticipation! But wait....what's that I see??It looks as though someone else might have a slight interest in the sweetness upon the table!Our little one already is very aware of what he is missing out on. Don't worry, I made Lukas share a few bites. In between my stolen bites, that is. Then this happened:Snap back to reality. Ooops! The "Sorry mamma!" was followed by exactly 43.2 minutes of crying. Bawling, actually. Poor guy. Oh well. After many reassurances that there will be more banana splits, our oldest was able to relax a little.

And there will indeed be many more banana splits! And I just know that my daddy is enjoying one right now. The best one he has ever had!

All Tucked In

This is what my loving husband saw the other night when he checked on our oldest: Of course after telling me what the situation was like in Lukas' room, I ran to grab the camera before entering the room to check things out for myself. And here's what I saw:OK. Do you see what I see? No? Well look closer:Puppy. All tucked in. Complete with his own pillow, on his own side of the bed. Precious puppy. Puppy has a long story of his own little life as the beloved comfort toy of Lukas. Puppy has been all over the country. Puppy has also been left behind in numerous hotel rooms. Always to be returned to us via the USPS. Still intact and happy to be home in the arms of his biggest fan - Lukas. Precious puppy.

Precious Lukas.

Cars & Squeeks

Logan was born February 12, 2008. So, as of today he is exactly 6 days shy of being 15 months old.

WOW. That's good for me. Math was never my subject.

Anyways, Lukas was 10 months old when he took his first steps. This means that Logan is taking his sweet time learning how to get around on his on two legs. Although, he is mighty good (and fast) at getting around on all fours. But this past week Logan has taken great strides (no pun intended) in learning how to walk on his own. It has brought huge smiles and laughs to the rest of his little family.

If this don't make ya smile and feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside, I just don't know if anything will!

See. You're smiling, aren't ya?

OK, well if you're not, you will be after watching this next short home video:

There is no greater testament to the passing of time than a growing child. Thank you Lord for the little children. They are all precious. Precious in His sight.

And pretty stinkin' precious in my sight too.

Home Grown and...

All Gone!

Home Grown

If you know me at all, you know that the last two weeks or so of my life have been totally life changing. So tonight when I stepped out on our porch and checked on my beloved flower pots and strawberry plants, I saw this:Wait. What's that?! It seems that in all my chaos, this plant went about it's business. Growing, flowering and sprouting these:MMmmm. That is gonna be good in another day or so! I am way excited about this little strawberry. I have been trying for years to grow my own berries. And until now, the birds and squirrels were getting to my goodies before I could. Now I am on to those little varmints. And now my family and I can finally start and enjoy the fruits of our labor.

No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it. 1 Cor 10:13

Happy Birthday Lukas!

As I sit here typing, I can so easily recall what I was doing exactly six years ago at this moment. I was watching the movie Sweet Home Alabama. And timing contractions. Then, at about 3:30 the next morning this little guy came into the world:Lukas Daniel ~ 8lbs. 3oz. 21 inches. When I look at that picture my mind goes crazy. Has time really gone this fast? I cannot believe what that precious little baby has turned into. I have been blessed. Thank you Lord for children.

Lukas' first birthday.Another year older. Our Lukas at 3.Turning 4 and proud of it!Oh Lukas, how you remind me of your papa Dennis. This is Lukas turning 5.
And this is our oldest boy just yesterday. Celebrating his 6th birthday at The Villages Water Park (more pictures of that coming soon!). Lukas' aunt Jess made a very valid point today: She told Lukas that he hit a major milestone when he turned 6. Because that means now when he tells people how old he is he has to use two hands. Not just one. Wow. Dear Lukas, please don't hurry up and get older. The thought of you not being able to show people how old you are on two hands makes me sad. Thanks for understanding. Love, mama.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUKAS. YOU ARE SO LOVED!

"Don't you see that children are God's best gift? The fruit of the womb his generous legacy? Like a warrior's fistful of arrows are the children of a vigorous youth. Oh, how blessed are you parents, with your quivers full of children! Your enemies don't stand a chance against you; you'll sweep them right off your doorstep." Psalm 127:3-5 (The Message)

Sleeping Patterns

Lukas has always been a..., shall we say, 'active' sleeper. Those who have had the privilege of sharing a night in the same bed with Lukas might lean towards another, stronger, term like 'aggressive'. Dude moves around. A lot. And at night when we check on him we always ask each other "how do ya think he's sleeping?" And there have been times where I have run out of his room seeking my loving husband and making him drop whatever he is doing just to come and see what crazy position Lukas has managed to get himself into while sleeping. Like this:Logan is about to follow in his big Bu Bu's footsteps. This looks peaceful enough, doesn't it?Well, last night I sure was wishing my loving husband didn't work the schedule he does, because I woulda been a running out of Logan's room looking for said husband. Why, you ask? Because when I went to check on this little guy, here's what I saw:Yeah, I know exactly what your are thinking - "what in the world??" I know. I need a closer look too, perhaps a better angle like this one:Um, Logan? How in the world did you manage to get yourself in this position? Notice his right arm - twisted under his back...and the fact that he is laying the wrong direction - and his head is, well, it's...I don't know. It just all looks weird and uncomfortable. But who am I to judge? As long as my boys get their sleep, it's all good. No matter in what position they do it. As long as they do it. And hopefully these two boys will never have to share a bed, cuz then we are gonna have a real problem.

A Very Heavy Heart

I just learned that my very good friend has breast cancer. It all happened so fast; regular mammogram last Thursday, biopsy Tuesday, diagnosis today.

Exactly one week later.

She is young. Beautiful. Faithful. Strong. Funny. Loving. Caring. She is a daughter. Sister. Aunt. Friend. She is a wife. She is a mom. Perhaps most importantly she is a lover of Christ. Her faith is strong and her love for the Lord is deep. I know He has a plan. I know He knew this would happen. I also know that He knows what is to come. I pray for her strength. I pray for her husband. I pray for her children. Her precious, precious children. I pray that they have comfort.

And I remember this:
No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it. 1 Cor 10:13

Come Along With Us on Our Journey

Across the big wide open land of the....couch.

You see this guy? This guy loves to be on the couch. More than anything. Rough day? Just put put him up on the couch and all his cares disappear. Kinda like us adults, I suppose. Who doesn't love a good moment on the couch? But when you're a little one, the couch is a land all itself. A land just begging to be explored. So, come along with us on our journey across the couch.

Almost there...

A quick look at Pioneer Woman's recipe for today...

Momma! Come here! You gotta see this yummy looking dish she has posted today! That side explored. Lets go see what's on the other side...Ya coming? Everything looks good over here, mom! Whew! What a journey. I think I'll just sit here and rest a moment. Did you happen to notice Logan's busted lip? He suffered a little boo boo yesterday after a fall. He bit his lip pretty good. But I think it will heal nicely. Little boys tend to be pretty resilient. Especially if they work out and lift heavy weights. Like this:

Sorry about your lip Logan. I hope it's not bothering you too much. Speaking of resiliency:

This guy overcame this little boo boo from a bicycle-ride-gone-bad-moment.See, I told ya, resilient! And if ya need more proof, just ask our oldest about his little accident that resulted in him getting 'a hole in his head'. Nary a scar is left of that moment in his young life. Thank you Lord for healing.

Good Friday

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”- Romans 5:6-8

Today I continued my LBC study deep in Romans. What timing. Last night and today I thought a lot about what Passover and Good Friday represents. And then when I had a few moments to myself, I dove in. To Romans. We are finishing up our semester and so I went back and read the book. Again. And chapter 5:6-8 stood out to me today. I read it over and over. And it makes me sad when I think about what God gave up for us. But I know it's all gonna be okay...because on Sunday we can all look each other in the eyes and shout "Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed!"

And this kinda makes my tears dry up too:

We, or rather they, dyed eggs today. You can imagine the fun...and blue fingers that came about.Lukas was very interested in the little band thingies...I tried to explain and show him how they work, but he insisted they were for decorations and not for propping the eggs up to display them. This is Lukas' friend Jackson. He comes over every Good Friday and dyes Easter eggs with us. It's kinda become a tradition. But I think that this may be the last time we do the egg dying thing. They seemed to be a little too mature for it. Or maybe it was the impending bike ride that had them in a hurry to get the dying done. I bet Lukas will be wayyyy more excited about his little eggs come Sunday after we get a visit from the bunny! Yeah. We'll just see how happy he is about his eggs then...

Logan was curious about the shiny white things rolling around the table, so he got one of his own. Un-dyed and peeled, of course.And he wasn't real excited about the egg:To say he didn't like the egg is an understatement.

He wanted it gone. Removed from his tray. Immediately. I am surprised he wasn't gagging. If it had been Lukas there would have been gagging. And then probably throwing up. But lucky for us Logan doesn't seem to have that 'reflex' as they call it.

And I still can't figure out what eggs have to do with Easter. And why we dye them. And hide them. And eat lots of candy. And fill baskets. Where am I going with this? I have no idea. Just some questions I have. Don't get me wrong. Watching an egg change color is amazing. And I love the look on Lukas' face as he hunts the eggs the bunny has hid. And I love to eat lots of candy. Especially the chocolate kind. Bring it on Easter Bunny! We're ready for ya!

Brothers

What else can I say? Our boys. Precious gifts.

Camera Problems

OK - so something happened to my camera. Right after Papaw and Gammie arrived, I ran to grab my camera. And I immediately noticed on one of the lower corners of my most prized and precious belongings (my camera, of course), ..... gasp! a chip and scratch. Yes - there was a chip in the corner, an actual little chunk missing. Albeit a small one, a scar none the less. An indication that something horrible had happened to my camera. Yet, I have no idea what. I don't recall dropping it. My loving husband and oldest child don't recall dropping it. I just don't know. Only the camera knows what really happened. I do know that the battery compartment doesn't hold the battery in the way it used too- however, closing the door to the compartment holds the battery in place, so the camera does function. However, this is the final product: Nice, huh? I have manipulated the camera over and over. Trying. Praying. Hoping. Wishing. That it would just work. And work nicely. I have been able to get some minor improvements. Still a little fuzzy and the color is way off. But hey, it is an improvement. A step in the right direction. Speaking of direction, can anyone tell us which way to go? Every which way we turned took us to another dead end in this Fort Worth Cow Town human maze.Ahhhhh...That's better! Now we can see just which way to turn next. And the turn after that. And the one after that...and the one...oh, never mind. It was hopeless. We did manage to find our way out...without cheating. And it only took us 21 minutes.

And it only took Logan 21 seconds to polish off his very own miniature ice cream cone! Would you just look at that look of anticipation on that babies precious face!? I imagine that would be the look on my face if someone placed one of these in front of me on my high chair tray: ohhhhh baby! I can only imagine how much fun that would be to play with! Sigh. Maybe someday. Until then:

There will just be lots more pictures like this. Fuzzy. Off color. Almost glowing. Glowing is good, isn't it?

Watch This!

You will not see anything cuter than what you are about to watch here on the LePage Family Stuff Blog today. I promise. Just give me 50 seconds of your time and watch this:

See. I told ya so!

See This Picture?

Logan, circa 2009. Does it remind you of anyone? No? OK. How about this one:

Still not ringing any bells? Well, here, let me jog your memory a little:

Yep, that's our Lukas. circa 2004. That picture was taken nearly five years ago! WOW, time sure does fly when you're having fun! My boys. So precious.

Trucks! BIG ones!

Saturday evening my loving husband took our oldest boy to the "Monster Truck Rally"...or "monster truck finale" as our boy called it over and over. It was one of those things that you just don't correct because they way the child is saying it is just too stinkin' cute! So everyone around called it the Monster Truck Finale. Classic. One of Lukas' bestest buddies and his dad went along too. It was a true 'guys night'. Guys. Loudness. Big Trucks. Trucks Crushing Cars. Motorcycles Flying Off Ramps and Sailing Through the Air. Cotton Candy. Ear Plugs. Yep - definitely a guys night.

Apparently, Lukas was afraid for the trucks. Afraid that they might not make the jumps. So afraid, in fact, that he had to cover his eyes. Bless his little heart. He did not want to witness an accident if there was going to be one. Maybe now he understands why it is nearly impossible for me to go bike riding with him. Or watch him on a razor scooter. Or roller-blade down the street. I can't bear to be witness to an accident involving something that I grew in my own womb.

Oh but there was plenty of eye-opening moments! And moments to pause and meet some of the talent behind the wheels:

I am sure this memory will be embedded in these little minds forever. How could you ever forget what it was like to stand next to a truck that had tires taller than you were? And how tough do you think this little guy must have felt at this exact moment? Go get 'em Lukas!

Spring Break. One Down, One to Go!

Yup...that's right. We get two spring breaks in this family. Wanna know how? Well, let me tell ya: Lukas has his spring break from Bell. That's week one. Then...ohhhhh then! we get to enjoy another spring break with pawpa and gammie! And that will happen next week. But we can't talk about that one yet because it hasn't happened. So I am gonna blog about our first spring break right now.This is how we started things off. Resting up, you could call it. And it's a good thing they did because they were about to have the time of their lives!

We spent our time with some (a lot of) friends at a lake house in central Texas. It was beautiful and the weather was perfect! But not perfect enough for a dip...and the water was especially cold. However, nothing could stop them from throwing all the rocks they could handle into the lake.

Of course Logan had to give the rocks a try too.

And it didn't take Logan long to understand that rocks are not for eating. "Here ya go mommy. I don't like the way it tastes."

Lukas loves the lake. He especially loves to fish. Well, to cast anyways. And if you reel in too much junk or the line gets caught for too long, well, then it's not fun anymore. That's our boy. Just look at the sweetness he radiates!

OK - you ready for some more sweetness? Remember when I blogged about how sweet life is? Well just look at this:

Ya ready?

OK....

I bet ya were not prepared for how stinkin' cute that next picture was going to be were ya? I still can't get over it!

How about that one? Notice the pinkie...Just take it all in and savor the moment. Logan sure did. There just aren't words to describe this moment. So I am going to move on.

We had a terrific vacation. It was quiet (except for all the kiddos running around), peaceful, relaxing and wonderful to be with friends. There was lots of this:Delicious food and gatherings around the table. There was lots of this too:

And some of this:(we did manage to finish that puzzle too, by the way)

ohhhh and there was so much of this:

Usually after a long day of this:

Yeah, that would all wear me out too! And we had lots of fun with Popsicle sticks! Hundreds of 'em! We certainly had a great time on our spring break and of course we were all so sad it was over and time to go home. At least we have one more spring break to look forward to and we get to anticipate the arrival of a much loved papaw and gammie!!!

I think I'll end with this:

Now, if that doesn't make ya feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside, I just don't know what will!

It's my party...(and I'm sorry this post is a few weeks late...)

Actually, it was Logan's party. His very first party.
And he didn't feel the need to "cry if he wanted to". He handled the whole thing with...ummm...shall we say... gooey-ness? Yes. I think gooey-ness is the appropriate term here. He was so proud of himself and his ability to take on that enormous cupcake all by himself! Notice the chocolate splatters on the wall... We spent Logan's actual birthday (when you have kids you have the actual birthday, then you have the birthday party...day) at the zoo. And since it was such a special day to us, we pulled Lukas out of school after lunch so he could enjoy the day with his little brother. And daddy really enjoyed showing Logan all the wonders of the Caldwell Zoo. We all thoroughly enjoyed the ducks - especially feeding the ducks.

Check out this picture... I know you will instantly see the cute, cuddly, soft looking BEAST sitting so pretty, taking in the world. But shift your eyes just to the lower right hand corner of the photo and you will see a faint reflection of what appears to be our oldest trying his hardest to intimidate the cuddly creature. Seriously, would you just look at the size of that cat's paws. They are bigger than Lukas' head. I feel so protected on the other side of that glass wall....shutter. A few minutes ago I mentioned the whole actual birthday and birthday party day thing. Well, this was the birthday party day. We had so many friends come and help us celebrate Logan's very first birthday party.
Of course, big brother - or Buh Buh, as Logan affectionately calls him, helped celebrate too. He was in charge of distributing and showing the little ones how to use the party blowers. Presents! Just what we needed...more stuff to put in our little apartment!! Really, we...er, I mean Logan, really appreciated all the wonderful gifts!
Have you ever seen anyone so excited over a bottle of bubbles? Well, if you were Logan you would be just as excited. Because Logan loves bubbles. His favorite part is when they land on the floor and don't pop. He has yet to get to one of those special bubbles before it 'pops'. Oh! the look of disappointment that covers his face. It's a "Hey! I was gonna pop that one!" look. Priceless. See, I told you Logan appreciated the gifts...I think that picture up there pretty much sums that all up.
This was Logan's cake. It turned out okay. It tasted delicious. But let's just say that I will not be ordering another cake from Brookshires again. Never. Ever. They really pulled a fast one on me. And it was so tacky.

And I felt so let down.

And I am still mad about it.

Can you feel my anger??
But I am moving on with life. However, every time I see that picture of that cake, it is a grim reminder of what was and what should have been....

I won't go on with any more details. This is after all, a happy post.

Ohhhh...look at that mess! It was so good and so worth it.

Every crumb that flew.

Every crevasse that had to be cleansed.

Definitely worth it. Besides, you only get your very first birthday party once. And this very first birthday party was definitely a gooey one!

Another First

This is Logan's first sucker. Ever.And I have to admit, I was kind of against the idea. I mean, dude has plenty of years ahead of him to learn all about life's little sweetnesses. I just don't think he needs to experience pure sugar so soon out of the womb! But...We had some issues to take care of. Yesterday, at the bank, Logan was wearing all blue..and a blue jacket that said handsome on it and guess what? Yep. The gal behind the counter called him a girl. This was the last straw. And the last time anyone would refer to our strapping boy as a girl. There they go. sniff sniff. Those beautiful, precious curls. wuaaahhhhh...Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the cutest one of all? It's obvious to Logan who he thinks is the cutest one of all.Not too sure about this whole gotta-be-still-stuff.But just look at that sweet thing. Logan of course, not the sucker. He handled it all so well. Not a tear was shed. And now I am pretty sure that Logan will never again eat his green beans. Nope. Not now. Now that he has discovered that there is more to life than green beans and carrots. There are watermelon flavored suckers. Life is so sweet.

Splish Splash

Logan loves bath time!

I love soapy hair.

Are you understanding just how long Logan's hair is yet? I think Snip-Its is in our very near future...

Anyways.

Guess who else loved his bath time?

Can you believe this little guy is about to turn six years old? Me either. Where has the time gone? I liked soapy hair back then, too.

PS ~ I will post pictures from the big birthday party very soon...get ready!

Happy 1st Birthday Logan!

Please excuse the following picture you are about to see. It is my loving husband and me, very pregnant with our youngest boy.

Brace yourself for the size of my middle section...and the puffy face...and the...well, you get the idea.





I know. I know. Enormous. Huge. Uncomfortable. Heartburn.

Oh yeah, I felt it all.

But I also felt lucky. Blessed. Loved. Excited.

And to think, that was all a whole year ago.

Time sure does fly when you're having fun! I really am in constant awe at how fast the last twelve months have passed us by. And it makes me realize how easy it should be to be more patient...especially when waiting on Him! Just think about it for a moment...let's pretend that you have something really big planned for, say, next month. Or even just next week. It takes forever for that moment to arrive, doesn't it? But have a baby (granted...you wait 9 loooong months for that big moment) and you realize how quickly it all flashes by;

Just born ~ February 12, 2008:

June 2008 ~ 4 months old:

September ~ 7 months old:

December ~ 10 months old:

February ~ Nearly one year old:"Don't you see that children are God's best gift? The fruit of the womb his generous legacy? Like a warrior's fistful of arrows are the children of a vigorous youth. Oh, how blessed are you parents, with your quivers full of children! Your enemies don't stand a chance against you; you'll sweep them right off your doorstep." Psalm 127:3-5 (The Message)


I will forever maintain that there is no greater testament to the passing of time than a growing child.


Happy very 1st Birthday Logan Dean! You are wonderful and such a blessing to us.

Because Lukas says so.

We spent yesterday evening with some friends from church, the Neal's. They have been blessed with four children, so this was an especially fun time for our Lukas. After dinner, the adults were sitting and visiting in the living room. A few of the kiddos were in the dining room 'making Valentine's' for various people. Well, any normal person knows that a valentine must include something sweet...like a mini chocolate bar: And not just any chocolate bar...a Hershey Chocolate bar was the choice of the wee ones. Before I go on with this post and get to the meat of it, let's just pause a moment and take note of how sweet and innocent this boy is:This precious thing, as most of you know, just started kindergarten this year at Bell Elementary. He is very quickly learning how to read. He has already learned over 40 sight words. These are words that are to be recognized upon sight - without having to sound the word out, you just know the word when you see it. He is also very good at sounding out other words. He can work his way through an entire book, with some help with the big, long words, of course. So anyways, last night as the adults were sitting in the living room chatting, Lukas approaches my loving husband and myself and asks "is it okay if I eat this piece of candy that we are using for our Valentines?" We turn to look at our boy as he is already opening the wrapper of a mini chocolate bar. I tell him "sure, go ahead". And with the biggest smile he looks at us, looks at the wrapper and says in the most confident tone "It's one of those healthy bars, so it's good for me to eat it." And he turns and walks away. Enjoying his mini Hershey Bar. Our boy, so sweet, innocent and confident. He really believed that what he saw on that wrapper said Healthy and not:So, I will continue to stand my ground and maintain that chocolate is indeed healthy for us...because Lukas says so.

Taking a Poll

You know this little guy:Isn't he just the most adorable little thing ever!?

What's the first thing you notice about him?

The big eyes? Or...was it by chance...

those precious curls upon his head?It seems that these curls are causing our youngest boy to appear a bit too...too...um...feminine? At least that is what we gather from the almost daily comments about her...or she. "Oh! How beautiful is she with those curls!?" Or "She is so cute! How old is she?" Or, "Look at her! And her beautiful eyes and those curls! Oh those curls! What girl wouldn't die for curls like that!" I could go on, but poor Logan is going to develop a complex. My loving husband and I have gone back and forth about the whole ordeal. It has consumed us and every conversation between us. Really. It has. So, here I am. Blogging about it. And asking for your votes. Do we leave well enough alone or do we take the next step and let Logan experience his very first hair cut? Here's a better look at what we are dealing with:I have these same curls. But they make me nuts and Lukas and Logan are both responsible for my thinning hair. Apparently growing babies in your womb makes other parts of your body do weird things. My hair fell out and it has yet to all come back in. But this is another issue for another blog time. Notice that Logan is not wearing any color close to or resembling pink. Or purple. Or even yellow or minty green. Nope. He is wearing blue. And if you look at the bottom right of the above picture, you will notice the varrooom embellishment on his blue outfit. Does any of this imply to you that he is actually a she? No? OK. Good. Then we are on the same page. Oh yeah, and one more thing:

I wonder who else shared this same problem? Yep. That's our Lukas. Curls and all. But now we do this to his hair:Just shave it. And he knows exactly how he likes is shaved. He climbs up in that chair and tells the lady "I want a 3 on top and a 2 in the back and sides." A man that knows what he wants. That's Lukas.
Now we just gotta figure out what Logan wants. Curls? Or a cut? Please help us decide!

Pump It Up

Saturday evening Lukas attended a birthday party that he was invited to by one of his classmates - Lila. It was held at a local fav - Pump It Up.

It's a big room full of inflatable jumping...things. It's noisy, colorful and full of kids. Our boy had a great time and was totally spent by the time we got home. Guess who else had a good time? Yep. Logan had just as much fun as the big kids did. He fit right in. And, for anyone interested in what Logan might want for his birthday, take a good look at this: He loved, and that's an understatement, the Cozy Coupe Car. He spent 80% of his time at Pump It Up in the little red and yellow car. 10% of his time was spent doing this: Remind you of anyone?That photo opp reminded me of Lukas - at the ripe old age of nearly a year old. He had just discovered what a beach ball was.

So, what did Logan spend the last 10% of his time doing at Pump It Up, you ask? Well, take a look at this. Watch closely or you'll miss the wiggle wiggle followed shortly by a neat-o trick Logan does launching off his knees...

We sure did have fun. I sure do love my boys. And I sure am glad that I get to be their mom and that they get to be brothers and have each other.

Everybody do 'The Logan'!

There are all kinds of dances out there that we can all learn and 'do'. You know. Like 'The Twist' or 'The Mashed Potato'. Or how about 'The Shag' or 'The Limbo'. But have you ever heard of 'The Logan'? No? Well, let me tell ya, you are missing out! What's that? You don't know what 'The Logan' is exactly? No problem! I can show you, cuz I happen to have a Logan. Just watch and learn. Then give it a try.

Pretty spectacular, huh? I'd definitely put it right up there with 'The Twist'. But you know what is even more spectacular? It's these two guys together:

They are a hoot. If they can't bring a smile to your face, no one can. Lukas - you little sneak! And when Logan tries to be serious and frown at me, I can't help but giggle. Just look at these faces!I am so filled with love and joy for these two precious stinkers!

Can it be?

Can you guess what this precious little guy is looking at so intently. So curiously. So hesitantly. So excitedly. So anticipatingly? sorry 'bout that, not sure it's a word...but that's beside the point.
Take a guess. I double dare ya.

You ready to see it?

The picture in its entirety?

You are never gonna believe it.

Well if you know this Texas LePage family you won't believe it.

Ready?

Oh yea, that's a MINE! (aka pacifier to those who don't know us that well.) Thanks to Lukas and Gammie, the pacifier became known as a mine years ago and forever more in our little family.

And, if you don't know us that well, or if we have just failed to tell you because, say, it didn't come up in conversation, Logan does not like a mine. Oh, he liked it in the very beginning of his little life, but that only lasted a few weeks. Then one day, all of a sudden, he spit it out and would not take it ever again. GASP! My loving husband and I were beside ourselves. This, after our first child had his own little bed side table drawer full of about 25 mines until the ripe old age of 3. We were totally not prepared for this new baby to not like his mine more than life itself. How on earth would he ever sleep again?! Well, the little stinker has proven to be a good sleeper and not so much dependant on the mine. But don't get me wrong. We tried everything. And every kind pacifier on the market. All to no avail. Who knew that something so simple could cause such a stir? We had invested a years worth of salary into these little plastic and rubber things, so they were not going to be thrown away. They somehow managed to end up in the bottom of Logan's little toy basket and tonight...ohhhhh tonight, I spotted them nearly 10 months later and laid them on the floor. Curiosity washed over out youngest boy's face as he raced toward the lined-up-mines. What is that!? I could just hear the words running through his rapidly developing little brain.First up, the Soothie:

Mmmmm, not bad! Perhaps a little surprised about how soothing it actually is!
Logan's next choice was the Mam version.
Hmmm...not too bad either!
Last, but not least, the Gerber Nuk:
He liked it okay...but not as well as he liked the other two...
I don't know. Maybe, just maybe, Logan was playing me. Hoping I would blog about his non-existent love for the mine. I guess we will see what happens tonight at bed time....

At least I got some cute pictures. And therefore, you got to read a new post. See how that works? It's pretty simple really. Kids do cute things, mom grabs camera as fast as possible which both then = a new blog post for our loving friends and family!

Bath Time Fun

Check out those photography skills! Pretty neat, huh? I actually got the water, that was flying through mid air, to stop in time. Oh yeah, and did you happen to notice that great big chunk of love off center in the photo? I think it's safe to say that he loves the water and his bath time.

And so does this guy: Come to think of it, I think they both really just like each other a whole whole lot.

And I just like them both a whole whole lot. They bring me so much happiness. I am so glad that they can bring each other joy as well.

Logan made a new discovery tonight. Actually, he makes new discoveries every day being a new person in the world and all.

But tonight, tonight he discovered the tub faucet.He was so intrigued. And even more excited when he reached up and realized he could actually reach the shiny thing. Then things got even more exciting when he discovered he could put his fingers up in the spout. The simple pleasures. Tonight, I will close with this. A picture of our oldest, craziest, silliest and completely lovable boy:
Can you feel the joy these guys radiate? I sure hope you can...even if it's just a tiny bit.

Here I go again

Sorry, but I am at it again with baby comparison. Just like here and here. I just can't help it. And if anyone thinks I might have a serious problem, please feel free to let me know. I can't promise I will get help for my problem because I am pretty certain the problem won't be helpable. At least as long as Lukas and Logan share the same DNA. And I think that DNA is pretty much a done deal. So maybe it's better if you don't tell me I have a problem...I already recognize the issue at hand. And isn't that the first step to understanding your problem?

They are just so stinkin' cute! And here's my very favorite part of these pictures: Oh! how I love me some baby piggies! So soft, clean, and uncallused. This little piggy went to market...this little piggy...

Santa was a little late....

When you grow up and have your own family Christmas time becomes ....well...um...challengening. And I'm not convinced that is the right word. But anyways...there is always this huge decision to be made: where are we gonna spend Christmas this year? Obviously this year, we went to Indiana. And this, my friends, poses a problem. Do we shop and lug all the gifts on the airplane? Do we wait and shop last minute when we get to Indiana? Do we shop ahead of time and mail the presents? And then Lukas has one big question: "How will Santa know where to bring me my presents?" Very good question my child. And this year Lukas wanted a brand new bmx, jumping type bike. Because he's a crazy kid like that. No fear I tell ya! Problem is, Santa can't really bring the bike to Indiana, because then how would we get it back to Texas? - and besides, it is way too cold in Indiana to ride a bike! So we were weighed down with how to go about this whole-Santa-bringing-presents-thing. We decided to make a quick stop to call Santa on they way out of town and let him know that we were gonna be gone until December 28. If you read this blog then you know how much fun Lukas had at Christmas. And that he didn't get his one big wish. But Lukas is lucky, because he has a daddy that works in the news business, and daddy heard on the news that Santa had been running late and so some of the kids were getting some of their presents a bit later than on Christmas morning. Well, it turns out, Lukas was one of those kids. And here's what it looked like:

Lucky guy, huh? Good thing I had sense to know that Santa might have came and got my camera all ready for the big moment! Isn't the bike like, totally, cool looking, dude? Yeah, Lukas thinks so too.

This bike came from a real bike pro shop, complete with warranty and all. We are pretty certain this bike will hold up to Lukas' extreme riding. And I am not exaggerating when I use the word extreme. The kid actually blew out a tire on his last bike. He also did so much jumping that the chain couldn't stay on for more than 100 yards of riding. Here's to lots of jumps and skid marks! And thanks Santa, even if you were a few days late. We still believe!

Family Time in Indiana

The Texas LePage family is finally back in Texas. Boy, was Indiana ever cold! It didn't help that we got in to Indiana during the coldest part of the day - that few moments before the sun rises. Yes...we did not get into Indy until the very early morning hours. It was a long travel day. But our little ones did so well. We even got compliments from the people surrounding us in airports and airplanes as they all sat and waited the same wait we waited. We really did have a blessed week. My in-laws were blessed to have all their children and grandchildren home for the holidays. Can't you just feel the happiness this family radiates?

I must note here, in case you couldn't already tell, that I was not the photographer in the above photos (or many of the following photos for that matter). My sister-in-law, Sara, has been blessed with this amazing gift of capturing the moment. She does an outstanding job and we always wait so eagerly to receive the disk of photos after one of our family gatherings.
In fact, between her photos and the ones I managed to snap, I am kind of overwhelmed and not quite sure what to blog about! This is why I haven't posted until now. So, excuse me if this blog seems to be all over place or in any way....random. So anyways, I was telling you before about our loooongg travel day. This was one of Lukas' solutions to helping his mommy and daddy carry some things through the various airports. Very creative, don't ya think? He begged and pleaded for me to put Logan in the backpack. But I am quite certain that Logan weighs exactly as much as his big brother. The little guy likes to eat. Actually, that is an understatement. The little dude literally goes nuts when he even sees you walk toward the kitchen. Then there was Lukas - he is tall and skinny. He has maintained a steady weight of 49.5 pounds for the last two years. Lucky dog. I wish I could grow upwards and not outwards two years in a row! And here is what a 5 year old looks like after being up all night traveling:Poor little fella. Oh but how this look of utter sadness was washed away the moment we walked off that jet way and said "Look....there's Papaw!!!" as we pointed in the near off distance. We could see Papaw, and he saw us. He started waving his arms. And Lukas bolted. Literally took off, I could hear the screeching from his shoes. And to our amazement, he was veering away from Papaw. I saw it all play out. It was CLASSIC. One of those "i-sure-wish-i-woulda-had-the-video-camera-rolling-cuz-we-coulda-made-it-big-on-America's-Funniest-Home-Videos" moments. Lukas was running full speed toward the wrong man! And about five feet from the stranger, Lukas realized his mistake. And again, I could hear the screeching. The sound his stopping shoes made as he was yelling "papaw!!" and in an instant realizing it was not papaw...but some guy with the same hair...or lack there of. Sorry, Papaw. You know I love you, hair or no hair, right? Anyways, my loving husband and I saw this, Papaw and Uncle Jonathan saw this. It was hilarious. Lukas turns to look at his mom and dad with a look of question and humiliation. Only to see us keeled over in laughter. I did manage to point beyond Lukas so he would know where to turn and look. Then, once again, I could hear the screeching shoes and he saw his Papaw...and then the embrace. It is always such a heart warming moment. Lukas and his Papaw. They sure are great together.
Remember how cold I said it was up there in Indiana? Well, here's proof:
Yep, that's me and Logan greeting the neighborhood canine, Huckleberry. And trying desperately to stay warm. Did you notice my three coats, extra hat, two hoods and blanket? And I was still cold. I am starting to think that the Texas weather has ruined me for good. I am now a whip in the cold. So much for skiing. I would turn to ice after the first run.

The picture reminds me of one of those women that used to, or probably still do, carry their babies on their backs all day. I just hope Logan was warm enough back there.
This is Sara...my sister-in-law. She's married to my loving husband's little brother. And that precious boy is their little baby, Micah. And Micah's about to be a big brother! I am 99.9% sure that Papaw and Gammie are gonna be blessed with yet another grandson. I know Gammie is still holdin' out hope for her first granddaughter...but all the rest of us think it's not gonna happen this time.
Here's what opening Christmas presents looked like in the LePage home:Fun, huh? Santa was so good to us all. wink wink.
Lukas and his Uncle Johnny decided to make a gingerbread house. Lukas is absolutely crazy about his Uncle Jonathan and Aunt Sara. He cried and begged and pleaded to go home with them. Biggest alligator tears I ever saw. It was precious. Since Lukas was a little boy I have maintained that I thought he looked a tad bit like his uncle. And this picture proves it beyond reasonable doubt. Does not anybody agree? Them there are some strong LePage genes! Just see for your self:
All of this, because two people fell in love...*sigh* It was a wonderful 8 days. We were all sad to see it end. I think we all agreed that it was certainly one of our most favorites. Gammie and I cooked and spent lots of time together in the kitchen, Papaw and his kiddos played lots of basketball, the cousins got well acquainted, Jess and I shared some sweet smelling moments together...I could go on and on...but here's some of my favorites from the week: Obviously, Logan is learning some new facial expressions. This one was a family favorite:

A little duet.

And who knew a box of ziplocs could be so much fun!?Oh that Micah boy was crazy for Lukas! They are gonna be great buds.
Oh, and here's another one of my 'uncanny photo' moments of my babies and their similarities:

Logan, Christmas 2008:

Lukas, Christmas 2003:

Aren't they funny. The way they sit and just look. So sweetly. It's funny to me that I can take a picture of Logan and the minute I see it, it will spark this place in my brain that says "I have a picture of Lukas doing the same thing at that age!" I love the similarities. I wonder if it will go on their entire lives for me? I hope so.

I am gonna end with this one:

Could one ever want more than any of this for Christmas? Thanks Papaw and Gammie for a wonderful time and for all the memories that were made. I truly have been blessed to get to be a part of your wonderful family. Sara, you are a wonderful photographer, thanks for sharing your gift with this family. I already can't wait for next year's holidays!

UPD

Or Uncle Phil's Diner to those who don't really know me! Because if you really knew me, you'd know how busy this little dinner theater experience has kept me...and my loving husband and little ones the last couple of weeks. Thanks guys, for putting up with it all! I enjoyed it so much. And thanks John, Kim and Chelsea for making it all happen!

And for those who don't know me or haven't spoke with me lately, you might be wondering, well what was her part in this theater you talk so much about? Just to cool your curiosity, take a look at this:

Oh yes, that is what you think it is. Me, a Pink Lady. Isn't it great!? Wait, this angle might flatter me better:Oh yes, that is much better! Thank you! And yes, it was as much fun to dress as a rough and tumble alley cat as it looks!

UPD is set in 1958. It is an interactive dinner theater. Glenwood put it on last year, and this year it was No Room at the Diner. A lot of it was ad-libbed and a lot of it was scripted. Each cast member had their own table to wait. And I have never waited on a table in my life! And let me just say...I liked it! I really did! *I do like green eggs and ham said Sam I Am!* What I liked most was the not knowing of who was going to be seated at my table. One of the nights I knew every face at my table...but I had to stay in character. It was just so...so...so......FUN! Here's me and my pal Midge....er, I mean Mary at dress rehearsal:It's funny because now when I see these people that I worked with for so many weeks, I really just want to call them by their character name. Everyone just fit into their parts so well.

My loving husband and Lukas came to the show one night...and I had to make sure that they were seated far, far, far away from my table because I just knew Lukas would make my having to stay in character kinda tough. Who could possibly turn their nose up at this face and act like they don't know him...act like he didn't grow in your womb and now calls you mommy?LOOK at that face! Lukas is holding a phone, obviously. One big part of the interactive-ness was a group sing-a-long to the 12 Days of a Diner Christmas (aka The 12 Days of Christmas). And Lukas' table was: 8 phones a ringin'. Here is his dinner date. Her name is Ashley. Isn't she the most beautiful little thing? They have been friends for a long time. I just love her mom! She is one of my good friends. And I sure do hope they enjoyed the show. See that Christmas tree? That was the gumdrop tree center piece. And the guests at the table were in charge of decorating it. For the record, that tree was pretty bare at the end of the night. We won't go into details about how many fingers had touched those gumdrops. But like Wally says, "gives it extra flavor!"
Towards the end of the show the band (aka, diner cooks) agreed to come out and play some rockin' Christmas tunes. The wait staff gets to dance around and look for unsuspecting guests to dance with. I chose this good looking fella:Ain't he a real charmer!? And he was such a good dancer!

Oh my, I just had so much fun. I am sure a lot of the cast was glad it was over but honestly, I was sad. Still am a bit. My favorite part of the whole thing was the social part. I knew everyone going in, but when you spend so much time together you really get to know people on a different level. And that is what I will miss. The people and the interaction. Just look at all these wonderful people. Each one of them has been so blessed by God with such wonderful talents and I am so thankful he put us all together for this great experience.I wonder what will be in store next year for Glenwood's Dinner Theater Ministry? I can't wait to find out!

Tag time...it's a state of being.

Why did I offer to work for Julie? I have so much to do before Saturday...and I had no time in the last two weeks to do any of it because of Uncle Phil's Diner (i will post those pics soon!). I still have to bake cookies, muffins and put the treat bags together for Lukas' Christmas party that is tomorrow. And I haven't even shopped for the items needed to bake with or for the treat bags! Oh, and we are leaving for 8 days on Saturday. Have I done any laundry? Nope. Which means I haven't packed a thing. Or even thought about it. Christmas shopping? Nope. And the post office needs a visit from me. And what am I doing? Yep. Posting a blog. And working for Julie. Oh yes, now I remember why I said I'd work for her...she's a dear friend and I didn't want her to lose out on her vacation time. We have a use it or lose it policy here in the office. Please note that I had no problem using up my vacation time! Oh, and the extra money is nice. Money is always nice.

So here's a tag that is a little more introspective than most. I really enjoyed it. Thanks, Kim!

*i am at work
*i want to get my errands run
*i have to finish Christmas shopping
*i miss my daddy
*i fear losing a child
*i hear the humm of the computer
*i search for the meaning of my life daily
*i wonder what my kids will grow up to be
*i regret leaving my dad
*i love my family
*i forgive my loving husband for not being able to read my mind (*sorry Kim - it was just too good to not use for myself!)
*i ache when my babies cry
*i always make my own cards
*i try to be more patient with my oldest child
*i seem to forget where i park my car in the grocery store parking lot every time i go
*i know that Jesus loves me
*i feel ready for a vacation
*i dance only when no one is watching
*i dream about living on a tropical island
*i give more time than i have
*i listen to the news more than i should
*i sing only when no one can hear me
*i laugh at my children's silly things they say and do
*i can't sing or dance
*i cry when i get my feelings hurt
*i sleep best in my own bed
*i am going to Indiana for Christmas
*i see God's blessings all around me
*i need my family
*i should be doing laundry and getting things ready for Lukas' school Christmas party!

Feel free to copy this and examine your own state of being!