Christmas

Okay, okay, here it is...

I don't know how to take a good belly shot but I finally gave up and just decided to have a cute little blonde boy in the picture with me to take some of the attention away.

Our Christmas Eve was pretty low key, but we did do the traditional reading of Luke 2 with our cool costumes (that are actually from Jerusalem!). Luke was supposed to be an angel but he only fulfilled his angelic duties with a steady supply of m&m's. We also opened up some Christmas pj's, told Santa stories, sang a few Christmas songs, and left out some oranges for Santa's low-calorie snack. Andrew and I thought we'd have energy for fun projects after Luke went to bed but instead watched "It's a Wonderful Life" and fell fast asleep.

Sorry there is no Stacey Family Christmas Card. Christmas was ALL about simplification this year. If you read our blog, you probably know way more than you want to know about our lives anyway. Still, I was feeling deep regret as the Christmas cards and pictures rolled in. I love re-connecting with friends even if it's just through a short note. Next year, next year...

Enjoy some of our Christmas Eve videos:

Finished

After a few months of sporadic effort, I finally finished the baby quilt I wanted to make for the Stacey boy on the way. It was actually a lot of fun to make and I don't think it will be my last quilt. Although, I wouldn't mind paying someone to bind the next one for me. I felt like I used pure force to get the binding on this one and up close it is obvious I have no clue what I'm doing. Overall, there are a lot of mistakes but I think the style lends itself well to mistakes. Can I just tell you how good it feels to FINISH!? There is so much in my life that is just an on-going cycle (which is fine) but it is great to start a lengthy project and actually get it done in a reasonable amount of time. It kind of makes me want to start another project but the timing would be a bit unreasonable I think :). I've got more important things coming my way.

So little baby Stacey, now that your quilt is finished, you are welcome to come anytime. However, it would be great if you could come between Dec. 24 (Andrew has boards on the 23rd) and Jan. 3 (when Andrew starts his next rotation). I know that means coming a little early, but I made you this nifty quilt, so help a mother out!

By the way, if you want instructions on how to make a similar quilt, go here. And if you live in Columbus, I would recommend this little fabric shoppe because they have really cute stuff.

Christmas Time

What I love most about Christmas is the opportunity to think about what Christ has done for me and how he has changed my life.

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Stress

This week has been a doozy and I think I'll just feel better if I write about it.

Andrew is out of town interviewing at various places across the country all week. He has been doing this a lot lately and usually I feel like Luke and I are really blessed while he is away and things run extra smoothly. Then this week happened...

-Luke came down with diarrhea. Ill spare you the details but it was about 3 days of awfulness and 1 all-nighter where I thought I might go into labor from being so grossed out.

-Because Luke has been sick we have been confined to the house...no visitors allowed. Some people wouldn't consider this a difficulty, but with an active little boy...it makes the list.

-I've had a lot of work to do this week (paralegal stuff). Normally I consider this a blessing, but this week it has just added to the stress.

-This morning the water pipe broke near our apartment and now the water is shut off indefinitely. Once again I should count my blessings that we have an adequate water storage supply to survive, but the fact that our management company seemed so nonchalant over the phone and told me to "have a good one" before hanging up has put me in kind of a sour mood.

- My body has morphed into a 90-year old body (it's called "being 9 months pregnant") and I just hobble around trying not to dislocate my hip. Sometimes I stare at a toy on the floor for a few minutes debating whether it's worth bending over to pick up. Most of the time it's not.

I know that none of these things are a big deal. These are just the little things that I can blog about. The truly stressful things are things that I can't blog about...the friends in my life who are going through awful circumstances and I can't fix it. That's the real stress.

But I have a plan. First, I'm taking Luke to COSI this morning because he is healthy and deserves to have some fun. Doing fun things with Luke is the perfect anecdote for stress. When I get home, he will be tired from having soooo much fun and will take a nice long nap, during which I will read this book until I feel better. It always works. Sometimes I have to read a really long time. But it works. Trust me.

Here is a video from the last time we went to COSI (we are sort of regulars there). I didn't tell Luke to do this...he just likes to match stuff I guess. It's fun to see your kids come up with smart stuff all on their own.

This boy has been making the funniest faces lately

"DaDDYYYYYYY!!!!"

[see title] This is what I wake up to every morning. Courtesy of Luke. It's awesome because I can tell Andrew that Luke is specifically requesting him not me and then I roll over and go back to sleep.

I haven't been great at taking pictures or recording any details about Luke lately. So I'll try to make up for it by telling you a few more things about this little rascal.

A few weeks ago, I made Luke some french toast. It kind of reminded me of this scene from Elf:

The boy likes his syrup. Sometimes he doesn't believe that I've already put syrup on his french toast and needs to add it himself. To make matters worse, the other day, in a moment of desperation, I actually let him put syrup on his pizza so he would eat it. Now before you completely condemn me, it wasn't real pizza ... just my version of pizza with sauce and cheese on wheat bread. But still, that's pretty gross. I'm glad he has not asked for it since.

The other day, Luke and I were in the grocery store and he was sitting in the cart (surprisingly cooperative). I was very distracted but I did notice when he grabbed my finger and stuck it in his nose to try and get a dried booger out. Sorry if that grosses you out. I wasn't sure if I should be pleased that he didn't use his own finger, or a little offended that he thought picking his nose was my job. Luckily I had a tissue on hand.

I probably shouldn't tell you about the naughty things that he does, but this just kills me. I know it is very typical for a 2 year old to despise sharing. Luke is no different. Some days are better than others. However, occasionally he will get his hands on a toy that another kids wants and then he will throw it somewhere they can't get it (usually under a couch, etc). I don't know where that idea came from! It is so mean! I'm hoping that he just thinks that if he hides it, he will be able to play with it later on. That isn't so nice either, but at least it is a little less cruel. 2 year olds really do the craziest things. If you don't believe me, wait until you have one.

Even though Luke can say make the "n" sound perfectly, he still says, "mo" instead of "no". I'm in no rush to correct this mispronunciation because it really is so cute that I can't be too annoyed when he is unwilling to do what I want. The best part is that he never really yells it or says it in an angry tone. Most of the time he just very nonchalantly and in a matter-of-fact-tone says a quick "mo" and moves on to whatever he wants to do. Its like he's really saying, "hmmm, I think I'd rather not, thank you."

On to his sweeter side. Ever since Luke was a newborn I've tried to sing him a song at night before he goes to sleep. He seems to like music a lot. I try to pick a variety of songs but when I'm tired at night, I'll admit that I usually default to the same ones (which includes a lot of primary songs). The other night, Luke actually started to sing with me. I couldn't quite tell what he was doing until I noticed that he always knew the last word in each phrase and would sing it with me. It sort of sounds like this, "bladedahde la de BIRD doodeemamanana SKY". Sometimes I wonder if Luke has any idea what I'm saying to him, especially when I'm trying to teach him about Heavenly Father or prayer or things like that. So I was pretty excited that he at least remembers the songs that I sing to him.

I don't know quite how Luke will react when his brother is born, but I have every reason to think that he will be ecstatic. Luke LOVES babies. He drools over them (not literally) just as any grown woman would. He loves to tickle their feet and make sure they have a binky. I've never seen him get jealous when I'm holding a baby either...I hope that lasts. He is starting to understand what it means to be soft. There is really nothing sweeter than seeing your child love another child for no particular reason at all.

Lastly, Luke really loves to read books. We can sit and read books for hours (as long as they are about cars, trucks, firemen, abc's, etc). Of course, whenever we finish reading a book, we say, "The End". Luke has really grabbed onto the meaning of this and now he uses it all the time. When he is done eating he will say, "The End", or when he wants me to be done changing his diaper, "The End". It is so funny to hear the different contexts in which he applies this phrase.

So in honor of Luke...

"THE END"

Personal Statement

A few months ago, Andrew had to write a personal statement for his residency applications. This was a process that required more blood, sweat and (well, no tears...it would kind of be a silly thing to cry about) ...but it was an arduous task nonetheless. Of course it had to be written during one of his most challenging rotations when time was scarce and brain power rationed.

Have you ever had to write a personal statement or something like it? I liken it to sitting down to a job interview and being asked, "so tell us about yourself". You find yourself pulling together a few identifying markers that don't say a whole lot about who you are but seem to come out comfortably: where you're from, your educational experience, any titles you've held in your life, maybe even a few hobbies. It is always a dreaded question (at least for me) because the answer always seems uninteresting and cliche.

Writing this personal statement was a serious exercise in personal reflection. Andrew doesn't spend a whole lot of time thinking about himself. I, however, have spent a lot of time over the years thinking about what makes this man tick, why I love him, and from what sources he pulls inspiration. So I naturally became a part of the process too - talking things out with him, critiquing not only his grammar (which is probably not my strong point) but also the relevance of the stories he chose to tell and the strength of his overall message, etc. Others were also pulled into the mix to provide needed guidance and criticism. Needless to say, many drafts went straight to the trash. But when it was finished, both Andrew and I knew that at last it actually said something worth saying. It pulled together some of the defining moments of his life (in relation to his chosen career) and reflected who he is honestly and accurately.

Nothing feels better than to arrive at the end of a terribly exhausting and difficult process (such as writing a defining statement about yourself in 1000 words or less) and knowing that it is the best you could have done and reflects some of your deepest values. (I am spending waaay too much time building this up...completely unintentional, I apologize).

As Andrew is now in the interview process, he has received many compliments regarding his personal statement. A few have expressed that it is the best they've read out of hundreds. I'm not trying to be boastful or prideful (because we just had a great talk about that in church last week and my goal is to have no pride). I share it because the process of such a feat is so important/interesting to me and because Andrew's statement points to those in his life that have inspired him so much. If you had to write a personal statement, what would be the defining moments of your life? How would you separate stories/anecdotes that actually changed the direction of your life as opposed to those that are just cool stories to tell? Who are the role models that influence you the most?

Well, here's how Andrew answered those questions:

My father was born to cure cancer. From childhood he yearned for life in a laboratory and he is constantly thinking of new experiments and research protocols to this day. I often watched my father drive late at night on family vacations. I was never worried about him falling asleep because I knew his mind was restlessly thinking about cells, gels, and pipetting wells. My mother often recounts stories of raising the young family in New York City while he was in graduate school. There was no greater set of parents in the city, yet he often had to return to the lab after dinner and work late into the night. My father's passion and drive will never wear off, and he will continue his fight against cancer indefinitely. I know this because my ninety year old grandfather wages a similar battle for the American auto industry, returning to his office every day to implement findings from his recently earned graduate degree. He believes his current work as a consultant with Ford Motor Company will save the U.S. auto industry.

I always knew that I was a 'Stacey,' and I always knew it was more than a surname. During my final year at Brigham Young University I was completing my senior season of Division 1 NCAA football, completing a graduate degree in statistics, and flying around the country applying to medical schools. During that time I was often asked to describe the driving force behind my demanding schedule and ambitions. I never knew how to answer that question; the fantastic example of work ethic and drive given to me by my father has always been the expected norm in my life. I was always taught to look beyond the day-to-day tasks, to recognize moments of success, and to identify new challenges.

As a freshman walk-on linebacker at Brigham Young University, I found myself somewhere below the bottom rung of the team ladder. It is a muddy, near hopeless existence where I frequently watched others climb the ladder above me. It seemed that each time I made a name for myself there was a head coaching change and I had to start back in the mud. I woke up countless mornings at 5 am to attend ‘walk-on’ workouts prior to hours of practice. After three seasons, three head coaches, and more disappointment than I should ever admit, I finally managed to make a name for myself. My father’s lessons of hard work and foresight were solidified in an instant late in October of my senior year. I was playing defense late in a game, and the opposing team needed to score. As I dropped into my defensive coverage I saw the opposing quarterback throw to a man 15 yards behind me. Somehow, I jumped in the air and came down with the ball and an interception, effectively sealing the victory. One of the most vivid memories of my football career will always be sitting on the bench after that interception and gazing at the field as I remembered every 5 am workout, every injury, every drop of sweat, and every disappointment. It was all worth it.

Medical school provided similar experiences. After two years of forcing countless bits of information into my mathematically trained mind, I began to forget why I was here. That changed late one night on the solid tumor service, when a man with a recent laryngeal cancer resection came into the ER with calcium of nearly 16 mg/dL. He was obtunded and our team called the family together to speak about the probability of tumor recurrence. We briefly mentioned hospice, but the family was in no condition to discuss it further. As the team left the room the family asked me to stay behind. I taught them for 2 hours about hypercalcemia, its link to cancer recurrence, and the need to address end-of-life care. By the time I left, the family was calm and ready to do what was best for their father. I left the hospital very late that night, saddened but satisfied. Years of training had prepared me to help a family in a desperate situation. It was all worth it.

I was inspired by many of my clinical rotations, but my excitement for ophthalmology was unrivaled. Shortly after my rotation started, I began to notice that no matter how late I returned home, I looked forward to opening my textbook and reading. I began talking my wife’s ear off each night about some exciting surgery. I quickly noted the optimistic outlook and excited energy of each ophthalmologist. There was an amazing level of satisfaction and enthusiasm in the physicians as well as the patients. I was always happy, and my family noticed. I often envisioned methods of using my statistical background to design and improve clinic trial design within ophthalmology. It was an environment that perfectly suited my interests, ambitions, and temperament. At one point, I even convinced my wife to spend a Saturday night watching old department slideshows about ocular physiology. In short, I was becoming like my father and ophthalmology was my passion.

My father has not cured cancer, and my grandfather has not saved the auto industry. Yet. But I would not bet against them. As an ophthalmology resident I may not cure blindness or become the world’s best eye surgeon. However, I will be enthusiastic about the work and I will be driven; it's in my genes.

10 Years

Today it has been 10 years since our first date (Andrew and I, of course).

How did we celebrate? Andrew came into my room (*see below) at about 6am, frantic, because he had set his alarm wrong and his plane for Wisconsin was leaving in 30 minutes. So we threw Luke in the car and drove way too fast to the airport only to turn around and come back with Andrew still in tow. It's okay, his interview is not until tomorrow and he was able to get on a later flight. Luke thought the whole experience was awesome and kept yelling, "go, Go, GO" from the back seat.

In a way, it was the perfect beginning to such a landmark anniversary. After all, our lives together have involved a lot of: freaking-out-with-the-other-one-being-calm-and-confident; plan b's; biting-of-tongues (especially when one person is driving waay too fast for the other's comfort level); by-standers yelling at us from the sidelines to "go faster!"; consoling words when things don't turn out as expected; and laughter to lighten the other person's mood. (read here for more details).

I thought about taking a picture to commemorate the anniversary, but my motivation to do so was way too low today (promise there will be a tummy shot soon though).

Instead, I will show you a picture of what Luke did yesterday that cracked me up. Luke is nowhere close to being potty trained. I just don't think he's ready. However, I did buy a little toilet seat so he could start getting familiar with the concept. Yesterday, he went in the bathroom and spent a few minutes pointing and naming all the sesame street characters on his toilet seat, then he put it on the toilet and motioned for me to put him on top. This isn't all that unusual. But then, he wanted me to close the door and leave! So I closed the door and I hear him laughing and thinking that this is the coolest game. I realized that Luke probably thinks that Mom and Dad go into the bathroom just to sit and chill for a little while. I'm sure that he probably doesn't understand the logistics of what actually goes on.

What a brilliant idea! I've never thought of hanging out in the bathroom when I need a little "me" time, but if Luke thinks that is the reason I'm in the bathroom then maybe I should give it a whirl!

*Did I mention that my body is absolutely falling apart this pregnancy? I hurt so bad! Andrew has been sleeping in the basement because my tossing and turning and general wakefulness, keeps him awake. The sad thing is, we always sleep better apart. I'm hoping a king bed purchase will solve the problem one day, but Andrew would prefer two separate queen beds. ???? I say absolutely not. Any other solutions?

Vote Today

Just a reminder, because I almost forgot.

If you live in Utah County, we are huge fans of Lane Henderson for Utah County Commission (he was Andrew's mission president in Italy). He is a good man.

I wish I had a chance to get to know all the candidates in Ohio on a personal level. I just spent a great deal of time reading up on the candidates before heading to the polls. It is so hard to find good information out there. I could go off about this little annoyance but I have to hold my tongue because Andrew keeps saying that he wants to run for government office someday.

I think that voting will be my only major accomplishment for today. Everyday I tell myself that I'm going to get so much done during Luke's nap time, and everyday when nap time comes around I can hardly keep my eyes open. Oh well, growing a baby boy is hard work!

Otsukaresama desu

Trick-or-Treat

Can't you see the anticipation for candy written all over his face!

Columbus does trick-or-treating the Thursday before Halloween when it falls on a weekend (so as not to interfere with any high school football games or other sports...gotta love the midwest). It was a cold night but the kids were so cute that I didn't even mind (and that's sayin a lot!).

Here are a few highlights:

I'm really glad he enjoyed this monstrosity of a project...at least for a good 10 minutes or so.

And a video of Luke riding his train...

Never Paint a Balloon

This year, Luke was given a train conductor costume which is a pretty good match for him because he LOVES trains. I decided (today, of course) that I should make his little car/bike into a train so he can ride it around for trick-or-treating. It took me a while to figure out how I was going to do this without buying anything, but about an hour into it, I was thinking that I might actually be able to pull it off. The BEST idea, or so I thought, was that I would attach a balloon to the top and make it look like smoke coming out of the smokestack (I originally wanted dry ice, but that seemed a little extreme). And how would I make a balloon look like smoke?? By painting it with grey and black swirly marks of course! So that is exactly what I did.

Some of you are smart and can already see where this is going. I had a great time painting my balloon. As I did, I thought about how creative I was being and how much Luke would love his train...I really was feeling quite proud of myself. And then, as I was finishing up...it suddenly POPPED! As I looked around, I saw that there was black and grey paint splattered EVERYWHERE. The walls, the floor, the chairs, me... it was a mess. That's when I realized how silly I had been! You don't paint a balloon!

I didn't cry (I've been pretty emotional lately so I'm very surprised I didn't), but my heart sank to the lowest degree possible. Not only was my smokestack a complete bust, but my kitchen was in utter ruins. I didn't even know what to clean first. I ended up starting with my clothes, because honestly, if you find pregnancy clothes that are comfortable and look decent, you'll do anything to salvage them. Unfortunately, by the time my clothes were in the washing machine, the paint had dried to the walls which means I'm going to have to re-paint my kitchen.

I took out my mop to begin mopping the floor (oddly enough I probably should have been mopping the floor instead of making Luke a train to begin with). Then the mop broke. I took a picture because I actually couldn't believe that my mop broke on today of all days.

Eventually everything but the walls got cleaned up. I'm still too afraid to go check on my clothes. We went and bought some more balloons. This time I decided to draw on them with a marker instead. When Dad came home we ate dinner and went trick-or-treating. Luke warmed up to the idea of having his car turned into a train (he wasn't so crazy about it at first). Everything ended happily because nothing is quite as cute as little kids dressed up in crazy costumes.

Was it worth it?

I wish that Halloween had some deeper meaning besides just getting hooked up with candy. I love the excitement of getting Luke all dressed up and having a chance to get to know my neighbors a little better face-to-face. Everyone is feeling festive and friendly, even the neighbors that normally seem a little avoidant or hurried. It's fun to see the kids happy and the parents going nuts with their camcorders. We have to find a way to incorporate trick-or-treating into Christmas...without the candy or creepy decorations. Any ideas?

Some pics...

We went to a metro park a few nights ago. That is a common practice for our family during Ohio's beautiful Fall. I wish there was more daylight to enjoy it. Here are a few pictures:

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Before I got pregnant I had a goal not to look so scrubby this pregnancy... you can see how well that is going.

Notice his name...promise we didn't do that. By the way, he absolutely LOVES wearing his hat. Sometimes it is too warm to wear it but he gets mad at me if I take it off.

Happy Birthday Erin!

This lovely lady is my sister, Erin, and today is her birthday.

There are so many remarkable things about Erin that I have been looking forward to bragging about her on this day for a long time.

Erin is a woman of great patience. When she was a teenager, she had to share a bed with me (I was very young). Needless to say, she had to deal with grinding teeth, snoring, and occasional wetting the bed (gross! but really, I was young). But through all this, she was always kind to me and I never remember her complaining about this obvious inconvenience. She loved to spend time playing with me and dressing me up. To this day, she still loves to give me little makeovers when she can and I know that she will never let me get too "far gone" without some kind of fashion intervention. :)

Erin is in the middle of the family, sandwiched between two boys. Perhaps that helped mold her personality into someone who knows how to put herself out there and be heard. She is very confident and doesn't shy away from a challenge. I often think of her as the "glue" in our family. She keeps everyone connected and informed. She plans all the family events. Is there someone like that in every family? I hope so, because I rely on her to keep me thoughtful and involved with my brothers and sisters even though we live so far away.

As fun and lighthearted as Erin is, she also is compassionate and thinks deeply about people and what she can do to make their day brighter. She frequently surprises me with thoughtful gifts and trips to the salon. A week before Andrew and I got married, she surprised us with a day at the spa which she must have known we would desperately need with finals going on and last-minute wedding planning (Erin spent many years in the spa business, so she always knows the best places to go!). No matter what sacrifices she has to make, she is always very generous with everything she has. She makes sure the people around her are well taken care of.

The most amazing thing is that she can be kind and compassionate without being a push-over. I remember when we both took turns babysitting my nieces and nephews for a week. I indulged them with late bedtimes and sugary snacks. I didn't really know how to lay down the law and basically the kids were running the show. When Erin took over, it was like an episode of the Super Nanny. She was still fun and energetic, but the kids were in bed on time and the chores were done. No wonder she always finds herself in management.

I am proud of everything she has accomplished. She has set very lofty goals and I have watched her steadily and consistently work towards them. She inspires me everyday to work harder at making myself a better person in every way. I love you Erin! Happy Birthday!

Using My Sewing Machine

I made a goal this year to learn how to use my sewing machine. Most of my goals pretty much got thrown out the window when I became pregnant and very sick. But I'm slowly trying to work at them again. Here are some projects I've done in the last few months.

Here is a crayon roll I made for Luke. I saw him playing with one at church months ago and he really liked putting all the crayons in and out of the compartments. Now that I've finally made it, he is less enthralled, but I'm glad I did it anyway. Tutorial is here.

Love that Logan is manly enough to pose with a doll.

I made a few little dolls for some cute baby girls born this summer. Although I confess that I did most of the sewing by hand because it is just faster for small projects. These were easy and really fun to make. I first read about them here (these ones are SO cute!) and got the pattern here.

p.s. did you know that you can make really easy dolls to donate to children's hospital? The pattern they ask you to use is VERY plain, but they look beyond simple to make. See here.

And of course my sister-in-law's diaper and wipes tutorial was put to good use! This was really easy to make but I couldn't do it in 4 minutes like her.

Next on the list...

I really want to make a quilt. Well, two quilts actually. One for baby on the way and one for Luke's bed (when its time for him to quit his crib). I really like something like this for Luke (maybe with more "boy" colors):

And this looks fun for baby:

This also looks cool but waaay out of my league:

To tell you the truth, I'm scared out of my mind to make a quilt. It's so intimidating. I don't think I know of anyone who isn't a very skilled sewer who just decides to whip out a quilt one weekend. Quilters just seem like they are in an entirely different field of sewing dedication. Plus, how do you pick the fabrics? How can you tell that all those squares are going to look great together until they are actually together? If anyone has any tips for a novice...I'd really appreciate it. I have no idea what I'm getting myself into.

By the way, all these quilts were made by this blogger, here.

TWO Birthday Parties!

I still remember the year I got to have three birthday parties. My parents had to leave town unexpectedly before my 8th birthday. So I had a raging party with my young adult siblings and all their friends (I'm pretty sure it went well past midnight), a party with friends my age (only because it was already planned and ready to go) and then a third party when my parents got back into town.

Luke probably won't remember the year he got to have two birthday parties, but I think he enjoyed them nonetheless. The party we threw for him was extremely last minute. I woke up one Saturday morning and realized that if it didn't happen that day, it just wasn't going to happen. Andrew's sister and children were in town and we had just a few hours to pull together a party.

There was no time for a fancy cake or to order one of my best friend's adorable party printables. But throwing a party in a rush taught me a few things: Luke can have just as much fun playing with a helium balloon as any other toy on the market; the decoration on the cake doesn't matter to Luke as long as it is chocolate; and, the secret to the best party ever is to be surrounded by energetic cousins.

It is sooo hard to get a picture of this kid smiling. He smiles all the time but it is too fast for me to capture it!

basically Luke is stuffing his mouth in all my pictures (check out that awesome cape)!

Luke's Birthday

Luke's 2nd birthday was at the end of August.

I haven't mentioned it on our blog because I felt really, really guilty. We missed it because we were on our cruise. I know that Luke doesn't care because he doesn't even really get what a birthday is yet. It was much harder for his Mom to miss out on the festivities.

Luckily, Andrew's Dad still made it a special day for him. I'm sure all Luke really wanted for his birthday was to hang out with Grandpa anyway. A friend helped them celebrate and took some pictures. I wish I could add some captions, but I wasn't there either :(

I'm guessing that Luke is picking out the chocolate chips because he would totally do something like that.

Thanks for the pictures Heather. Even though I cried when you sent them to me, they were happy tears (kinda) because it meant a lot to see him on his birthday.

We did have a little party of our own last week (I know, VERY BELATED). Those pictures are coming...