Luke at 3.5

Luke is a funny kid. He really is. Every since Luke could talk we have always done this post bath routine. Whoever gets him out of the bath wraps him up like a "present" and sings Happy Birthday...then Luke pops out of the towels. We don't know where this came from, but its been going strong for a couple of years now. He is outgrowing the towels now. He thinks he isnt, but as you can see, he is. So, Justin and I have been trying to slowly stop this routine. He's a goofball~

He loves painting on his board Santa brought him. It stays out in the kitchen because he is pretty much painting, coloring, or drawing nightly after he's in his in pj's. People who know Luke, know the house is not quiet when he is in it unless he's asleep. But, he is actually very quiet while he works at his board. Must take concentration!

*1 more little Luke note*

Luke always refers to our cabin in Ruidoso as "The Cabinet". We have corrected him to many times to count, but he's pretty persistent with wanting it to be the cabinet. So we find ourselves calling it that now. lol.

We are so proud of this little guy! We are taking him to DisneyWorld to celebrate his 4th birthday. I cannot believe we are actually in the process of planning his 4th bday. Time changes when you become a parent. I literally pray for time to stand still. What a sweet boy he is growing up to be.

Joy to the World

Luke and his future cousin Claira! This was the first time Luke has ever had a cousin to open presents with on Christmas. It was so much fun to watch them play together!! My brother has been dating Claira's mom for almost a year. Their relationship has begun getting to the "serious" stage, so it was wonderful to spend Christmas with them. It was natural, as if they had been part of our family forever. We are thankful for God bringing Erika into my brothers life. She is a great addition to our family and we all absolutely adore Claira!

Joseph & Erika

We saved this present for last bc we knew other Christmas presents wouldn't be opened once he opened his batman cave lol. He spends an hour playing this every single day. And, so happy my sister was able to fly in on Christmas day! Being a news reporter it is very hard to get off work, especially on holidays. She flew in on Christmas day, so Luke woke up and opened Santa gifts. We spent the rest of the day cooking, visiting my huge family and (im)patiently waiting for T to get there. Then we had an evening Christmas so we could all open gifts together! Aunt T would have died of heartbreak if she missed a single second of Luke opening presents. She adores him so much, she loves to be involved in his life 100%. It only takes 1 minute of being around them to understand their bond. She often flies into Lubbock to just take him out on dates (from Idaho)...she's flown in to watch him at swim lessons, gymnastics, take him to Chuck E Cheese, etc. I thank God daily, literally, for the bond they have.

Luke always opens the present he "gives" people lol

Working on their gingerbread house before church service.

As I grow older, I appreciate every holiday I get to spend with my grandparents. My Gramma has 64 grand & great grandkids. And she shops, wraps and buys all their Christmas presents every year. She's an Irish Catholic woman, so she is 1 tough cookie! Every holiday is like a family reunion, it's always so good to catch up with my cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. These 2 people are the most selfless people in the world. I am their Godchild and that is not a role they hold lightly. I always get an extra little gift ;)

Justins grandparents! We did our Christmas in NM the weekend before Christmas. We were so blessed to spend time with Justins grandparents and eat delicious meals and enjoy church together. Justins grandparents are so fun to be around, we always laugh at his grandad especially! He's a funny man! Justin's Nan & Pop have blessed us tremendously by starting & adding to Luke's college fund every year. It is a huge blessing for us!

Nana & Papa!

I love watching them play together! Justin gets just as excited to play with Lukes Santa gifts as Luke does lol

Aunt Katy & Luke at church

5 little monkeys game! This boy loves games!

Lukes aunt Tamara and Uncle Keith at church!

As the holidays wind down, we get to reflect on how blessed we are. We thank God continuously for the love of family. We feel so lucky we both got to spend the holidays with our parents, siblings, and grandparents. Life is so precious, we have learned to stop and enjoy it. Take in every moment we can with our little boy. Praise you Jesus~