Luke singing "Jesus Loves Me"

photo's of gammy & pepaw's visit

Make a Smilebox slideshow

gammy & pepaw's visit

We were so blessed to have Dave and Teri drive down and spend the first week of the new year with us! They arrived Friday, January first and left the following Tuesday evening, just in time to beet the arctic blast!

It was a fun packed weekend! We had a Christmas dinner and gift exchange on Saturday afternoon. Teri took Luke on a walk, while we put the gift under the tree, one last time before Christmas was officially over this year. When Luke walked back in the house and saw more gifts under the tree, he came unglued!!! This year, Gammy and Pepaw got Luke an drawing easel. On one side he can paint/color and on the other side draw with chalk. He's having a blast with it! Libby got a grocery stroller and a plush garden pale with insects toys to go along with it. Thanks SO MUCH for the all the gifts!

On Monday we took a trip to the museum and saw the dinosaurs and went to the butterfly gallery. Then took a cold train ride around the park.

It's always good to see them and especially see Luke and Libby enjoy their company too! Thanks for taking time out and coming down to visit all of us!!

a day at the museum

One of our favorite things to do, is to take the kids downtown to the museums and see the butterflies and dinosaurs. So when Dave and Teri came in town to visit we thought they might get a kick out of watching Luke interacting with the butterflies and roaring like the dinosaurs.

As imagined, we had a great time. The butterflies were very active and beautiful as aways. Although, Luke was very excited to see the butterflies, he is still a little timid of them landing on him, so he likes to keep his hat and jacket on. It's very humid in there...designed like a rain forest. He kinda freaked out when I tried to take his jacket off! I decided it would be best to leave his hat on, to prevent another melt down!

Check out this iguana! It has BEAUTIFUL colors! It was roaming freely around the butterfly gallery. Walked right up to Teri, she got some really good pictures! And then walked right by Jake's feet! Luke called it a dinosaur! Nice little critter, he was!

I could spend all day in there just taking pictures. The natural sunlight shines through the glass rooftop and projects through the butterflies wings, allowing the photos to turn out so pure. God is so good....and his little creation of butterflies signifies His tenderness.

After visiting the museum, we took a train ride around the park! Another favorite thing to do downtown. Luke calls him "James" because he's a red engine! It's a fun 20 minute ride around the park, just outside the zoo. It was FREEZING, but Luke didn't seem to mind the cold air.

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libby's 10 months

Yes, it's true....Libby is 10 months old already! I felt like I just sat down and was writing about her 9 month adventures. It's amazing how fast four weeks can go by when you are watching your baby grow up.

Despite of her first ear infection and a nasty cold, she has still managed to change in so many ways. With the excitement of Christmas and Grandma & Grandpa Conrad visiting, we were really able to see her personality blossom. And she is becoming quite the big flirt!

Her new thing is putting her hands on my cheeks and turning my head to meet her lips and giving me kisses. It's SO SWEET! My heart melts and I find myself laughing so hard, that she starts laughing along with me and then she keeps kissing me!

Libby's 10 month adventures...

• cruising


• waving HI!


• plays peek a boo!


• fifth tooth just broke thou


• likes black beans


• loves to flirt


• babbling


• imitates noises I make

playing in the barn

the red barn

As long as I can remember, my Grandpa Grumpp has been building red barns. Over the years he has built so many that he has lost count. Each barn is slightly different in measurements, but at a glance they are identical in detail. With no pattern, but just the love and passion for woodworking, he builds a magical place for kids imagination to come alive.

I recall the first barn my grandpa built in 1977, for my cousin Ryan. I remember playing in the barn, and pulling tractors in and out of it, and pretending that I lived on a farm! Another favorite memory was seeing how many kids could fit in it as one time. And yes, there are pictures of four kids at one time....Ryan, Rewa, Craigy, and Sandra! Grandpa loves to see the kids play inside the barn, it brings much reward to his work.

Now that time has pasted, and I've grown up and now have my own son, grandpa has built one for Luke! Words can't express the feeling of happiness and joy that I have each time I walk past it and see it. Many wonderful memories of my childhood surface, and I can't help but think how blessed I am.

I was sitting in the kitchen the other day, and Luke was in the living room playing around his barn. Out of the blue he yells, "MOMMY, I'M IN THE BARN. MOMMY I'M IN THE BARN!" I got SO excited, I grabbed the camera and ran to him, and started snapping as many pictures as I could. The excitement on his face was priceless. I've been waiting for him to crawl in the barn on his own, and he finally did! He played in there for over thirty minutes and everyday since then I find him playing in it. It's funny, because he crawls in there and slides the door shut and all you can he is the soft voice yelling, "Libby, come here!" or "Jake, come here!"

So, Grandma and Grandpa...I know you will read this, and I just want to say THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! for building this barn for Luke. He will always have something special from you that you made with your hands and your God given talents.