Hater

That's right. I'm a hater.

I hate the fake world that people use the internet to create. Hate.It.

I know that is a serious generalization, however it is kind of like a stereotype - it obviously comes from somewhere right?

What I mean is this....

The point of someone's blog is to be able to catch a glimpse of their life, right?

What is the point when all you see is the Fabulous and Wonderful aspects of life? Is it simply because no one wants to document the bad days? Or no one wants any blog-stalkers to realize they are human, not super-woman? People need to think that our lives are even more wonderful than the person before?

No one posts about the fact that being a mom is exhausting.
Balancing life is difficult.
It is so easy to let your marriage or other relationships become nothing but a side-note to your life.
Sometimes even making it through the day seems impossible.
Sometimes it seems as though life is living you, not you living your life.

What is the point of that?

I am trying to figure out the angle I want this blog to take. It has turned in to an "Ode To The Great Lucas" lately and I don't want to get strapped to that category. However, the only readers I have are grandparents and people interested in the comings and goings of The Great Lucas.

So, do I start an entirely separate blog that is just for me and my thoughts and musings and keep this one for those few of you interested? I don't know.

I want to be honest in all I do - and that includes any sort of online image I am projecting to the world.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not unhappy and just wishing I had a place to release that.
I am incredibly happy.
Quite possibly happier than I ever have been.
I am so content with life.
However boring it may be.
Every day is the same.
Maybe the security of that is a blessing, maybe the lonliness of it is a curse. Maybe you just can't have one without the other...security and boring-ness coming hand in hand.

Either way...I'm here for now. Analyzing much more than is probably necessary. And wishing I had a witty comment to finish this off.

pictures only

On our way to Wisconsin, we were delayed in the phoenix airport, and you grabbed your book and walked right over to this cute little old man and handed it to him. No inhibitions.

I can not even put into words the love you feel towards playing basketball. I don't know if it's just in your blood, or if it's entirely my fault because you've been around it literally since before you were born so I subconsciously brainwashed you. Either way, it's a pretty serious love.

We ditched the blue yogurt after this day...

Probably my favorite picture from Christmas this year...Luke, Caden & Colby playing the piano at Grandma & Grandpas

Luke thought he was the man while sitting on all our groceries while at Costco the other day (please note these are groceries for concessions at work...not our pantry)

Amber & Luke on the airplane to visit the family in Wisconsin for Christmas!

Ok I've had a lot of requests for more pictures of Lucas, so here they are. I have slacked a lot in the picture-taking department, so we have I think one picture of you from Christmas this year, zero pictures from Grandmas visit a few weeks ago....and only a few from the last few months of your life. What can I say, you are just too crazy to capture in a picture!

14, 15, 16 & 17

Well, here we are....4 months later. Maybe now I wont feel so intimidated and overwhelmed by writing these monthly blogs for you now that I'm getting all caught up.

You have turned more into a little boy the last few months than I thought even possible. Here are some specifics...

*you can say between 20 and 25 words. You love to talk, and are great at picking up what we are saying more easily every day. i almost hate to admit it, but you say "mom" so many times in a day that it drives me crazy. except when you see me for the first time and yell "Mau-aum!!!"

*you can climb up and down just about everything. there have been multiple times i have had to get you off the kitchen table. nothing is safe anymore.

*you are obsessed with keys "sees" as you like to call them...you love to unlock and lock doors. over and over and over again. luckily i've convinced you that screws in the door hinge are locks too....otherwise i'd spend my entire day holding you in front of the door.

*you still only weigh about 20-21 pounds. you get skinnier every day i think. however, i think if i moved as much as you, i'd get skinnier every day too!

*you still amber so much. she is your favorite person to play with...you are the silliest and the biggest show off when she is playing with you.

*you have the greatest little laugh everywhere. We introduced you to how cool it is to play inside a fort, and you just climb under the blanket and CRACK UP. you think it is just hilarious, which in turn makes us all crack up too.

*you love to play at the park. we have been lucky enough to have warm enough weather recently, so we go to the park almost every day. you love to take your ball, throw it up the slide and watch it come rolling down. you aren't sure about the swings yet, i think they make you nervous.

*you have learned the sounds a dog, horse, pig & (usually) a lion make. however, you still think almost every animal is a dog.

*everything circular is still a ball to you.

*you have started to love coloring. we are working on the concept of keeping it on paper only. you somehow got a hold of a crayon and colored all over your time out bench, the floor and a door frame before we realized what was going on. so...thanks for that.

*you are basically a tornado to our house. i clean up tupperware, towels and toys 971435897 times every day.

*you LOVE to read. one of my favorite things is when you sit down in front of your book cabinet and pull them out one by one all by yourself and read them to yourself. I also love when you come to me with one book after another to have story time. i sincerely hope that this love continues your whole life. I think you're destined too, considering your dad and I love it so much.

*you learned how to say "no" and whenever do, it's never just one "no" it's "no no no no no" in the cutest little voice and always point your finger in the air right in front of your face. one of these days i'll hopefully catch it on video because it is just so cute.

We all have to fight laughing at you when you do this "no" thing because it is just so funny.


Anyway Luke, I'm sorry i've been a slacking mom lately. Although if you really think about it, I must be slacking less than I used to because I spend all my time actually following you around and entertaining you rather than writing about entertaining you!


We love you lots and lots

Love, Mom & Dad

Bag Balm

I am a firm believer that
Bag Balm is one of the greatest inventions ever.
It can be used for many things.

Such As:

healing cows utters
lubricating window casings
loosening screws and door handles
helping to heal any sort of dry skin
(ie chapped lips, dry hands, eczema plagued skin)
and much much more.

I highly recommend you don't let your
child try it on his/her hair.

After 3 washes...the greasy residue is still present. Awesome.

if you give a mouse a cookie

the mom version...

If you give a Mom toilet wand, she's going to want to clean the toilet. As she's cleaning the toilet she will find her daughter's dirty underwear secretly hidden in back. (Like I would never find it WAY back there!) The dirty underwear will remind her that she needs to switch the laundry from the washer to the dryer.

As she goes to throw away the lint from the dryer, she will notice that the garbage is full. She will want to take it out. As she's taking the garbage out, the phone will ring. She will answer it and find it to be a $##% Tele-marketer. Hearing the annoying recording will prompt her to Google the "Do Not Call List" on her computer.

Sitting in front of her computer will make her want to check her email. She might get carried away and also check on her friends' blogs...and their friends' blogs...and their friends' blogs.....

Time going by will make the sleeping baby upstairs wake up and want to be fed. Hearing the baby cry will shock Mom back into reality and make her realize she has been on the computer too long.

She will pick up the sweet baby and feed him. Feeding the baby will remind Mom that she is VERY thirsty, so she will probably ask for a big glass of water.....and chances are, if she drinks all that water....she is going to have to go to the bathroom!!....(didn't I start cleaning that darn toilet this morning!?)

we are the world

Maybe I'm just really tired so that's making me extra emotional,

but this music video made me get a little teary this morning.

(oh and I seriously miss Michael Jackson)

a good day

Saturday was a good day...We got new furniture. I never knew I could be so in love with a couch and pillows. It is fantastic. We definitely moved up in the world.

Here is a glimpse of our new room...the colors aren't totally the same as in the pictures. The pillows are a little more teal, and the couch is a little more gold.

This chair has a brown rectangle pillow behind the round pillow now too...i L O V E it.


The next two pictures are basically for Megan Evans. She will appreciate the textures and designs more than most.


ok meg this is the fabric - see how it's kind of textured? And not so much...velvet, but soft like it. Chenile maybe? I really don't know, but I love it.

Now you all are just going to have to come visit and see them in person.

That is a great plan....(hint hint MOM)