Texas LePage Family

XLVI

2012-02-01T11:59:00.000-08:00

In case you hadn't heard, the 46th Super Bowl will be played here in Indianapolis. Giants Vs. Patriots. Kind of a big deal. Would have been a bigger deal if the Saints could have pulled it off. Drew Brees coming home to play? Now that woulda been a good time. It was close, came down to the last 20 seconds of that fateful game....*sigh*. With a Super Bowl comes the NFL Experience. Or as we like to refer to it: The hurry up and wait experience. Still trying to decide if it was worth the money...but, I think the longer we look back on it, the more it will become worth the money. Cuz, really, how many times in our life are we this close to the big game? The air in downtown Indy is electric. There is so much to see and experience. Waiting in line for an hour to throw a pig skin with hundreds of onlookers, kinda cool. However, we opted to not wait two hours to kick a field goal. But, we would have waited in line all day to experience the zip line that literally flies over the Super Bowl Village. Too bad for us and thousands of other football junkies, the zip line is continuously sold out. It was still fun to watch people fly over your head though. Oh, and walking on a real turf ? That was fun! The boys did what came naturally to them when their feet hit the green stuff:

We've said it all along,
Logan is a bull. Dude can get you to the ground in no time flat. Just ask his dad.

Lukas is crazy about the Saints. Namely, Drew Brees. #9. First thing he did with some of his Christmas money was get his hands on a jersey. He bought that jersey exactly one hour, sixteen minutes, and 23 seconds before Mr. Brees broke that little passing record. Good timing son, good timing. If you had waited much longer you may not have been able to afford that jersey.
We did try to see the Lombardi trophy up close. But a three hour wait? Naw. We did see it's sparkle from afar. And there were plenty of pictures of it around for us to pose near.They say that if you are a Colts fan that you should never root for the Patriots. Good thing I'm not a true Colts fan...

Fruits of Labor

2011-07-30T08:42:00.000-07:00

Back in May, right after Mother's Day, (it's the best time to plant 'round these parts) Logan and I planted some sunflower seeds. I dug the hole. Logan tossed the seed in and covered it back up and then happily sprinkled water on top. I showed Logan a picture of what to expect and he just looked at me and simply said "Yeah."

Then about 3 weeks later we saw a glimpse of green with the seed still hanging on to a sweet little leaf. I told Logan he could carefully pull the seed off. And every day, several times a day actually, Logan ran outside to check on his beloved little flower. And as the days turned into weeks that flower grew taller and taller. Finally growing as tall as the planter. Then, without warning, that little flower grew to twice the height of it's laborer. And just yesterday, it bloomed. Revealing this:

I waited all summer for this moment. And so did Logan...and with any luck we will be harvesting our own seeds soon. Isn't God amazing? All that love and hard work surely paid off.

And God said "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth." And it was so.

Road Trip

2011-07-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

Yes. We are crazy.

I mean, who wouldn't be to drive 1,310 miles with a 1, 3, and 8 year old?

ooohhhh but was it ever worth it. Especially the part where we had to scalp PRCA Rodeo tickets.

More on that later.

First...a few words from The Man:

"Things I learned on my vacation:

Driving from Indiana to Wyoming through Illinois, Iowa and South Dakota takes a long time.

Making that trip with a one year old diva isn't as bad as I though it would be.

There are plenty (more than 100 east to west and more than 60 west to east) of signs that point the way to Wall Drug.

The Badlands literally took my breath away.

The WYO Rodeo gets better every time I go.

It's better to buy tickets in advance though..

My little boys are daredevils when it comes to mountain climbing and water sliding.

Dry heat really isn't as bad as the heat in Corn Country.

As long as the trip was..I enjoyed it...and I'd be willing to do it again."

You mean this Diva?

Good thing we stopped twice.Still takes my breath away... It was a record breaking night at the Sheridan, WYO fairgrounds...
So, most years we have successfully walked up to the ticket booth on the final night of the Rodeo (it's the best night to go, dontcha know?) and bought general admission tickets. But for some reason I had an achy feeling in my stomach that we might want to grab our tickets a little early this time. 'Just in case.'

That afternoon I shimmied up to the Wyo Theater to buy 5 tickets. One for you, two for me, one for you, three for...

never mind.

I needed five tickets.

As I approached the theater I saw The Sign. It simply read "Rodeo Sold Out."

Yes.

I plopped down on downtown Main Street and had a real good cry. We drove exactly 6,956,459,231,120 miles for THE RODEO and now we weren't gonna see it. I cried some more. Then I stomped my feet and screamed. Then I started making frantic phone calls. Did anyone have tickets they didn't want?

Dumb question. Who on earth would not want their PRCA Sheridan WYO Rodeo tickets?

Then we sped up to the fairgrounds where we were simply told "sorry." Sorry? Sorry! I was sorry. Then a little man stopped me and whispered in my ear "you know there was a woman up here last night giving away her tickets."

He smiled and I smiled and walked away.

I had a plan.

We'd go eat dinner as planned. Then pile into the car and head to the fairgrounds. Where we would take a stab at scalping. And oh did it work. In fact, it worked so well that we ended up with eight tickets. We needed five. So we did some quick math and started selling tickets.

Yeah.

We got five PRCA Rodeo tickets for 5 bucks. A buck a ticket. No pun intended.

Ha! Take that Wyo Theater!

We saw the rodeo in all it's glory. We cheered. We yelled. We covered our eyes. We counted to 8 a whole bunch of times. And we answered the age old question that our 8 year old posed "What do they do to the horses and bulls to make them buck?" Well...it's funny you ask young Lukas. You see they use this rope thing and they tie it around that nice horse's, or bull's, ...what ever animal you want to make mad, waist and tie up their um, their..uh, private parts...and well um, wouldn't that kinda make you mad if we did that to you? He got the picture real quickly...

Then he ran and climbed a mountain. Glad that he didn't have a rope tied around his waist.

Then he decided to see if he could stand on his little brother's head. Obviously Logan is one tough cookie. He makes it look so easy...

Almost as easy as driving across the country.

A Little Fun in the Sun

2011-07-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

I waited all year for this heat. And I just want you to know...

it's here.

Hotness.

Do I complain about it occasionally? Sure. However, I'd much rather been blazing hot than freezing cold.

The end.

How do we deal with the hotness? Let me count the ways:

Start with a good water gun fight. Preferably, with your clothes on.

Then throw in a little cannonball slide:

Do a little pool sitting: Then...

Go find an old, black, plastic, tarp.

And do this: And this:And this:
But maybe not this: First of all, I realize Logan needs either a) betting fitting shorts or b) to learn to pull up his pants. Now that we got that outta the way lets analyze what's going on here. Logan is trying to get outta the way as fast as is possible when standing on a wet, soapy, slippery, tarp. And Matt has Logan in his sights, knowing a crash is inevitable. You can see it in his eyes. Classic moment.

I can say with confidence that everyone is okay.

Except for Jessica's hip, Jonathan's neck, and Joe's sternum.

Hot, Sweaty, Tired.

2011-07-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

And they still have time to fight over something.Lukas was recovering. Trying to cool off. Rest. It was a hot day in Kentucky. And there had been lots of playing with lots of cousins...cousins that were 3 or 10 times removed. I'm not real clear on all that stuff. But there were some blood lines.Logan's a bulldozer. Even though he's a mere five years younger than his brother, he definitely has the upper hand. If he wants it. This clearly does not sit well with the oldest brother.
Lukas still has the tongue. It always makes him feel better to just stick it out there. In the end, I'm not sure who won.

Oh wait, yes I am.

I won.

Because I got to eat two pieces of Honey Bun Cake while these two little honey buns got to have it out with each other.My heart be still...and my mouth stop drooling!

"Throw 'em in the Tub!"

2011-06-30T09:21:00.000-07:00

Bath time is still just as fun as it was when I mentioned it here: http://lepagefamilystuff.blogspot.com/2010/01/boys-will-be-boys.html

However, we have added a body:

And deleted, if you will, a body.

We recently decided that it was probably in the best interest of our oldest, and our other tricycle motors, that he outta be bathing on his own...

But that don't mean he doesn't try to still get in on the fun from time to time:

Oh yes. He has a tongue. I think he wants you to understand this fact. Of all the pictures we have of young Lukas, 99% of them show you his tongue. And of course,

Monkey See Monkey do:Logan has a tongue too. And a foot. At least one foot.And Landry just thinks it's all pretty comical. But she does want you to know she's working on her teeth. See those four bottom pearly whites? She has a few up on top too...

Sleeping Patterns

2011-06-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

I'm just gonna open this post with a statement:

Our boys share a room.

When we moved into the four bedroom house we gave Lukas the option of either having his own room, or sharing a room with his little brother. If he choose to share, then we could have a play room. He took no time to think on this choice. He simply choose to share a room.

"YAY! "I shouted internally. "We can have a place to throw all the toys. A place I can close the door on and not have to stare at and always have the urge to run in and clean up."

But come on. Who am I kidding. Even with the door closed it drives me insane and I constantly have this itch to go in and "just put some things away". For every thing there is a place.

And, apparently, the boys both think their place is on the left side of the bed.Clearly, Logan is winning this battle. But Lukas won't let up.

Let me make another statement. The boys each have their own bed. Lukas has the top bunk. Logan, the bottom. Just look at all that sleeping room they have. Maybe, just maybe, they love each other so much that they have to sleep practically on top of each other. Or maybe Logan decided it was warmer over there? Either way, how can this 1) be comfortable and 2) condone good sleep?

But who am I to intrude on a such a quite, peaceful moment between brothers? Did I mention it was a quiet moment? Both boys in the same room within slapping distance of each other and there was no slapping or whining or quarreling. Nope. Not gonna ruin that rare, quiet moment. Did I mention it was quiet? And that there was no whining? Sigh. They DO like each other! ...I think....

Then there's this:Would ya just look at all that hair!? Sleeping beauty.

Long Time

2011-06-21T07:04:00.000-07:00

Has it really been 2 months? Funny how that happens. The time it just slips through our fingers.

Before I know it we'll be empty nesters.

wwwaaaaahhhhh!

So, in my effort to slow down time I am going to make it more of a priority to blog more often. Think it'll work? eh? Probably not. But what it will do is give me a little peace of mind. You see, Lukas has like a bajillion scrapbooks chronicling his little life from the moment he was no longer in the womb until the day his brother was no longer in the womb. It all went down hill from there. I tried. I really did. Logan has exactly one fourth of a scrapbook. Landry? Well, she has exactly none of a scrapbook. I sure hope my two youngest offspring don't hold this against me.

I do have this blog. The blog picked up where Lukas's scrapbooks ended...

Then you'll notice that the blog kinda dwindled down after our youngest left the womb.

shhheeesh!

I am seeing a trend here. Good thing there won't be any more babies leaving my womb!

Anyways. Here are the babies that have left my womb:And really, if it were not for them then what would I have to scrap and blog about? Kind of a catch 22. No babies? Not too much to blog about. But then I get babies (and lots to blog about) and then I don't have time to blog about the things I have (babies) to blog about!

Ohhhh but I wouldn't change a thing. Look at those three gifts. I'd gladly give up everything for them. Even the scrapbooking and blogging. But I'm gonna try my best to be better at making time for blogging. Just so they have something they can look back at. And so I can have something to look back at when they are begging me to drop them off two blocks away from the school so their friends won't see their mama! Sweet babies. MUWAH!

Eight.

2011-04-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

Yep. That pretty much sums up the expression on my face as it dawned on me that my baby was turning 8. EIGHT!? You mean eight years has gone by since that night I sat and watched "Sweet Home Alabama" and quietly timed contractions? Eight years has gone by since we loaded up, with the dog in the car because mama said "surely it's false labor", and drove to the hospital without my packed and staged 'hospital bag'? Is it really possible that it's been eight years and I can still hear Jimmy yelling from the hallway of the hospital "Luke the Drifter!"? Eight years since I called my daddy in the middle of the night and told him he was about to be a grandpa but "don't worry and just stay in bed and get some sleep" and against my advice he was there in a heartbeat. He was first to hold you, you know. Well, right after I held you anyways.and because it was "false labor" the camera failed to make it to your birth. so all the pictures we have of you as a newborn are of you as young as the ripe old age of 24 hours.

Eight years. And it's all still so vivid in my mind. I'm certain it always will be. Because that's just the way Lukas is. So impressionable. Leaves a mark on your heart.

Happy 8th birthday to my firstborn. Can't wait to see what the next eight bring.

oh my goodness I just realized that when the next 8 rolls around you will be wanting your driver licence! Help me Rhonda!

La La Girl

2011-03-23T08:51:00.001-07:00

Happy very first birthday to our sweet little princess!

What a whirlwind the last twelve months have been. But a good kind of whirlwind!

You have been such a blessing. And everything we imagined a little girl would be.Your smile makes my heart smile.Your growing up is so bittersweet. I have loved when my babies were babies. But in the same breath, I have loved watching your milestones and can't wait to watch you turn into a little girl!A whole entire year has gone by in a flash. I still remember this day one year ago.

Anxiously awaiting.

Ready for bows, dresses and pink. And pig tails.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." James 1:17

BooYah!

2011-02-24T12:52:00.001-08:00

...and that's what three years does to a baby.

Logan, I am sorry that this post is two weeks late. Rest assured we did not celebrate your birthday two weeks late. This year your birthday fell on a Saturday so we got to celebrate you on your actual birthday. YAY!

We celebrated in true Logan fashion. Right at the train station. The Linden Train Museum, actually. But it's a real train station and trains still fly, literally, by. We saw two go by and you were a bit scared. But that's our Logan. All big and tough until it gets loud. Then you run and hide. LaLa Girl got in on the train action too.

An of course "Bub" was there to help celebrate. He is the reason, after all, that you love trains as much as you do.

A little chocolate cupcake that you requested.You insisted on carrying the balloon bouquet all around the train station.

Turning three is exhausting.

If you need proof just look at this:

What is THAT?

2011-01-31T11:41:00.000-08:00

No. It's not a bunch of winterized trees.

Ta Da!

May I introduce you to the newest member of the LePage family? His name is Norman. Or Spencer. Or Harry. Depends on which longtime LePage family member you ask. Regardless, he's here. And he's a big boy too! mi abuela and her four bebes. It's possible this dude weighs more than all her 'real' bebes put together. Seriously. You should have heard the noises coming from the front yard as Jess and I were rolling the snowman parts around. Good thing we had two strapping LePage men to muscle the pieces together.

I sure hope NormanSpencerHarry can withstand the impending storm that's a brewin' out to the west. Supposed to be a nasty one they say. Whoever 'they' are. If it's as bad as 'they' say it it will be, then we outta be seein' some snow drifts taller than our beloved snowman in the next day or two.

And I'm just gonna end on this note:

All because two people fell in love.

Hit the Deck!

2011-01-26T07:35:00.000-08:00

I didn't even know he knew what that meant! I imagine he may have learned it from Captain Feathersword? Anyways...when I yelled it, he did it. And it was funny.He's just a funny guy that Lukas. And Landry? Well she's just a funny gal: Oh Landry! Your excitement is priceless! ...and the look on Logan's face pretty much sums up how he felt about Buccaneer Bay. Logan is our most sensitive child.He despises crowds, particularly loud crowds. So you can imagine how intimidated he must have been by nearly 1,000 screaming (read: excited) kids, water falls, boats, treasure chests filling with water and pouring 100's of gallons of water on unexpectant kids, parents yelling at their youngins to "stop running", life guard whistles blowing at said running children, and cold water splashing all over the place.

But then...

oh but then!...

He discovered the hot tub.

And then we were all pretty happy to be at Buccaneer Bay on that freezing Saturday afternoon. And LaLa Girl got to show off her teeny weeny yellow polk-a-dot bikini.

OK. So it wasn't teeny weeny or yellow polk-a-dot. But she did get to wear her very first two piece. Complete with pig tails. Excuse me while I go and eat up my baby girl....

See all that hot tub love? Does anyone else think that this girl takes after her daddy? It's definitely the eyes and lips...and cheeks and love of hot tub.I am always baffled by just how much love I have for these three little blessings.

Heart is melting again....

Pig Tales

2011-01-20T18:23:00.000-08:00

Does this pig make you think of Landry?

No?

Well what if I throw this picture up?First, let me clarify. I am not claiming my daughter is a pig. Although she does eat a ton. She still is not a pig. Unless it's bananas she's eating....

Anyways, back to my point.

Landry is sporting her very first set of pig tails!And she's quite happy about it too.Except in this photo she wasn't too happy about it. But I am not convinced it's the pig tails she's complaining about. Could be she was hungry. What a pig! Just kiddin' sweet baby girl. I'd feed you all day long if it's what you wanted. Promise.A comb and a toothbrush. Basic necessities are what this girl is all about.Maybe with some practice I will actually get your pig tails even? I have a feeling I'm gonna get lots of practice. And that's something I am totally okay with.

Progression

2011-01-07T07:35:00.000-08:00

Homemade Play-Doh is so much fun. Especially when you put candles in it and your mommy actually lights the candles and lets you blow them out. Exactly 29 times in a row. The twenty ninth time is just as exciting as the first time!

Stubborn little candle! Ha!

Since the Christmas season is over and I am not taking classes this semester it has been so wonderful to have these mornings at home! In fact, I am still in my jammies as I post this blog. But shhhhh...don't tell anyone! It's almost noon already. Two of my three children are dressed...but that's only because one had to leave for school and the other had a messy diaper. Otherwise I am quite certain we would all still be comfy in our sleeping clothes!

Anyways, I digress.

Back to moments of progression.

Can you guess what my very most favorite part of this picture is?

Check out the look on Landry's face as she analyzes what Logan is teaching her.
Ok. I probably outta get a shower and clean clothes. The neighbors are complaining about the rotten smell coming from our house...

Is that me?

...naahhhh it must be the two dirty diapers sitting outside the front door.

Too bad the garbage collectors came earlier this morning. Gonna be a long seven days for those diapers in the garbage bin!

My children are most definitely LePages! ...especially when it comes to their digestive systems. At least it all works, right?

A Little Fuzzz

2011-01-05T08:48:00.000-08:00

I often wonder what goes through the minds of babes.

Like when you see a hole in a pillow and in that hole is some fuzzy white looking stuff. Do you instinctively do this?:If you were almost three years old you would. Because then you could do this:And this:Forget that the pillow will be flat. Cease the moment and use your imagination! Pillow fuzz makes perfect-pick-up-truck-hauling-goodies. Especially when you are only almost three years old. Sweet innocence. Innocence like this:

And this: (Santa came. He drank all his milk and had a bite or two of a cookie and truffle!)

3 Ladies, 3 Days, 1000 miles. 1 Car.

2010-12-02T12:57:00.000-08:00

We three: Decided to go support these two: (photo courtesy of Bekah's wedding photographer.)

Because they are family of this family:(photo courtesy of Bekah's wedding photographer.)

...so we set our sights on Kansas City. Jess was in the driver's seat:
...and I won't go into any more details about that minor detail...she knows, gam knows, and I know. And that's all you need to know! Obviously, we had a fun time. Who wouldn't have a fun time during a girls weekend road trip? I think Jess and Gam were giggling about what took place earlier in the day. All I can say is that gam pulled a Jess. Big. Time. And there are photos to prove it. But, alas, I am a nice daughter-in-law so I will choose to not divulge any secrets from the weekend. So go ahead and wipe your brow Gam. I ain't spillin' those beans. Speaking of wiping things....did that leaf treat you okay?

Jess got up close and personal with this guy in downtown Kansas City. And it looks as if his other lady friend is none to happy about it...

I, on the other hand, chose to get up close and personal with this guy:This is little Ezra Malachi. My newest nephew. That has to be the best feeling in the whole wide world right there.

And this may be the best picture I have ever taken with my cheap little digital Sony camera:This is my precious little niece, Selah Eden Rose. Delightfully perfect in every way.

Family. Extended family. Far-away family. Family of family. It's all close to my heart. I am thankful for them all. What a blessing we all are to each other. My eyes are set on the impending Christmas holiday. And the chance to spend it with, who else? Family.

Sometimes its Random

2010-11-22T07:25:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I feel like doing this:

Does this make the rest of the world disappear? If it does and sometime you can't find me then you might try looking in our basket in the living room.

Um, Logan? Logan. Are you finding what you are looking for?

By the way - isn't that the cutest little patootie? What is it about jeans on little people?? My heart melts.

Can you say SUCKER? WOW! Those things are almost as big as my little prince charming's faces! Thanks daddy for finding us some huge chunks of pure sugar! Nothing like making your child's face light up!Speaking of lit up faces! Would ya just look at my girl!? Heart is still melting...Does this picture remind you of anyone? Just tune in to one episode of The Big Bang Theory...then get back to me with your answer!

And because I feel like documenting things:

This is our latest activity. Potty training. Maybe. According to Logan "it's not workin'!" Pretty soon we are gonna learn just how much he really wants that candy! Poo Poo for Puzzles could turn into Potty for Candy...although that's not nearly as fun to say as Poo Poo for Puzzles. But hey, what ever works! Right?

Boo!

2010-10-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

...mmmmm! Roasted pumpkin seeds. Absolutely deee-lish! Although my amazing mama-in-law would disagree. I didn't believe anyone could dislike something smothered in olive oil, salt and baked to perfection until I watched her slowly chew up a perfectly roasted seed and ever so delicately open the trash can and spit! sigh. Guess I can't please everyone.

But I digress.

In order to get those seeds to roast we had to work as a family. Time to carve a pumpkin!

Lukas was none too happy at the prospect of gutting the orange beast that stared him in the face. This is our child with an all too strong gag reflex. The child that only poo pooed in his pants one time because I threatened him with the idea that next time he would have to clean up the mess himself. He nearly threw up at the idea of that consequence. Yes. Lukas was very quickly potty trained. Price. Less!

So anyways, back to carving pumpkins.

Even La La Girl was in on the action.

And Lo Lo too.

My loving husband got to be artist for a day. He was even allowed to play with sharp knives. Pretty neat, huh? Lukas had the idea of the glasses. Turned out okay, didn't it?

We think so too.

Now. If we can keep the neighborhood hooligans from snatching it off our front porch we might just be in business!

Documenting

2010-10-07T11:45:00.001-07:00

I feel as though this hair must be documented. Have you ever seen anything so out of control? It literally just stands on top of her head. I could wet it all down and comb it over and it would still dry in a big poof on top of her head. And for the record...since I am documenting, I think it is absolutely adorable. I wouldn't change a single thing about you Little La La Girl! Crazy hair and all.

Fall is in the Air

2010-10-04T07:16:00.000-07:00

Apples and Pumpkins.

Clearly, fall is here!

Last year at about this same time we were on our way back from somewhere (I can't remember where - its been a whole year and my mind is fried from a wonderfully full weekend!) and we happened upon this little Apple Orchard. McClure's Tate Orchard to be exact. And What. A. Place. It was so wonderful we decided to go back again this year. The downside? We only wished he had more time to spend there!

We ate lunch at the Apple Dumplin' Inn, walked up and down the apple tree orchards, played with the barn animals, fed the barn animals and even rode some of the barn animals.

We picked apples, selected a pumpkin, chose apples for teachers, apples for pies, drank warm cider, ate dumplins and watched out for bees that were busy making honey! Can you guess which pumpkin was my favorite in this picture?And now for a very rare family photo:If you notice Logan then you will understand why it is so difficult to get a photo of us all together. The fact that he is kissing a pumpkin squash warms my heart to the core. The fact that Lukas has an amazing smile warms my heart. Landry's half on and half off socks warm my heart. And the fact that my husband packed Landry around the orchard warmed my heart, although I am sure I would have been much warmer had I been the one to haul her around! But this made it all okay that I was cold:

Daddy's lil' girl.

Life is so good.

Three Things

2010-09-25T18:54:00.000-07:00

1. 2.

The End.

Pee Wee's

2010-09-16T19:16:00.001-07:00

There couldn't be anything cuter than a bunch a little boys in their itty bitty official baseball uniforms. Do you suppose Derek Jeter or perhaps Babe Ruth has a photo floating around of their self at this age striking this exact same pose? Or how about Yogi Berra and the catchers get-up?Who knows what's in store for Mr. Lukas Magilacuttey. But I am sure it's gonna be something great. Even if he's not a Babe or Yogi.

Speaking of Babe's:And Yogi's:Oh Logan! How I can't wait for the day you bring your best girl home to meet your mom and dad and I get to whip out this photo! Once again I am plagued by the question of 'why on earth did He make our fingers the exact size of the opening to our nose?' It's almost as if it was meant to be. Nose picking. And chocolate covered pretzel eating.

And for the record that cute little Battle Ground Tomahawks little league team did win their game!

Need a Laugh?

2010-08-26T11:34:00.001-07:00

Then you've come to the right place. Seriously. If you are not giggling right along with 'da boys then I will give you a quarter.

My favorite part about this video (aside from Logan's incredibly contagious laugh) is the realness of our oldest. He's an actor you see. So when he realizes the camera is rolling everything about him changes. His voice, his stance, his smile...and I-love-every-bit-of-you-Mr.-Lukas-Magilacuttey. But I love even more your real self. And this is him, real. He knew I had the camera, but he didn't know it was in video mode. Priceless.

Campfires

2010-08-18T13:05:00.000-07:00

Hello Fire Pit. We sure are happy to have you around. This was our very first campfire for our little family. And Papaw and Gammie were our very first house guests in our new home. So we did what LePage's do best. We campfired it up. Complete with S'mores!Could there possibly be anything cuter than this smile? And if you were thinking that our middle child looks a little drippy, I'd like to inform you that yes, he is indeed soaked. Because we had an impromptu water fight. Those are the best kind. The impromptu ones. The ones where you are all in your dry clothes and mom doesn't get mad when you get all wet. And she also doesn't get mad at you for spraying your little brother. No better place to dry off.

Landry and Gammie got to hang out together. They were safe from the water hose in the dry zone. I was there in that zone too. We gals melt when we get sprayed.

So earlier I mentioned S'mores. Here is our oldest getting a lesson on how to be very careful with the marshmallow (and hot dog) poker.Ahhhhh....one S'more comin' up! Did I ever mention that S'mores might be one of my very favorite things? Watching others enjoy them is pretty neat too.What a fun night...and so very relaxing. Just look at these chill dudes.

PIZZA

2010-07-29T13:34:00.000-07:00

Hi. Remember me?

I know it's been an incredibly long time since the last post. Forgive me. How about this for an apology:Pizza makes everything better.Even Landry thinks so. Look at those two handsome guys. I have recently learned that everything must be purchased in twos -when it comes to the boys. Lukas was our only for so long, he didn't have to share. Now that Logan is here and old enough to stand up for himself he desires what ever it might be that his BuBu has in his hot little hands. So - we got two pizzas to make.They both had an amazing time putting the pizza together. Logan's favorite part was the cheese. Lukas kinda enjoyed the peperoni placement. And it's here that I will tell you - because you cannot see this from the photo above - but Logan loves pineapple. He was picking those tidbits off that pizza faster than I could put them on. IT was HILARIOUS! This reminds me of another story. Hope you want to hear it - it is a good one: Lukas was about a year and a half old and it was Jimmy's (my amazing step dad) birthday. Jimmy's favorite cake is pineapple upside down cake. So Lukas and I made that cake. After it was all ready we went and surprised Jimmy. I placed the cake on the counter and promptly placed Lukas down on a stool next to the cake. I turned around to talk to Jimmy for maybe 20 seconds. When I turned back around every single cherry was gone! And there sat a happy Lukas with sticky fingers and great big smile. sigh I will never forget that story. Or the look on Lukas's face. Priceless. Precious.

So anyways, back to pizza:All smothered in cheese and ready to bake!Can I just say DELICIOUS!? And look at that boy slice that pie. Master chef. Pizza. Quite possible the very best food. Ever.

A Baby Story

2010-03-28T13:04:00.000-07:00

God is so good. We have been blessed beyond imagination.

It all started on Monday morning at 7:30. Check in to the hospital for a scheduled induction. Done. Get settled. Done. IV started. Done. Cervadil. Done. Now we wait for something to start happening. We waited. WAITED. 12 hours now. Not much is happening. A few contractions here and there. About every 10-15 minutes or so. But as any woman who has given birth knows. 10-15 minutes is no where near where we needed to be! Bring on the Pitocin. Done. Try to sleep through the night. Kinda Done. Hearing other women screaming in pain. The sweet faint cries of newborn babies all through the night. Hard to sleep through that. Wishing it was ME! 12 hours of Pitocin and hardly a change. 9:30 Tuesday morning the decision is that I will agree to stay through the day but I will not put myself through another miserable night in the hospital for nothing! Realizing that my body just isn't ready this becomes OK with us. Joe will go back to work. I will go back to work and class and we will let nature take its coarse....

And just when the decision is made, at 1pm my water broke. All on its own. Well maybe Landry's long fingernails had something to do with it? Anyways...I was just so glad it happened. Now we knew we were gonna have a baby on this day one way or another!

At 2:30pm its time for an epidural. I didn't want to get past the point of now return, ya know? Now I have had two babies before. And two epidurals before. I totally know what to expect. And the anesthesiologist was a hilarious guy. But he was having some problems. Major problems with this epidural. Problems he hadn't really ever experienced before. He had to stick me TWICE....can I get an "oh! my! Poor Reagan!" from all my co-epidural birth givers?? Not only did he stick me twice he had to massage and push and keep pushing. Apparently I have some spine problems and its not just Sciatica I have been suffering from. But this was preventing him from getting the needle where it needed to go into my spine. He just kept hitting "bone" was his word. And trust me. I felt every hit. After a short break, a call to another anesthesiologist, and some more waiting. The epidural was in. WOW. I probably could have just given birth and it would have been easier than that. Even my loving husband had to leave the room. I am quite certain I have never made those noises before. I wonder what the other laboring ladies were thinking?

At 5:20 pm on March 23rd this little lady came into the world: Landry Blair. 8lbs. 10oz and 20.5 inches long.

Can you imagine her size had she stayed in another week or two?? Me either.

She has been so totally worth every ache and pain. I knew she would be too.

Welcome to this world Landry Blair. We can't wait to see you grow up in it and experience all that there is. What a precious gift. Children really are a wonderful gift from God.

Belated Birthday

2010-02-24T10:14:00.000-08:00

OK. So I know I'm a little behind. But in my defense I AM 36 weeks pregnant, a student, a mom, a part-time worker, a wife, a referee, a judge, healer of all minor wounds....need I say more? However, we did not forget about our youngest turning 2! I think both my loving husband and I were in awe at how fast the last two years flew right by. I still remember holding our newborn baby and thinking "hold on to this, its gonna fly by." So I held on tighter than I should have and it still flew by, darn it! How could you just not hold on to this precious chunk of love??

And before we knew it he was smearing his first birthday cake all over his face.And then all of a sudden he was holding a big boy cup and celebrating his 2nd birthday in his Papaw's big Gym with all of our new Indiana friends. Logan, you are truly something special! You have a zest for life and a smile that lights up an entire room. Everyone can see your happiness in your eyes. I cannot wait to see what the next year of your life brings our family! I have a feeling it's gonna be lots of laughs if this video is a sign of things to come!

Boys Will Be Boys

2010-01-19T14:01:00.000-08:00

Bath time in the LePage home is probably one of the boys' favorite times. And since my brain is fried from my newly acquired Anatomy and Physiology class, I have no particular thoughts to say aloud. I feel as though I have been in a haze since last Tuesday. A haze filled with thoughts of protons, neutrons, the Table of Elements, what makes Hydrogen, covalent bonds, the four quadrants of the abdominal cavity, and where on earth the spleen is located....among so many other thoughts. sigh. My. Head. Hurts. And I have class again tonight....sigh. Oh, but don't get me too wrong: I am way excited about it. Really. I am. I cannot wait for it to all make sense and to understand it all. Watch out world, here comes Nurse Reagan!

So anyways, I am just gonna post these photos and you will get a tiny glimpse of just how much fun we have at bath time in our little part of the world. And yes....water gets every where. Usually by the end of it all the tub is empty and the floor is full. Of water.Yes, that's the look they boys get from their mama when she realizes just how much water the floor is full of. Then they both do that face and how can I be mad when I know how much fun they had getting the water from point A to point B?Just look at this sweetness:And this sweetness:Yes, we have smugness too:Here's some more:
And then there's Tarzan. Do you hear him roaring?

A Boy. Some Snow. A Sled. A Hill.

2010-01-09T17:54:00.001-08:00

Sledding! And it was his very first time to sled down a hill and let's just say....he LOVED it! Lukas, that is. Logan. Well, um, Logan didn't so much. Logan didn't even like putting on his snow gear. You won't see Logan in any of the following photos. He was an unhappy little boy and he ended up sitting in the car playing with his beloved Choo-Choos. It's just where he belonged today. Lukas? Well Lukas belonged on the hill! He really did have a blast. And never once complained about the frigid 15 degree weather or the wind that made it feel like 10 below zero! Again, welcome to Indiana Reagan. shiver.

He even tried out the whole snowboarding thing. I dunno. But it looks to me like he has pretty good form, huh? Or maybe it's good surfing form. Then we could go some where warm!

Everyone knows that you just go faster when there are two on a sled:

And that this usually happens at the bottom of the hill:

Um, my loving husband, you may need a bigger saucer?I'm just sayin'. That's all.

Would you just look at that face of complete happiness??

Now, excuse me while I go defrost my toes, fingers and nose, and grab a cup of hot coffee!

Brothers

2009-12-29T07:58:00.000-08:00

Just a little fun on the couch.

I am so glad Lukas and Logan have each other. And I am even more glad they enjoy each other. What could be more fun than this? Ahhhhh....my boys. I love my boys.

A Photo Opp...or so I thought.

2009-12-21T09:42:00.000-08:00

I really just wanted a good picture of the three little boy cousins. And I thought I had my moment. But I have learned it will be nearly impossible to get that perfect picture. Too much energy running through these guys! So, here's what happened:Sat the boys on the coffee table-slash-foot stool-slash-jungle gym. Do you think they would all look at me and smile at the same time? Noooooooo!This was an almost got it. Aside from Logan's cookey left eye thing, Lukas' deer in the headlights look, and Micah's sippy cup. We almost had it here. Almost.Then, big brother decides to grab little brother, just to see what happens.Here, Micah decided enough was enough and slipped down off the coffee table-slash-foot stool-slash-jungle gym.Then Logan decided he had had enough. And as you can see, this totally bummed out brother Lukas. Then, Lukas decided to lay down on the coffee table-slash-foot stool-slash-jungle gym. And Logan knew what should happen next:Logan, strong boy, succeeded in pushing his big brother off the coffee table-slash-foot stool-slash-jungle gym. Micah thought this was neat, so he decided to come join the photo opp again. Or maybe he just wanted in on the pushing of Lukas off the coffee table-slash-foot stool-slash-jungle gym....

Either way I am photo less. Well, not photo less really. I have lots of photos of these precious boys. Just not a single one of them all looking and smiling at me. sigh. Oh well. I have lots of those on my mental camera. This one did come close though...except Lukas is missing.

Oh, here's Lukas. Doing what he does best, when he shoulda been in the above photo!I don't blame ya dude. That is the most comfy spot on the blue couch.

Long Ago

2009-12-16T10:50:00.000-08:00

Long ago...well actually, about a year and a half ago, I started this blog. Mostly to share the tales of our family with our family members who were far, far away. I also made mention that this might give my loving husband a chance to write and show off his abilities as a writer, because he is indeed good at writing. Well, we all know that hasn't happened. Until now anyways. And actually, he has no idea I am doing this. But as I read through the email he sent to a couple of our family members this morning I just knew it had to be shared with all our family and friends!

Good Wednesday everyone. I just had to share this story with you, while it's still fresh in my head. Enjoy.

Okay, so we went to our cub scout pack meeting last night at Lukas' school. A "bingo gift exchange" was publicized. I explained to Lukas what a "white elephant gift exchange" was but I told him I didn't know how this one would work. Lukas is stoked at his present possibilities.

We walk into the cafeteria and Lukas puts his wrapped gift with all the other wrapped gifts. After the pledge and announcements the game begins. Each father and son is given a bingo card and about half a bag of mini-marshmallows...enough marshmallows to feed the entire county, but the kids are told not to eat them. Here, let me load this gun, now don't shoot it.

We wait and fill in our bingo card...Lukas was probably the 6th or 7th winner, understand cards weren't cleared during the bingo process so winners were yelling out their elation about every 15 seconds. After Lukas' victory he walks down to the present table to make his selection. He's back in probably a minute later(it took him a while to find the perfect "gift").

The box he's chosen is a perfect cube. I know this isn't a good sign. Lukas later told me he thought a "big car" was inside. No chance. His unbridled excitement quickly turned to dismay when he unwrapped and saw the contents of his square of sorrow....a GIANT Hershey Kiss ?! What is a 6 year old going to do with that ? He looked at me, with these big puppy eyes and asked, "Daddy, when do we trade them?"

I informed our oldest that it wasn't that type of game and he got what he got...an intelligent, evening-saving question followed: "Can I TRADE if someone WANTS this gift?" I told him there was no harm in trying. And just like that he was off like a shot, a used car salesman on the pitch, targeting anyone, friend or foe who was lucky enough to reel in something that wasn't the worst gift in the history of gift-giving for kids under the age of 10.

I gotta hand it to our boy, he had a short-term memory, one denial didn't affect his pitch to the next huge embarrassing failure. Finally, his hard work paid off. The boy sitting next to Lukas as the bingo game was being played won and picked out a present as Lukas was on the prowl. He got a package of 5 Hot Wheels cars. Lukas tried his pitch one last time.....and the sucker bought it!!!! Happiness restored on the face of that boy of mine and he held them in the air as if he had made the cars with his own 2 hands.

But our story isn't over.....

A couple minutes later, the mother of our knight-in-awful-gift-giving-shining-armor walks up to our new best friend, gives him a puzzled look and says: "You picked out the one you brought, huh?" The look Lukas and I shared as we walked out of the cafeteria, recapping what kind of disappointment almost happened was priceless. What a way to welcome in the gift-giving season. Now I can't wait to see his face when he opens up a few more gifts this weekend.

Have joy-filled day my family, Joe

Thankful for Family

2009-11-30T07:47:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-18T17:17:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-03T07:16:00.000-08:00

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

2009-10-28T10:32:00.001-07:00

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

2009-10-27T08:09:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-10-15T08:23:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-01T15:54:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-24T07:02:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-14T09:33:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-10T17:08:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-17T06:28:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-05T06:49:00.001-07:00

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

2009-07-31T20:01:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-28T19:37:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-27T09:28:00.001-07:00

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

2009-06-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-30T08:51:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-28T12:18:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-05-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-14T07:33:00.001-07:00

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

2009-05-06T18:28:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-05-03T18:45:00.001-07:00

All Gone!

Home Grown

2009-05-01T20:30:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-04-26T15:56:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-21T19:23:00.001-07:00

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

2009-04-16T20:23:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-14T07:29:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-10T19:36:00.000-07:00

“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

2009-04-09T20:38:00.000-07:00

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

Camera Problems

2009-04-01T07:50:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-03-25T19:39:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-03-19T05:38:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-03-16T19:01:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-03-12T18:14:00.000-07:00

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...)

2009-03-04T09:37:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-21T19:17:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-18T19:44:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-02-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

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.

2009-02-09T08:34:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-03T20:06:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-01T20:00:00.000-08:00

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'!

2009-01-28T19:36:00.000-08:00

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?

2009-01-20T18:15:00.001-08:00

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

2009-01-14T18:59:00.001-08:00

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

2009-01-12T20:13:00.001-08:00

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....

2009-01-08T18:44:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-30T14:08:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-19T06:45:00.000-08:00

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.

2008-12-17T07:37:00.000-08:00

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!

Wanna watch a couple short movies?

2008-12-13T09:07:00.000-08:00

Staring Lukas and Logan!

This is Lukas learning to read. It is such a sweet sound. We are so proud of him! Wait for the end - as he describes what that thing is on his finger!

And then there was Logan. Not to be out done, he decides to hit a major milestone as well:

Again, they cease to amaze us. They are growing so fast, right before our very eyes. These little videos are only small snip-its of what is happening day after day in our home. We are truly blessed.

Christmas Cookies

2008-12-05T20:55:00.000-08:00

Well, we tried anyways. This is the recipe from Pioneer Woman's holiday cooking. And she even states that "they may not be the fanciest cookies around, but they are so so good". And as you can see, they sure don't look very pretty or tasty. But ohhhh they were so yummy! Besides, the point of it was to be able to let Lukas experience the fun of making sugar cookies with icing and decorating with even more icing. All for a boy who does not like icing. But he was still stoked about the idea.

And of course, the sprinkles were the very best part. I think we may have gone through two bottles of the messy little things. Oh, and naturally, as my luck would have it, they didn't 'stick' to the cookies. So, while they looked cute sitting there all colorful, the moment you pick one up to anticipate the exact second that your lips will meet the divine sweetness of this holiday goodness, you hear it. You know. The rainy sound of all the sprinkles hitting the floor. And as you jump back to realize what has just happened, you inevitably step on exactly 1000 of them. Then they stick to your socks all night. And if you are real lucky, you will then step in a drop of water and then you have pink, red, blue and white streaks all over the kitchen floor...and carpet. All hypothetically, of course. Oh, whats that? Did it sound like I was talking from experience? Yeah. Maybe I was. Maybe that's why it's already almost midnight and I just sat down from cleaning the kitchen and scrubbing aforementioned floors. All in the name of sharing holiday joys with my oldest boy. And yeah, it was totally worth it! Oh, and we got some mighty tasty cookies out of the whole mess. Logan was there to help too. He sat on the floor and got a head start on picking up the sprinkles. Although, I am quite certain he didn't put them in the trash can...the 10 second rule is still in effect, right?

A Trip to the Zoo

2008-11-28T14:23:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We sure did. We spent ours with some close friends. Ate lots, relaxed lots, watched football lots and ate lots more! With Thanksgiving, came our first 'school break'. A whole week. Lukas was more than thrilled. So, with all this time off, we had to find some ways to busy ourselves. My friend Meaghan had a great idea - the Zoo. I remember when I first moved to Tyler and learned that there was a zoo here. I had these images in my mind that didn't include real zoo animals. You know. The elephants, giraffes, lions..etc. Boy, was I wrong. The zoo here - Caldwell Zoo, is actually one of the best zoos I have been to. It has every animal you could imagine. Lukas' personal favorite are the anteaters. I have absolutely no idea why. But that is what he looks forward to every time we go. He will run by the white tigers, elephants, rhinos, giraffes, otters, penguins and go straight for the anteaters. Oh, he might make a pit stop by they snakes. shiver. Ugh. I very strongly dislike snakes. Big and small. Nice or not. Venom or no venom. NO thank you! None for me. I'll pass. And here's why:Yeah. The look on Matthew's face pretty much says it all. That's exactly how I feel about the slithery things! On a happier note:Three little bambinos. Oh, yeah - and you can kinda see the giraffes in the background. I guess I need to work on my photography skills, huh? That's just me though. More focused on the kids than on what's going on around us. And speaking of being focused:

Logan sure had a good time. Eating his beloved Cheerios, that is. And pausing to pose for this awesome photo opp:No, really. He did have a good time and he enjoyed stopping to see all the different animals - as long as they were brightly colored and not being all sedentary like those crocodiles were acting. See, this photo really misses the look on Logan's face. Like I said earlier - I need to work on my photographing abilities. But he was totally focused on those pretty pink birds. Here's one where I changed my focus:Only because he was trying to get at Logan's Cheerios! I wanted to give him one sooo bad, but I held myself back. Cuz I am sure he would have told all of his other little billie friends and then they would have all been trying to stick their funny looking tongues through that fence. Oh, and just one more crazy animal:Oh, wait. That was not an animal we saw at the zoo. This was an animal I spotted outside our brand new digs. But, like I always say: 'better out than in'! I am shivering. Again. Now, if I could just get my hands on that big snake...I am certain he'd take care of this little problem!

Legos & Lukas

2008-11-22T17:33:00.000-08:00

Legos. A true childhood joy. Lukas didn't really have any interest in the bright and colorful blocks until about 6 months ago. And it's been nonstop since. He sure does get proud of his creations. I remember him bringing something into the bedroom and placing it on the dresser with strict orders to "leave it there and don't let anyone take it apart!" It would stay there for days...until my OCD would kick in and I would have the sudden urge to take it away from the bedroom and break it apart and place it neatly back in the Lego box. Would Lukas notice? You betcha, he'd notice. I got the biggest "awwwwww mommy! I built that for you!" sigh. What's an OCD mommy to do?
Logan has already developed a rather large interest in the bright blocks. It acutally started with the Big Yellow Bus that carried the over sized legos. Logan was all about the bus...and he would immediately turn the bus over and spin the wheels. Over and over. Eventually he turned to the blocks inside the bus. And now that he has discovered his older brothers littler - is that a word? legos he goes nuts with them. He gets so excited. My boys. They like their Legos. And I like when they can play together. It's the sweetest thing to witness: And just in case you forgot, Lukas is a boy of many faces..none of which smile sweetly or shyly - is that a word? for the camera.This is the best he could do. I wonder what his senior pictures will look like? I cant wait to see those in about 13 years...

Elfs!

2008-11-20T14:50:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

All Better

2008-11-17T19:54:00.000-08:00

After a week or so of battling fevers, I think they are all better. Logan got it first, then of course Lukas thought he needed it and we certainly can't keep these things to ourselves so, sorry Kim, I am certain that Lukas went ahead and shared it with Jonathan (albeit before we knew Lukas had it!), who shared it with Kaleigh who shared...well, you know the story. I am happy to report that we now have two, happy, healthy boys who are, once again, full of energy!

And in my effort to continue to give thanks:

21. Thermometers that are digital and light up for those 2am readings.

22. Infant Ibuprofen

23. Children's Tylenol

24. new babies (welcome Tyler!)

25. Diet Coke

26. That Lukas can ride his bike with his buddies on his 'day off' (aka Saturday).

27. Blogger

28. Girls Night

29. Nicholas Sparks

30. A husband who enjoys taking care of his kids

31. Double Dave's Pizza

32. Ebay

33. Fall and the leaves changing colors and falling from the trees

34. The cooler weather

35. Warm fuzzy hats and gloves

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. 1 chr 16:34

Like Father, Like Sons?

2008-11-11T20:41:00.000-08:00

Is it bad that I am constantly comparing my boys? Actually, I am not sure if comparing is the right word here. It's just so funny to me how much Logan reminds me of Lukas and Lukas reminds me of my loving husband ~ which would equal Logan reminding me of my loving husband as well wouldn't it? They all do some of the same things (they also all three have the EXACT same feet, and as my boys know, I LOVE me some baby piggies - aka feet?!
It just strikes me as...I dunno, weird. Almost surreal. I mean, I know these boys came from the same parents, but to have so many similarities...
You all will remember this:

LUKAS LOGAN
Well, tonight I went to check on my boys and when I walked into Logan's room and peered over his crib here is what I saw:
Cute, huh? Totally racked. I think the LePages call this "one leg up".

But, the moment I saw it, it brought back this memory:Uncanny isn't it? I wonder if Logan will always follow in Lukas' footsteps?

Oh yeah...one more thing...

I wonder who they get it from?

This, my friends is the Lepage "one leg up". Total comfort and relaxation. I will never forget my sister-in-law telling me a story about how someone was a knockin' on her door and she was annoyed cuz, "c'mon! I had one leg up!"

Although I was not born a LePage like my loving husband (pictured above) or my sister-in-law, I have married into the LePage family. And, in my years as a family member, I have had many moments to try this little maneuver out. and Ahhhhhh. Oh yeeeahhhh..... it IS comfy! ("I DO like green eggs and ham sam i am!") Try it. I dare ya.

Giving Thanks

2008-11-07T11:59:00.000-08:00

Lists. I love lists. I really do. Christmas card lists, Christmas wish lists, the what-to-pack-for-the-Holiday-vacation list, grocery list for Thanksgiving Dinner. It's just that time of year for lists. And, I know I am not alone. I know I have friends who also feel the same absolute joy and fulfilment of Making The List.

I am also good at keeping other lists. You know the ones. The list of how many ways someone has hurt me. The list of all the injustices forced upon me. The list of all my losses, failings and inadequacies. The list of all the what-ifs. These are not the lists I write down. And they are not the lists I am proud of. Isn't it remarkable how quickly we can recall these lists in detail when we are down? Why is it that when one situation brings pain…it revives the wounds of other situations that are similar? Sometimes I wish our brains could just permanently erase things. But then we would have to erase some of the good too...and who wants to do that? He says that there will be trials and tribulations. BUT:

My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life. ps 119:50

One of our beloved missionaries in the Glenwood Church of Christ, Cheryl, has been making a list called One Thousand Gifts. Actually - I think she started it over a year ago. But I have thought about that blog post of hers so much in the last year and every time she makes a new post of all that she is thankful for I feel more and more convicted to do the same. So, here I go in my effort to turn my focus...And give thanks.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. 1 chr 16:34

My goal is to post parts of the list over the next year. I’m working towards 1000….making note of the things that God is giving me everyday. And what better time to start than today - just as we all begin to 'Think Thanksgiving'. Yep. Today is the perfect day to start.

1. My precious boys.

2. The ability to hear the giggles of those boys.

3. A faithful and loving husband.

4. My husband playing with our kids.

5. Rain.

6. Church Family.

7. Cookies.

8. Memories of my daddy.

9. Friends.

10. Vacations.

11. A warm bed.

12. Wal-Mart.

13. The Internet and it's ability to help me stay in touch with friends and family.

14. Driving in the car with the windows down and sunroof open.

15. Hearing my oldest singing "Shout Hallelujah!"

16. Watching my youngest learn to clap his hands.

17. That my husband and I both have secure jobs.

18. For another day to live the life I have been given.

19. The health of my family and myself.

20. Changing of the seasons.

I hope this jogs you a little bit, like it has me. Perhaps you will feel the same convictions I have. I give my many thanks each day in my talks with God. This is a little out of my element. And that, my friends, is a good thing.

Photo Tag

2008-11-04T19:28:00.000-08:00

I got this idea from my friends Kim and Chelsea. Here's the scoop: Post your first picture from your first photo file, second photo from your second photo file, third from the third...etc all the way to 10. No editing, no cheating. So, here I go...I have no idea what I am about to find. It's kind of exciting...
From the April 2008 folder - Lukas' fifth birthday at Jumpin Jacks Party Shack

From the August 2008 folder ~ Logan's first sink bath

From the Branson, MO file...me and my loving husband posing for this fine photo opp on the train.

From the Easter file ~ Lukas first time to dye Easter Eggs. I think he was just about to turn 4.

From the Family Visit February 08 - Logan's Gammie get some snuggles!

From the January 07 file...my boys!

From the June 08 file...Logan loves to swim!

From the July 07 file...*SIGH* Freckles and Sir Napoleon LePage the First. What more can I say? From the March 07 file...Galveston Island, Spring Break.

From the May 08 file...Logan LOVED to look at himself in the mirror. In fact, he still does!

OK - now it's YOUR turn! Come on, you know you want to...it'll be fun. I promise!

Anybody else on a sugar high??

2008-11-01T09:06:00.000-07:00

Well, it came and went. Again. It always does. Halloween. And now, the candy. Oh, the candy! Biggest thanks to all the strangers (and friends) out there who handed us all that sweetness! We had a great time. We joined my friend Stephanie and two of her three kids. The oldest and her husband were gone, cuz today marks the opening of "Huntin' Season." Up north - that day is a sacred holiday! And her family knows that cuz they have lived 'up north'.
Lukas had a great time. But I first have to start with this:Yes, that's a Mohawk. And yes, that's a white t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up, minus the cigarette carton. Yesterday was 50's day at Lukas' school. He was thrilled with his Mohawk. I should have taken a better picture, he has dark jeans on and they are rolled up as well. He really fit the part well. As he ran off into the school, my mind was cluttered with images of the movie Pleasantville. He coulda stepped right off the set! Proud mamma!
Then there is this: Yep, that's our Lukas. Never one to pose nicely or sweetly for a picture. Some day, I imagine, I will get used to it! That's the crew. Stephanie watches Logan for us a few hours a week so I can bring some kind of income home. Her kids are totally crazy for the baby... Aspen was dressed as a baby - if you couldn't already tell. Blake is Bible Man. And Lukas, of course, if Jeff Gordon. I found myself watching Lukas run around in his little jumpsuit and thinking, "wow, that COULD be him one day..." then my heart sank and I immediately started worrying about him and then flashes of all those car wrecks on the race tracks...*shutter*. Leave it to a mom to ruin a moment! Lukas - you can be whatever you wanna be! Don't ya ever let me hold ya back baby!

And this one is for my friend Sharon. I know, I never post photos of myself. It's not on purpose, I promise! It's just that I am always the one taking the picture. And last night as we were getting ready to trick or treat, Lukas saw me snapping all these pictures and he said, "here mommy, let me take the picture!" My heart melted and I gave my biggest smile! Maybe he won't be a NASCAR driver. He seems to have a knack with the camera: