Dad - I Am Running Out of Juice!

Luke practicing his defence stance during a practice.
(Luke is the second from the right.)

Dearest Joshua and Luke,

Funny story of the week:  You both had your basketball games on Saturday this week.  Luke always play first.  As I have mentioned before, basketball and playing sports has not been Luke's most favorite things to do, but he does like being with friends and being part of a team.  He is usually most interested in talking to the other kids and even sharing an Avatar move or two for the team.  But I will say that Luke likes to stay with the team most of the time during the game, so when he sees his team chasing the basketball down the court, he will follow the team.  He does not like to get too close to the ball in case of an accidental body injury if the basketball touches him.  :)  By the fourth quarter, Luke is getting very tired.  It does take a lot of effort to run up and down the basketball court?  Just about the time he is in the middle of the court, trailing behind both teams, he looks at Eric and says, "Dad!  I am running out of juice!"  The spectators burst into laughter.  Yes, that's my Luke!   Sweet, funny, and adorable Luke!

Coach J helping Joshua line up his shot!

This has been a bit of a troubling week for Joshua.  We have spent some time learning about friends, best friends, etc.  Joshua came home from school very sad about his best friend in his class.  He was sad because his friend did not want to sit by him at story time that day.  I explained to him that a best friend does not always have to sit next to him.  Someone can be your best friend, and still not sit by you every day. At first, I did not realize just how devastating this was for you.  But I do know that you are a sensitive guy, and I can see why your feelings were hurt. 

To begin with, your "best friend" is a very good friend, and will be very good friends with you for a long time.  You both have many things in common and enjoy doing lots of the same things.  He is a very nice boy.  Secondly, you have lots of friends in your class and other classes.  This is not your only friend.  I explained to Joshua the importance of sitting by and playing with other friends once in while.  Once he got to school the next day, his best friend told him that they were still best friends and that he just wanted to sit by someone else yesterday.  Joshua felt so much better.  I hope he did learn that it is OK to have many friends and to sit by other friends sometime.  One thing I realized is how much it hurts to see you cry and be so sad about something I have very little control over.  It feels like up to now I have been able to "fix" so many things and to help in so many situations, but this made me feel pretty helpless.  I know I do not like this feeling, but I know there is much more to come in life.  I promise I will help you grow stronger in dealing with these things (and I will learn and get stronger, too.)



The Little Chiefs - Luke's team

Let's talk about friends.  I had a few friends that I grew up with, lived in my neighborhood, spent the night at each other's houses, etc.  I have so any great memories of these friends.   Some of them were even in my wedding.  Then, I met new friends in high school.  Again, great times with great friends.  After I got married, I had my college friends.  Later on, work or "school" friends.  Since I have been out of the classroom, I see these friends less and less all the time.  Great times and great friends all the way around in all of these different settings.  I have been very blessed.  Then, we have our friends that we have met through our kids and their school, classes, sporting events, etc.  I will tell you that I feel very blessed to have a few close friends that have been with me through many of these different parts of my life..  I treasure each one of my friends in a different and special way. 

Best Buds

I  must mention one of my friends this week - Jan - and ask you for prayers for her family.  This is a sweet friend that I worked with at Belle Valley in the teaching part of my life.  Jan was always an inspiration to me as a teacher.  She knew her kids well, taught them well, and the kids LOVED her.  She was also a very good friend.  I do not see Jan very much these days, but maybe two or three times per year.  I have been thinking about her a lot the last several days because her son, Marc, passed away this week.  Jan loved her family and especially her son, Marc.  I can vividly remember her telling stories of things she and Marc did together, and how much she loved being a mom.  I am certain that she loved her son, Marc, as much as I love both of you.  I feel so much sadness for her and her family.  Even though I do not see Jan very much these days, I hope Jan knows that she has a very special place in my heart, and that I would do anything in the world for her.  I wish I could take some of her pain away right now.  I wish I could tell her that God is faithful and will help her heal.  For now, please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers. 

I love you both to the moon and back.  X's and O's 43 million times until googleplex.  And yes - THAT IS A LOT!!!!!!   Also, I wish you both lots of friends, good memories, people to share your life with, etc. I also wish for you that you have a few really good friends that you can count on throughout your life. That is when you will really recognize your blessings.  I know I have recognized mine! 

Love,
Mama

Loves

Luke & Joshua with Honey Bear & Mr. Lovey Dovey Guy

Dear Joshua and Luke,

     Valentine's Day is always a treat with you two.  You both LOVE making valentine's.  And you also love receiving them.  Daddy and I have always liked Valentine's Day, too which is why our wedding anniversary is just a few days from the actual day.  Valentine's Day is always a good day to remind friends and loved ones how much you love them.  We all enjoyed making valentine cards for each other.  And we took you to make your own stuffed bear and cheetah for Valentine's Day.  It was so exciting to put a wish inside your stuffie before you finally "filled" him up.

Levi, Ashton, Joshua & Luke

We also enjoyed watching some eagles up the River Road with some friends.  This is an annual trip for us, but it was extra cool taking good friends with us.  It always makes it so special to have a friend along.  We stopped to see the Piasa bird, and we took the ferry across the Mississippi River.  We even walked the trails at Pere Marquette.  It was a windy, but beautiful day.  A great day for a walk.  You both found a cave with Daddy on your walk down a new trail.  It looked like an old abandoned house from many years ago, but it was a great cave to explore.  You called it the Litteken cave just in case it had not been discovered before.  :) 

Inside the Litteken cave.

Joshua taking the ball down the court. 

Joshua seems to love playing basketball.  So far, he says it is his favorite sport!  At this time, I kinda think it is his favorite.  At least until soccer starts again! 

Luke following the ball down the court.

Luke likes basketball, but I can not say that he loves it just yet.  He loves going and seeing Avery, one of his sweet teammates.  He also loved practicing "Avatar" moves at the players.  He is keeping his eye one the ball for the most part, and keeps up with the other players. 

Joshua, Luke & Ashton making Easter sun catchers.

We were very blessed to spend the afternoon with Ashton. He is a very nice young man that Joshua (and Luke) adore and love spending time with. It is always fun to have him at our house. Today they played robbers, made Easter sun catchers and door know hangers. These boys love crafts, and it is a lot of fun doing it with them.

I love you both more today than I did yesterday.

Love,

Mama

Thoughts on Our 23 Years Together

Dear Joshua and Luke,

Daddy and I celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary this weekend.  You both had a valentine sleepover at Grammy and Papa's house.  Dad and I had a quiet weekend together.  After going to church with both of you and Grammy, we went out to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants from way back ~ Sweet Tomatoes.  The best salads and soups anywhere!  We talked a lot about you guys and our last twenty-three years together.  You will be glad to know that it was unanimous that you two are the best things that have come out of our marriage.  You both are gifts and miracles at the same time.  We went to the movies, went shopping, slept in late, and drove around in the afternoon looking for houses.  We used to drive around to look at houses and things all the time.  It was a great way to spend the day.  You both had a great day, too.  After watching a movie at Grammy and Papa's house, you played and played with toys that Grandma has picked out special for you.  Then, she took you shopping at the book store, to a movie, then out to eat at Steak 'N Shake.  It was a great time for both of you!

As I have blogged to you before, marriage is really hard sometimes, but the payoff outweighs the hard work.  I am sure you know the cliche' ~  Nothing good is ever easy.  Here are a few things that Dad and I find very important on our marriage.  First of all, keep God as a central part of your relationship.  Pray together every day.  I honestly believe that this is one of the essential parts of a relationship, especially a long term one.  You might have heard another saying, "The family that prays together, stays together."  Communicate, communicate, and communicate some more.  Respectfully of course.  Really listen to each other.  I do not claim to be experts at either of these things, but I know they are important to us and our relationship.  Knowing how to say you are sorry has been important to us.  And saying it sincerely.  Now I know you will not need this marriage advice until you are at least thirty, but that's OK.  You can save this blog for use much later on.   

You both had your first basketball game this week.  Luke's team is called Little Chiefs.  Luke was excited to play.  When he first got to the gym, he sat down and talked to his friend, Avery.  Luke loves that part of basketball.  But we were really proud of you. Luke stayed on the court in his spot for defense.  He ran down the court, and kept his eye on the ball most of the time.  Joshua's team is called the Blue Sharks.  Joshua has a lot of speed going up and down the court.  He can dribble and run fast.  He really knows how to move the ball.  You both worked hard with your team, and we are very proud of you. 

I love you more today than yesterday.

Love,
Mama

You Are Always In My Heart

Luke, Daddy, Mama, and Joshua with
the proud graduate.

Dearest Joshua and Luke,

Onyx has been with us for about six weeks now.  She is about seven months old, give or take a few weeks.  She enjoys playing outside and exploring every inch of our yard. She loves walks, fetching any one of her toys, and petting of any kind.  She just graduated from obedience class; however, she still has a lot to learn ~ like it is not OK to jump on both of you even if she thinks you are puppies, too and she should not chase or bite you either.  She is learning......

You both began basketball practice this week.  You both have the  most awesome coaches.  It is obvious that this is Joshua's second year playing basketball.  He is so fast at dribbling the ball down the court, and he can make some baskets!  Luke is very serious about learning everything he can about basketball.  He listens so intently to his coach in order to pick up every detail that he can.  He is working hard, too!  Daddy and I are so proud of you both for working so hard and doing your best to learn everything you can. 

We spent Saturday morning at Soulard Market.  It was so much fun!  This is the first time we have been there in the winter.  It was as busy as ever.  Dad and I are making a BIG effort to eat a lot more fruit and vegetables lately so this was the perfect place to go. You two scored big.  Not only did we leave with a tone of fruit and veggies, but you both left with a new animal hat that is just adorable.  The hat is super warm, and there is a scarf and mittens attached.  You both also wanted some fresh flowers to bring home, so of course you got that, too.  It was a great way to spend a wintery Saturday morning. 

Luke at school practicing for his concert.

Luke decided this week that he needed to play his recorder at school for his classmates.  The children have been studying the instruments in the orchestra so this seemed fitting.  After getting permission from Miss Vicki, he planned is day.  He announced that he wanted to wear a tie (just like Joshua did).  Since Luke did not have his own tie, Joshua quickly volunteered his tie to Luke.  He even told Luke that he could wear his shirt that goes with the tie.  The next morning, Joshua woke up and immediately went to Luke's bedroom to get Luke ready for school.  It was so cute watching Joshua button Luke's shirt and put on his tie.  This was one of the many brotherly love moments that was awesome to watch.  Luke went to school and proudly played, "Jingle Bells," and "Mary Had a Little Lamb."  I think we have two musicians on our hands!

So by now you have figured it out......Onyx, basketball, Soulard Market, and a recorder were all a part of our week.  Strange combination when you look at it as a list, but it really amounted to a lot of fun and good memories for our family!

Cute story of the week from Luke: Luke gets a coy grin on his face, looks at me and says, "Mama, I always know where you are."  I replied, "Luke, how do you always know where I am?"  Luke smiles so sweetly and says, "Because you are always in my heart!"  Talk about melting my heart. 

Just in case I have not told you both, I always know where you are because you are always in my heart. too.  I love you both so dearly.

Love,
Mama

Life Lesson #672b...Family Traditions

Breakfast at McDonald's before the trip!

Dear Joshua and Luke,

Family Traditions are important to me.  We have many of them that I hope you remember many years from now.  And hopefully you will do a few of these as you get older and have your own families, but also it is important to develop your own family traditions.  One of our many traditions is to make a once a year journey around southern Illinois, particularly in the winter time.  It is a long day for us, but very much worth it.

Look at all of those birds!  Joshua was chasing
them with corn and berry seed mix! 

We started doing this day trip any years ago with Grammy and Papa.  They would take us a long.  I remember studying for my college tests and doing some reading for college classes while we went along for the ride.  We would also peruse the Sunday paper and drink big cups of coffee on the way.  It was always an enjoyable time.  We were sad this year that Grammy and Papa could not go with us this year, but hopefully they will be with us another time. 

Luke casting his batman fishing pole!

We started out by attending mass in a very small church in Fayetteville ~ Saint Pancriatius.  I counted about 65 others, including Father Elmar.  We have attended this church a few times a year.  It is one of Daddy's favorites.  Once in a while we will make it a point to attend there just to enjoy the closeness of the community.  After mass we headed to Sparta, IL for our yearly trip to Bucheits.  We stopped at McDonald's for a  leisurely breakfast before the shopping at Bucheit's.  It is a fun store to visit for many reasons.  First, you both love the free popcorn to eat while you shop.  Next, you love looking at the animal traps, deer hunting supplies, dog toys and stuff,  and too many other things to mention.  After about an hour visit, we left Sparta for Baldwin Lake. 

Baldwin Lake is always a lot of fun because there are so many ducks and geese.  We usually take bread to feed them.  This year we bought corn and berry seed to share with them.  There were so many geese, it was unbelievable!  I think the geese were a little spooked because of the last day of deer hunting and lots of shots being fired!  Joshua enjoyed feeding the geese while Luke had fun fishing with his new Batman fishing pole.  As we drove through the preserve for one last drive through, Luke asked to roll his window down.  He hollered out the window, "Deer!  Run away!  The hunters are coming after you!"  I have a feeling that Luke will not be the most enthusiastic hunter in our house (if at all).  Who knows? 

You might have thought this was the way home, but no!  The
thirty minute ride from Baldwin to Chester was a great time
to rest up!

The next destination on our trip was Chester, IL ~ the home of Popeye the sailor man.  The boys took a 45 minute nap between Baldwin and Chester.  I think chasing geese and fishing really tired them out!  We visited the Popeye statue, Bluto's statue and Wimpy's statue.  After Popeye. Luke was too cold and tired to get out again.  We ended our visit in Chester with a dinner at the Reid Harvest House, a favorite each and every year.  Joshua loves to eat his fill of spinach here.  He loves to eat spinach, but somehow eating it in Popeye's hometown, makes it even better!

Daddy, Luke, and Joshua posing with Popeye.

Luke is ready to punch Bluto with Daddy and
Joshua to back him up!

On the way home, Luke entertained us with many of his favorite songs ~ Joy to the World, Jingle Bells, and several of his own made up rhymes.  Luke is asking so many questions and really trying to figure out the world around him.  The most difficult question of the day to answer was, "How do fish say hello to people?"  My newest response is, "I do not know for sure.  What do you think?"  Luke does not particularly like that response because he can get very irritated and say, "Mom!  I want to know what you think!" 

Joshua falls for Wimpy's standard line,
"I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today!

Another great memory making day.  I truly enjoy spending every single moment of time with you two and Daddy.  These kind of days and memories make me very happy.  And I look forward to experiencing it with both of you again next year.  I love you both more today than yesterday.

Onyx was one happy puppy to see us when we finally got home!

Love,
Mama

Last Week of 2011

Luke & Scout dressed up!

Dear Joshua & Luke,

We spent the last week of 2011 in Branson as we have done every year for the past six or seven years.  It was filled with fun ~ swimming, playing, movies, Daddy's good grilling, two shows in Branson, shopping, just a fun filled week.

We watched Mr. Popper's Penguins (a new movie that Luke got for Christmas!) about four times that week.  We swam a lot - both at the inside pool as well as the outdoor hot tub.  Believe it or not, the weather was in the 50's or 60's most days which helped as we transitioned from swimming inside and outside several times!  We saw The Amazing Pet show one day.  It gave us lots of ideas of things we could train Onyx to do!  We also saw the Acrobats of China.  That was an amazing show, too, Both shows were very good.  It was slightly difficult to get you two away from the Dixie Stampede and Kirby van Burch this year, but it is important to see a variety of shows to see what else you might like!

Luke, Joshua, & Batman at the Amazing Pet Show

Joshua & Luke with two of the performers
from Acrobats of CHINA

I love watching how much you have both grown in your swimming skills.  Joshua is so brave.  He likes to dive in the water and retrieve a torpedo.  He also likes to swim around the outside edge of the pool with his snorkle and googles.  Luke is brave, too.  He still wears a life vest in the water, but he is all over the pool.  He swims everywhere and every which way.  You are both fish in the water!  This summer will be even more fun at the pool! 



Miss Jenny, Mr. Allen, and us at dinner.

We were also lucky to meet up with Miss Jenny and her husband in Branson, too.  Miss Jenny works with me at school, and it was fun to get to sit down and talk instead of always trying to catch up between the hustle and bustle of what is happening at school.  We went to the fish hatchery together, and out to dinner.  After dinner we all went back to our condo and watched ~ you guessed it ~ Mr. Popper's Penguins again! We felt blessed to get to spend some time with family! 





The boys celebrating the New Year with poppers!

We are usually in Branson on New Year's Eve, but this year we came back to spend it with some friends.  It was fun to do for a change.  You both played and played ~ and stayed up until midnight.  You even watched a movie - well, you probably already figured out the name of it!  Mom and Dad chatted and chatted with their parents.  It was definitely a good time! It was a great way to end 2011. 

I love you more today than yesterday.

Love,
Mama

The Wait Is Over.........

Captain Luke...Captain Rex

Dearest Joshua and Luke,

Yes, the wait is over for this year. Christmas has finally arrived. And no we weren't just waiting for Christmas presents, but for the true purpose of Christmas!  We celebrated the birth of Jesus by retelling the story many times, especially by going through the Way of Lights, reading the story, attending mass during Advent, giving presents to those families that needed it the most, decorating the house (even though Joshua felt like we did not decorate as much this year as we did in past years), watching our favorite Christmas shows like Little Drummer Boy, Frosty the Snowman and even watching a few new ones.  We introduced Onyx to Santa Paws which has been a favorite of ours, too.

Joshua playing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Something new that was added to our Christmas celebration this year was Joshua playing the piano. He volunteered to play the piano at school during the Christmas sing along. He played Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer in front of a crowd of about four hundred students and more adults. Joshua was thrilled to perform. He picked out his best clothes - a suit and tie with his best Sunday shoes (actually his only Sunday shoes!). There were six other children that layer the piano and one that played the violin. It was awesome! Joshua was the last to play. He could hardly wait for his turn. His special friend, Sophia, played first and he followed her. He proudly walked up with his piano book, sat down and played his heart out. After the song,he looked at his music teacher to see if y some chance, she wanted him to play another song. He stood up and bowed. Then, he went back to his seat. And yes, I was one proud mommy! We were lucky that Dad got to see the performance, too.

Luke and the candy cane man

Joshua was also scheduled to play Christmas music at the assisted living center where Grandma lives. Once again, he could cold hardly wait for his moment. Luke accompanied him this time. Luke was dressed in his Phineas and Ferb pajamas, a Santa hat, and carrying a reindeer bag full of candy canes. Luke was Santa's little helper. Besides looking. Melt.y adorable, Luke gave candy canes to anyone that looked his way, delivered with his beautiful smile and a " Ho Ho Merry Christmas!". Yes, once again we were very proud parents. There was also one very proud Grandma and Aunt there, too.

Christmas Eve was more low key than usual. Nana and Aunt Lisa came over to see us! It was a special visit, the first time they have been to our new house. They brought loads of gifts for you, too. Way too much in fact. These boys are so spoiled. After a nice visit, we ventured to Christmas Eve mass. There is another whole story to tell here, but I am not going to write it here. Let's just say that Luke and I went back to church on Christmas Day as an opportunity for him to show me how to behave appropriately at church. I enjoyed hearing another Christmas message, and the special time Luke and I had together.  :)

Daddy & Joshua with their Red Ryder BB guns

On Christmas Day we had a lazy day at home.  Grandma Nichols and Grammy and Papa came to our house to celebrate Christmas.  You both loved showing off your new toys.  Joshua received a Red Ryder BB gun, plastic pellet guns, a Jedi robe, Lego sets, Connect Four, Trouble, Checkers, Tic Tac Toe, a remote control car....I could go on and on.  Luke received a special Batman book starring him, Joshua and all of his cousins, an electric keyboard, Lego sets, Lego Walkie Talkies, a Captain Rex costume and so much more!  Yes, you were both definitely spoiled. 

Grammy & Luke with Scout

The day after Christmas led us to Branson to spend the last week of the year as we usually do most years.  I love you to the moon and back and back again!

Love,
Mama