Father's Day

We typically go to the Lake on Father's Day, but it's been a couple of years since we have. Jenny's aunt and uncle have a condo in Hot Springs, and things worked out for us to be with them again this year...

What better way for a young dad to spend Father's Day than with his two boys? I'm constantly in shock that I have two sons. It's exactly what I always wanted. And I really think that if we're able to have another baby - we'll have another boy.

Which is really ironic since I'm just not that manly. There, I said it. I don't hunt. I don't own camouflage. I don't like war movies and video games. I hate bodily noises and I always use a napkin. I am a habitual re-arranger with an eye for detail and design.

But - I love cars. I love college football. I love working in the yard. And I love my two boys, so if I have to learn to shoot a deer or do whatever it is you do to a fish before grilling it - I'll do it.

Luke loves being in the pool. Our gym has a huge indoor pool, and he's in it fairly often. This was his first time outdoors, so he had to have his hat and covered raft.

Ben's in the middle of swimming lessons right now, so he's jumping off the edge and putting his head under (sort of) and doing all sorts of new stuff.

Ben was dying to go on Uncle Bob's Boat, but after we ate, swam, fished off the dock and got the boat out, he was worn. out. And the kid has the greatest sunglasses around and he refuses to wear them. Seriously.

After a few minutes of cruising with Daddy, he needed to go sit with Poppa.

Then he fell asleep.

Weekend at Bernie's, anyone?

Nothing like waves and water to wear you out.

Luke.

Luke, Luke, Luke.

Where do we even begin with Luke? His personality has come out. All out. This is the sweetest, happiest baby I've ever seen. He seriously smiles all the time. And how stinking cute is he with a bald head? Jenny LOVES bald-headed babies. Our neighbors in Waco had boy and girl twins and the boy was named Tate. He had the biggest, sweetest bald head. Luke reminds me of Tate. Benjamin had a FULL head of hair from the second he came out. It's a fun change having that big bare head.

He's found his hands and feet, and he's gonna be a sucker. He fights his hands out of his swaddle so that he can suck on his fingers. When he's in the swing or bouncer or car seat he's playing with his toes.

And he's big enough for the Johnny Jump-up, which is hilarious. He sort of sits cock-eyed, with one leg up and one leg touching the ground. Then he just spins on his tip-toe. It's about the cutest thing I've ever seen.

You can make him laugh in a split second - just catch his eye and coo at him and he's done.

And I can't even begin to talk about this. They're watching Scooby Doo.

Scooby.

Doo.

That's it.

That's as good as it gets.

Loving Life with Luke

Our little Luke turned three months on Friday. He's got to be the most chill baby on the planet. He is so easy...

Then again, Ben was easy. Then he turned three.

He smiles ALL. THE. TIME.


We tried to put him in the bumbo in the bathtub with big brother. Bumbos float. Who knew!?!

He has definitely found his hands. Which makes travel problematic...he pulls his Paci out every five seconds. And I either have to pull over or Jenny has to do a one and a half gainer over the front seat to put the paci back in. She hits her head on the DVD console every time. It's not pretty.

Ben is really starting to enjoy Luke being around. He reminds us...us - as if - to be quiet when Luke is going to sleep. He loves to burp him, and to just pat him and kiss him.

I love the way he says, "Dat's my bay-bee bruh-dah."

We talk all the time about what these two are going to be like when they share a room and bunk beds. I think they'll just stay in there talking. Or at least, they'll be in there together. Benjamin will be scheming something. Like catapulting buzz lightyear off the top bunk, or turning the ladder into a slide that ends right at the mouth of Brendam Dock on the train table. And Luke will just smile and take it all in.

That pretty much sums us up - watching Ben while he's hatching a scheme, while Luke sits there and smiles.

They are going to be completely different. I know it.

Family Pride.

My Brother took these over Memorial Day weekend...

There are no words...

Okay, well...who am I kidding...there are always words.

A few weeks ago, one of our friends from my last church sent us this Fireman Costume for Ben. He absolutely loves it - even in the summer heat. We were at my parents' for Memorial Day Weekend, so he was able to demonstrate proper fire extinguishing protocol.

My father has an affinity for odd purchases from flea markets and garage sales, and I have to admit that he sometimes has a very keen eye. For instance, the hose nozzle. PERFECT for turning a common hose into a fireman's hose.

It's been a busy, busy few weeks.

This past Sunday was Celebration Sunday at our church. It was our pastor's 10th anniversary, and we had a huge event on the site of our future building. We had lunch on the grounds, the pool was open and cleaned-up, and everyone was able to be together rather than our usual morning of two services.

I'm in the middle of preparations for VBS next week - and of course the weather is already insanely hot. We're just praying that no kids have heat stroke/exhaustion during the events.

And this week is my mother's official first week of retirement. Last Friday was the final day of her 43-year tenure as a classroom teacher (probably 95% of which time has been spent as a Kindergarten teacher). It's kind of surreal for both of my parents to be retiring - it just hasn't hit me yet that Dad is finishing up as well. He's a counselor, so it's not as involved for him to pack it up. Mom, on the other hand, had tons of stuff to pack up, throw away and give away.

Dad still has a couple of weeks left on the job - finishing test reports and posting grades, and all of the other minutia that goes along with the administrative end of a school year.

My brother commented that if you want to buy my mother a retirement gift, a bucket of range balls for Dad is the perfect fit - each one'll keep Dad out of the house for about 90 minutes.

I'm insanely proud of my parents, and I can't help but think back on all of the times they went above and beyond the call - attending sporting events and after hours engagements to support their kids, Dad playing "Donkey Basketball" as a fundraiser, the calls he would make on behalf of families of children with special needs. Dad's an information HOUND...and he doesn't take no for an answer. Hours upon hours of telephone calls resulted in families knowing exactly where to go for assistance...when they had no previous knowledge that assistance even existed.

I'm looking forward to seeing lots more of them in the coming years. I told my mother that this 43 year run in the classroom was nothing but a prolonged conditioning exercise to keep up with her grandkids.

It's a race I know they are both ready to embark on.