Last Days of Summer

I was working diligently in the kitchen this morning, wiping counters and putting away dishes when I happened to glance outside. The boys were both playing at the sand and water table. I immediately left my work and grabbed my camera. I only got one shot of the two of them together, but it was worth it. The fact is that our lives are changing very soon. Luke and I will be doing preschool together in our home three days a week during the morning. While the preschool schedule definitely allows for free play and exploration, there will be more schedule than our lazy summer mornings have held. Part of me is extremely excited to be returning to a structured schedule. And part of me will miss watching the boys spend their morning inventing a new way to play with the Brio trains. But all of me rejoices that both Luke and Paul will be starting the BSF preschool program together in a few weeks. It's going to be great!

Before the picture, a quick quote from Luke. He was showing me his money, an odd assortment of change acquired mostly from grandparents. When I asked him which coins were his favorite, he pointed to the dimes and said, "I like the diamonds the best." Who doesn't? :-)

Brothers

Luke's New Song

Luke has taken to making up new songs. Today while we were driving to a friend's house he sang these words from the backseat. As soon as I got to a stoplight I started writing them down because I loved them so much. I double checked them with Luke and he confirmed them, so here they are for your enjoyment. The tune is completely nebulous and changes every time, so just make up your own.

One time Jesus and His disciples
were riding in a boat.
Suddenly a big storm came.
Jesus woke up
and made the storm stop.

Jesus is powerful.
Jesus is powerful.
Only He can make a storm stop.

I love it. He told a story about Jesus and shared a principle truth that he learned from the story. He's such a BSFer!
Speaking of which, classes start soon. Are you interested in studying the Bible? Are you available either one evening a week or one morning a week? Visit www.bsfinternational.org and find a class near you! :-)

Four Years Old

Luke turned four years old today. Yesterday evening after having finished all the preparations for today's celebration, Erik and I had so much fun reminiscing about where we were four years ago. In some ways it really hasn't been that long and God has brought us so far. When Luke was born we were living in a little tiny house, Erik was underemployed, and we were about to take huge leaps of faith. It's incredible to me how far the Lord has brought us in just four years. As for Luke, that guy just seems big and mature to me. His long legs can't possibly belong to my first-born! And at this very moment, he is quietly playing with the wooden "build it yourself" cars he received for his birthday, using skills I didn't realize he had. Love it.
The celebration itself was held at a train park about an hour from our house, way out in the country. The drive itself is fun and entertaining, with many sights of farm machinery and farm animals. There was the slight hiccup in that the party was supposed to start at 11am and the park doesn't open until noon. A few phone calls and most people realized they were no longer going to be fashionably late, but right on time. :-) As for us, we drove into the little town and enjoyed french fries. Luke was completely delighted!
Upon our arrival at the train park, I was once again completely thrilled with this venue. Picnic tables, wide open spaces, and trains. A mother's dream come true! The last time we visited Luke was only two years old and wasn't willing to ride. Today was completely different. As soon as we had settled our stuff and a few guests had arrived, Luke was ready to ride! Paul was close behind. We all waited patiently in line and hopped aboard. We waved to everyone and thoroughly enjoyed every moment. Here are the pics to prove it!

The boys watching the trains. It is so fun to have friends with kids that are Luke's age!

Luke and Mommy riding, followed by Grandma and guest.

Opening presents in the special red chair.

What a spread! Hot dogs, chips, strawberries, carrots, and water! Luke ate mostly chips. It's his birthday, so I let the nutritionist part of my job description take a backseat.

August So Far

Wow. It's been a month since I posted. We have been doing some really fun stuff, but I have been busy. I guess the biggest news is that Erik and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary on August 7th. We were so blessed to have a week to ourselves at the cabin in Sunriver. Many thanks to the grandparents for making this possible. We are grateful to God for your love and support of us and your grandsons. Best anniversary gift ever! Here's a picture from our trip.

Our good friends, Bob and Liza, joined us Thursday for the remainder of the week. We all took a jaunt over to the lava cast forest. Bob took this picture of us. Pretty cool.

In other news, the boys have been enjoying swimming lessons at our local community center. Luke is doing very well, learning to put his face in the water and float on his back. He is very enthusiastic about going each morning. Most days he is well behaved and obedient to his teachers. He did so well during his first two week session that they moved him up to the next class. He's no longer a goldfish; he's a penguin. Cuteness. Here's some pics.

Luke's best back float so far.

Bubble blowing with Teacher Anthony and Teacher Jeannie

Paul just started this week and has been a bit more hesitant about the swimming thing. I attend his class with him. The first day he spent the entire thirty minutes glued to my hip, with his arms wrapped tight around me. The next day I think he might have unglued himself for a total of four minutes our of the thirty. Improvement! Wednesday and today have seen him continue to be more comfortable. His teacher, Kalynne, is the sweetest girl. She gives him high-fives and smiles even when he is somewhat surly. Back floats are his least favorite. The whole pool can hear our attempts. That kid can SCREAM! He will survive. And I'm getting an amazing workout each morning, wrestling with Paul, lifting Paul, and basically doing squats for a half hour. Here are a few pics my mom snapped from across the pool.

"See, Oma. This pool thing isn't so bad."