The Lukes of Hazzard

Our Holiday Season

2012-01-09T08:29:00.001-08:00

Pictured: Johnson in his green birthday hat from preschool. Johnson with friends on his birthday at the Legacy Pool. Johnson with his Transformer cake. London posed in front of the Christmas tree. Mason and Johnson showing off the gingerbread house. Daddy and kids coming down the stairs at Mawmaw and Pawpaw's Christmas morning. Mason playing with the train Santa brought. Johnson smiling in front of the tent set Santa brought. London climbing in the tent. The boys showing off the marshmallow snowmen they made. Kate and London bundled up against the cold at a visit to Gardner village. Mawmaw posing with the boys in front of the Elves cottage at Gardner village.

We were very blessed this holiday season to spend time with our family and friends. Christmas was delightful and we enjoyed our time with the Lukes', mom and dad, Meg, Mike, and Kate as well as a visit from my cousin Katlyn.
The most fun we had was with our family. A trip to Temple Square to see the lights, making and decorating a gingerbread house with the boys, creating marshmallow snowmen, hot chocolate, reading Christmas stories daily, baking and delivering treats to neighbors and friends, sharing memories with the extended family, special dinners, and Family Home Evening's were just a taste of all that was good this season.
The best thing that could have started out the holiday season, happened on Dec. 2nd. We celebrated Johnson's 5th birthday! We did a family party with pizza, cake and Transformer cake and the next day Johnson and two of his friends had a great time swimming at the Legacy center. We love Johnson and are grateful we are his parents. Here is a list of things that describe him:
-Ever patient and kind, he always finds time to help Mason put his shoes on or pick London up if she needs a squeeze. He is our biggest helper and takes that job seriously.
-He loves to read and will sit for hours listening to Mommy read or books on tape. He always asks wonderful questions about the characters and is good at predicting what will happen next.
-Johnson is a great friend to his siblings and his friends as well as to Mommy and Daddy. Recently, while at Temple square, Mommy asked to hold his hand. Johnson asked, "Is it because your hands are cold?". Mommy replied "Yes", afraid that is she didn't he might not hold her hand. Johnson held her hand and with his teeth, pulled the glove off his free hand and handed it to Mommy saying, "Here mom, this will keep your hand warm." He is a great example.
-He loves the gospel and is always excited to tell about what he is learning in Primary. He shares his testimony with us and we can just get a glimpse of the great man he will become.
-Always ready for a good time, Johnson is constantly ready for the next fun thing we will do as a family. He always has great suggestions for what we could do that would be fun. He is famous for saying, "Mom, one day we should go do ________." Often that day finds us sooner than he thinks!
-Johnson is honest. When he has done somthing wrong, he is quick to apologize and make amends.
-He loves Power Rangers, the Super Hero Squad, Transformers (although he has never seen the movies;), and his Toy Story blanket and puppy.
-His favorite meal is macaroni and cheese with summer sausage. For breakfast, he loves pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes and his favorite dessert is homemade cookies or ice cream. He is not a fan of cake- just like mom!
-We love when Johnson gives us hugs and kisses and especially when he explains what he is thinking. This is usually done with much hand motion and facial expression.
-Johnson loves playing outdoors and wearing basketball shorts. He cannot wait for Spring to come around and is always disappointed when Mommy reminds him that it is far away:).
-We love Johnson and the kind, generous, thoughtful, sweet, loving, good, and special little man he is. We are grateful to have him in our lives and look forward to the coming years with him. Happy Birhtday Johnson!
Mommy, Daddy, Mason, and London

We Give Thanks...

2011-11-28T08:56:00.000-08:00

This month of November, our family made a "Thankful Garland". For each day of the month, we each picked an item we were thankful for and wrote it on a leaf to add to our garland. Here are some of the things that we said:
I Am Thankful For-
*my blankie
*my dog Boomer
*my bed
*my bike
*my sister, brother, mommy and daddy
*my kids
*our house
*our food
* our clothing
* the Gospel
* our Savior, Jesus Christ
*pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes
*my birthday
*playing outside
*my healthy body
*my friends
*my cousins
*Maw-Maw, Paw-Paw, Grandma, and Grandpa
*my puppy and pup-pup
*EACH OTHER.
We hope all of you had a fabulous Thanksgiving. We are grateful for each of you and the part of our lives you have become and will continue to be. Above all, we recognize all our blessings come from a loving Heavenly Father and our greatest gift of the Atonement has been lovingly given by our Savior. We love each other and are thankful for this life.
John, Rachel, Johnson, Mason, London, (and we had to include Boomer on this one;)
*pictured: London eating Banana Creme Pie, Johnson the Pilgrim and Daddy posing after Johnson's Preschool Thanksgiving Feast, Mason and Daddy riding a ride at Trafalga;)

This is Halloween...

2011-11-11T09:07:00.000-08:00

The month of October flew by our house and we had the best Halloween season yet. The kids and I really worked hard on the decorations for our house and the kids really appreciated the spider webs I do all over the house;). We started the month working in our Ward's garden collecting beans, tomatoes, squash and bunches of corn stalks that still adorn my festive porch. The boys were a little skeptical about going to work in the garden...especially the "work" part! After all the work however, the boys had a tremendous time racing through the corn stalks and playing hide n seek. They were really sad to leave but I promised them we would go again next year.
Our first October Monday night lent itself to a trip to a local pumpkin patch to get our family pumpkins. We even picked a "london-sized" one perfect for her tiny hands. Kids were happy and we were happy to donate to a good cause since all proceeds go to the Perpetual Education Fund that helps fund education for those who need it.
Johnson's preschool scheduled a trip to a local pumpkin patch that boasted a mini petting farm, hay ride, mini maze, corn stalk tunnel, and hay trampoline (yes, a trampoline of hay). The kids had a great time seeing the animals and more than once Johnson had to go fish a lost kid out of the maze (he is the tallest and brightest in his class-both facts to me!). Mason got all wide-eyed when the farmer announced that the Pumpkin Fairy had visited and hidden pumkins for them to find. And find they did! It was a great day filled with new memories.
We had a great opportunity to revisit the cabin for the last time this season and we had friends in tow. The Ratliff's and Morgan's joined us for a truly fabulous trip. The 8 kids had a blast playing with each other and despite the chilly weather, we still had a lot of fun touring and shopping West Yellowstone, viewing Old Faithful, having a bonfire, playing games, watching movies, and eating loads of junk! It was an awesome trip and we are grateful to John's family for their generosity in letting us use their beautiful cabin.
The first annual Luke Halloween Party was held at Grandma and Grandpas house and couldn't be beat! Everyone pitched in with spooky-fun crafts and games and grandma made sure the ghouls had full tummies with good things to eat. Everyone dressed up for the occasion and we all had a splendid time. We are already looking forward to next year!
Mom's school hosted a fun carnival that the kids and I attended. The kids had a great time running through the bounce houses, sliding down the shark slide, and riding the train. The evening was complete with pizza, snowcones, and cotton candy- thanks Maw-Maw! We had a great time!
All our fun culminated on the week of Halloween. We threw another rockin party complete with a scavenger hunt this year. All guests agreed that the scavenger hunt must be a repeat for the next year. We had a great turn out and gave out great prizes- we love doing that party! We then got to celebrate big time with our kids Halloween day with a visit to Grandma Mary's apartment and daddy's work where we were able to deliver spooky treats. That night, after crazily selling our van minutes earlier, we enjoyed a night of much treating and just a few tricks as John and Paw-Paw led the kids in Trick or Treating and I held the fort down at home. John let me know that Johnson kicked it into high gear this year by sprinting to at least 3 houses for every 1 he and Mason did. I am glad my son enjoys Halloween as much as his mom! London the pirate, Mason a.k.a "Spiderman", Batman Johnson, Jailbreak John, and Pirate Rachel bid you all adieu...till next year!

Princess London's 1st Birthday

2011-09-27T12:27:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful birthday London had surrounded by her family! Thanks to all who came to the birthday dinner and made it so special;). Also, big thanks to all the gifts (especially clothing) and cards- we really appreciate it and so does London....she just can't express it!
Check out her gorgeous party dress that Maw-Maw bought her. I had so many compliments at church on that dress and when I went to put it on her, she just kept giggling and playing with the skirt. We didn't chance the party dress at cake time (the cakes looked like crowns) and London got a quick bath in the kitchen sink after downing two pieces of cake.
As tradition, we have come up with a list of things we love about London:
-She days "daddy" and it melts John's heart soooo fast!
-She has her wide-leg walk that we crack up at
-Her curly hair is to die for;)
-We love how cute her two front teeth when she smiles but not when she bites!
-Her snuggles are so sweet
-Her voice is so soft and feminine....except that is, when one of the boys takes away a toy from her and she feels the need to chew them out.
-We love that she is not a picky eater and that she is the perfect sleeper
-She loves books and we love when she reads them and doesn't rip them!
-We love that she is our daughter and sister.
We feel so truly blessed to have London as part of our family. She is a sweet and special spirit that brings much joy, love, and fun into our lives. We are grateful to our Heavenly Father for entrusting one of his choice daughters in our care. We love you London and Happy Birthday!
Love, Daddy, Mommy, Johnson, and Mason

Mason's 3rd Birthday

2011-09-21T10:28:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all for the birthday cards, presents, and wishes for Mason's 3rd birthday was so wonderful! He had a friend party and a family party complete with water games, jump house and of course cake and ice cream. We did toy story cupcakes for friends and a buzz lightyear spaceship cake with buzz on top. Do you see Mason taking off in the window? We completed the night with pizza and he really had a special birthday thanks to all of you!
We are so grateful for our sweet little Mason man! He is truly a choice spirit of our Heavenly Father and John and I are so grateful that the Lord entrusted us to raise and love him. Here are some things we love about Mason:
-He gives the greatest "anaconda squeeze" hugs
-He calls London, "ister"
-He smiles.....always:)
-He shares with those who want or need something
-He is quick to say he is sorry
-He is tender to someone when they are hurt
-He says "I love you" at random and appreciated times
-He is his big brother Johnson's best friend
-He is his little sister London's biggest protector
-He gives mommy the 5-point kiss;)
-He is our "chocolate" man
-We love to catch him quietly reading
-He is a bundle of energy
-He is a friend to everyone
-He is our wonderful, talented, independent, loving, caring and special son.
We love you Mason! All 3 years you have given us joy and we look forward to all the joyful years ahead.
Love, Mommy, Daddy, Johnson, and London

Johnson First Day of Preschool

2011-09-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

Johnson was excited to start September with Preschool. His teacher is Mrs. Ari and he goes for 3 hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. His favorite things to do at Preschool are play on the trampoline and tunnel, reading books, and doing sidewalk chalk. We are so excited for Johnson!

August

2011-09-21T10:14:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful August and I am ashamed I haven't posted it until now! Our crowning event was, of course, our second cabin trip which ended up being just our family. We detoured at bear world on the first day of our trip and the kids had a great time seeing bear cubs, petting dear and goats, riding rides and viewing 40 bears, elk, one moose, and some bison all from the saftey of our car. It was well worth the money!
As usual we shopped Yellowstone, visited the park, rafted the river and rode four wheelers. We were able to meet up with our friends the Hunts who own a cabin nearby and participated in most of the activities with them (along with late night movies, games and treats:). We all had a great time!
We hope you like the pics!

JULY

2011-08-08T11:21:00.001-07:00

I knew I would be late on this post since we had such a busy July and have started a busy August. We really had a wonderful time this month and had much to celebrate!
We took a camping trip with friends up Hobble Creek Canyon and had the best time. With 12 kids, 6 families, and lots of great food and visiting we really thought it was one of our best camping trips ever. Big thanks to all our friends!
One of the crowning moments was John's 30th birthday in which we celebrated the "3 Days of 30". We started the week with our annual birthday lunch with mom and dad at tucanos. Afterward, we took the kids up to play at the park in Provo canyon. Then came the weekend! The first day we surprised John at a local lazer tag venue and had pizza, treats, and played games afterward with all our 8th ward friends. They were all really sweet and brought John his favorite treats including jerky, chocolate milk, and dreamscicle oreos (never had them? you may want to try them;). The second day, the whole family surprised John at our home for a party complete with brats, awesome hamburgers (yes, that was alllll me!) and yummy side dishes from the family. Complete with Costco cake, balloons, birthday signs, and decor we ha a great time celebrating with John while also singing 'happy birthday' to Brad who turned 62 and my dad who turned 52. We rocked the night away with Beatles rockband and I finally beat Kevin at Just Dance2 (I still think he let me win;). The family was really kind to write down their favorite memories of John and Brad to give in books as gifts- thanks everyone! The last evening, we came home from Dad's birthday dinner with all of ward friends scaring the pants off John as we walked in the door. We visited and had yet another Costco cake and had millions of kids running all over! Thanks to all who made John's birthday, I quote, "The best birthday (he) ever had".
John quickly left all the birthday fun behind to attend scout camp for half a week and really had a great time being the "cook" and helping the boys pass off their scouting requirements. His only beef with the camp was he did not get to do any shooting- too expensive! He does have plans in the works to take the boys out again to shoot without it busting the wallet;). Rachel roughed it alone without John with the kiddos but it wasn't too rough since they are the best kids ever!
Our camping trip was the perfect finish to our month of fun. We spent an entire week at the cabin where we spent half the time with the Luke's and the end with Maw-Maw. Johnson and Mason loved sleeping in the bunk beds in the trailer and the non-stop play time with their cousins. We toured Old Faithful, went to church in the A-frame shopped in West Yellowstone, swam the river, went picnicing, fed the seagulls at Big springs, rafted the river, biked, went on MANY nature walks, did awesome Pioneer Day crafts, had movie night, saw bears and wolves at the Discovery Center, and even learned what "scat" means. We had a lovely evening of Rockband with the Luke's and even coined a name for the new band created at the cabin- 'Johnnie and the Scats' (you know you enjoyed it Dave and Mark;). A good time was had by all!
We feel so blessed to be able to spend time with our friends and family members creating these memories and relationships to last a lifetime. We love you all and can't wait for all the adventures in August!

Daisy

2011-07-17T09:40:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, we lost our sweet dog Daisy. I have enjoyed all 16 years of the life I had with her and my kids also enjoyed the 4 1/2 years we spent with her. She was truly a gentle dog whose main goal in life was to be loved. I remember she would nudge her nose under a hanging hand so that the person standing knew she needed to be pet. She would let you pet her all day if you could. My boys loved playing fetch wih her, bathing her, giving her hugs, and (even though it was discouraged) Mason would try to get on her back for a ride. We loved our time with her and she will be truly missed.

Jazzy June

2011-07-01T14:58:00.000-07:00

This month has been quick, fun and pretty interesting! After some warmer weather, our family has been able to enjoy the weather outside more and it is not uncommon for our day to include one of the following: popcicles, water, or outdoor activity;).
We started the month off right by witnessing the blessing of our new niece and cousin, Sarah Luke. It was great to get together as a family and enjoy creating more memories together. We then celebrated Father's Day in style by having two great dinners with each side of the family. Jerky was the hot ticket item this year for all the fathers and I think will have to make a second appearance next year! Finally, Rachel took a last minute trip down to Louisiana with London to have her meet all the extended family for the first time. It was a wonderful trip and it was much needed for creating more memories with the Louisiana family. Rachel was even able to fit in some much needed Cajun cousine!
London turned 9 months in June and really started showing personality. She would get into crawling position and sat up all on her own. She also started to feed herself finger foods and has started chewing on teething rings. Her smile is infectious and her hair has gotten longer and is showing curls. One thing is for sure, we love her and love that she is part of our family!
Mason is loving being outside and digging, digging, and digging. He loves playing in the dirt and mud and will easily swim soon! He is our "reminder" man right now and reminds us to read scriptures and say prayers. I love his 5-point kisses where he kisses mommy's cheeks, nose, chin, and chin (it is an exclusive mommy and mason thing;).
Johnson is working on summer preschool work and doing very well at it. He has become so responsible. He is in charge of letting Boomer out and getting him into the car. Recently, he has asked us many questions and it is wonderful to see him reason about the things he observes around him.
John recently got a promotion and we have loved that it now enables him to be with us on Sunday. He is constantly working hard and we are so proud of him.
Rachel is keeping up with all the fun vacations and training for her half marathon in between.
We have more in July so stay tuned.....

Momma to Momma

2011-06-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

So today I finally resolved to check out the suspicious sounds coming from my dryer vent. I already knew it was a bird and I even knew that the bird was probably building a nest since it has been awfully loud sritching and scratching in the vent. What I didn't expect to find were four little blue bird eggs carefully laid in a well build nest of straw. The mother bird made sure to build a straw nest around the eggs so the air from the vent would not blow them out-smart momma. As I carefully removed the eggs with a gloved hand, I could not help but think about this mommy bird and hope that she knows what I am doing is really to help her and the eggs and not harm them. I took and old broken plastic bowl and filled it with the nesting material she had carefully gathered, placed the eggs on top and then suspended it on the fence near the dryer vent so that perhaps mommy bird will notice her eggs. I felt a little guilty but also glad the eggs are removed. With all that straw, there could have easily been a fire and I hoped the heat from the vent had not already cooked the eggs. Yet, I know it will be my fault if the eggs never hatch. So from momma to momma, I hope she knows that she can return to her unharmed eggs and I hope those eggs start chirping soon!

Marvelous May....

2011-06-06T07:46:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful month of May in the Luke family! With Mother's Day celebrations, a big Carlton family reunion and Great-Grandmas birthday added to all of the OTHER events this month made it one busy but fun month. Mother's day weekend was special as we were able to honor all of the mothers in our lives- including Great Grandma Carlton and Grandma Faye as they were visiting in town from Louisiana. Grandma Faye could not get enough of London and Kate and was able to catch up on time with Johnson and Mason. We love seeing the Louisiana family! Johnson and Mason had a great month as they got a new swing set to play on. Now most of the day is devoted to outside play and mom sure is glad:). We did a day all about bugs where we made caterpillar, bee, and dragonfly prints with fingerpaint. The boys also whipped up some cheesy caterpillar snacks that we decorated with cheese and raisins and baked in the oven ( I was the ONLY person in the family who ended up liking them;). We also did a tent day where we set up our 4man tent in the back yard and the kids were able to play with friends in it and they even got to have dinner in the tent! On one of John's days off, we took the kids bolwing and surprisingly Mason was quite our little bowler. The kids finished with some arcade games and mom and Johnson faced off in some ice hockey (which Johnson won with help from dad;). One day, the kids did some great wall art that ended up being pictures of the whole family! We hung the large artwork on Johnsons and Masons walls and took a cute video of them showing it off:) The fun continued as we joined Andrea and Mark for an over-nighter in Park City. David and Lisa joined us with their kids for shopping, bowling, and pizza. It was a fun evening as the kids got to play with their cousins and we got to shop with just the ladies! The kids were so excited to spend the night in the hotel and although I was up with a sick London, we still managed to have a fun morning with breakfast and swimming with the Hamblins. Johnson still talks about that trip! London has turned 8 months and we are having the best time with her. She has even been able to participate in our outside fun with a baby swing (installed thanks to Paw Paw). She is not crawling yet but I am a little glad to have a stationery baby for awhile longer! She is well into her 9month clothes and I love dressing her up in cute sundresses and head bands. We have started giving her some "real" food and it is funny to see that startled look babies give when something is surprisingly yummy. I have been very busy with my dance group this past month as my girls have had competitions and performances. I accompanied them to Lagoon for the National Dance Competition where my tap class took second. We also marched in the Pony Express Days parade and performed at the carnival. It was so fun to wave at my family and look at the shocked faces of my boys as they realized I was part of the parade! Thanks to John and PawPaw for helping with the kids that day. Something else I have been up to is planting my garden...along with painting the fence that guards it! Although the color turned out darker than expected, it looks better than it did. I also, FINALLY, got the nerve to paint the "christmas red" wall in Johnson's room a beautiful blue....that needed to be done for a long time! Summer is already upon us and we are so excited for all of the fun events ahead. Love to all of you!

Our Sweet London Girl is 7 months old!

2011-05-17T11:57:00.001-07:00

Despite my efforts to slow down the growing process of my little "London flower", she is sprouting so fast and her time as a baby is going too quickly!!! (Isn't there something you can buy to slow down that process?:). Already 7 months old, she is excited about more and more new things to explore. She has finally rolled over and even is looking into getting on her little knees to prep for crawling. She loves to splash, splash, splash in the bathtub. Really it is a tactic because she has her eye on about 5 mini rubber ducks and she knows if she splashes enough, they will float into her grasping range;). Once in her little chubby hands, the ducks have no choice but to succumb to her chewing! She loves all her fruits and veggies but carrots are the only thing she does not absolutely love. Her brothers have taken into racing with London in her walker- no walking for her! They love to make her smile by tickling and making funny faces at her. She says da-da (despite my constant efforts to get her to say "ma-ma" first), ga-ga, and gee-gee...a personal favorite of mine. We love her sweet smile and chubby cheeks. She has a beautiful spirit and we are so glad that we get to have her as part of our family!

April and Easter Greetings

2011-04-25T08:31:00.000-07:00

The month of April has truly been spectacular with celebrating all around! My family has been so wonderful to clebrate my birthday in style (27 days f it:) as each person took turns doing nice things, writing notes, giving gifts and taking me amazing places. I will never forget rock climbing Meg, or our get away in park city as well as the time spent at Thanksgiving point gardens and even the plunger. Yes, a plunger:). Thanks family for all the wonderful work you put into my birthday and all the memories! Thanks also to everyone else for the cards, gifts and well wishes that made this one of the best birthdays ever.
We celebrated Maw Maw's birthday in style as well with a trip up the canyon, painting the pottery at 'Color Me Mine', and dinner at Macaroni Grill. Hope you had a great birthday Mom- we love you!
Easter was the best because we were able to spend time with all of our family. Earlier in the week, we started our week with dying easter eggs for FHE and started reading the countdown to Easter in 'The Friend'. Then I attended Mike's graduation and after an awesome over-nighter with John, we then attended a awesome congrats bash for Mike(good job Meg:). Sunday began with a visit from the Easter bunny which did a great job hiding those baskets! Breakfast was at the Vliet home and after stuffingourselves with so many yummy breakfast items,the kids participated in a fun easter egg hunt. After a busy but nice church service, we headed over to Andrea and Mark's new home for Easter dinner. The kids had a great time playing, hunting eggs, and Mark and Annie put on a great spread. Grandma even had special easter "carrots" for all the grandchildren. Thanks to everyone for making the Easter holiday so memorable.
It was wonderful this month to relfect on our Savior, his ressurection and crucifixtion. We taught our children this week about the special meaning of Easter and when Johnson said "Jesus loves us", we couldn't have agreed more. We are grateful for the atonement and our Savior's love. We are grateful to a loving Heavenly Father who has provided bountious blessings to our family. We hope all of our family were able to feel the special spirit this easter season. We love you all!
(please disregard all spelling errors as I had to quickly finish this and keep my kids from self-destructing:)...plus my spell check was on the fritz!)
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March Madness

2011-03-22T12:24:00.000-07:00

March in the Luke home, was full of fun! We played hard and had a great time doing it:).
John finished his basketball season; even playing one regional game. Rachel is playing in regionals this week and hopes to make it far! It has been great going to games as a family and cheering each other on. John admits that the only down side was refing one of Rachels' games-women can be brutal!
Mardi Gras was in full swing this month and we had the great opportunity to attend mom and dad's Mardi Gras Party. Rachel flexed her baking skills on about 10 king cakes created especially for the celebration. Decked out in our gear, we partied it up with friends and family and had an all around good time! For all those who attended, you can agree that the Vliet's know how to partay:).
We had a impromtu visit from John's brother and his family. We had a great time going target shooting with them and it was awesome to be able to witness my nephew, Logan's, baptism. After the baptism, the family got a picture taken all together and shot some hoops- good times were had by all!
The weather is getting warmer and the boys are enjoying going to the park, riding bikes (well, mason just walks his but will be riding soon:), and playing in the backyard. Johnson is finishing up preschool and has made so many friends and learned many new things. Mason is still doing great on potty-training and loves to pick out his own clothes now. Our boys ar getting so big and independent!
London is now 6 months old and 14lbs. She is so darling and smiles at everyone she meets! She just discovered her toes and loves to put them in her mouth and has now found out that pureed mango is pretty tasty. Her brothers take turns playing with and holding her- they are the best.
We love our family and are pretty excited for the summer to spend time with everyone!

Pictured: Johnson and Mason ready for the ball game in daddy's basketball shoes, Johnson and daddy shooting, Mason hanging out in Brian and Violets suv enjoying the shooting from afar:)

Bird Project 101

2011-03-03T12:05:00.000-08:00

This week I noticed that the birds have been returning to our neighborhood, probably because winter is ending soon. I thought it would be fun to do a project with the boys that would also benefit the birds. I remember my mom doing pine cone birdfeeders with us a few times growing up but as everyone knows, pinecones are pretty scarce here in Eagle Mountain!
I cut a paper towl tube in threes and then making slits on each side of the tube, we slid a popsicle stick through so the birds would have something to rest on. We spread peanut butter on the tube and rolled it in birdseed finally adding holes and string at the top. The boys picked out spots on the trees in our yard (which will produce pine cones eventually, by the way)to hang their birdfeeders. Mason and I hung ours on the big pine- big referring to all 5 1/2 feet of it. Johnson chose to place his on our 1 1/2 ft. blue spruce for, and I quote, "The little birds". Cute.
Hopefully the birds see and partake in our efforts. Birdseed was ingested, the kitchen floor was a mess, boys were happy...all in all, successful project!

Our Fun February

2011-03-03T11:45:00.000-08:00

We had a lot of fun this past month in our family. We were able to spend some time with our family and friends doing a few projects and participating in activities. Most of you know that John and I repainted our cabinets and a wall in our family room. We were very pleased with the outcome and are excited to continue our projects to include planting our garden this spring and adding crown moulding to the kitchen (plus anything else that pops up into "man-of action's" brain).
We got together with some old friends and had a super bowl dinner(minus the super-bowl....hmmmmm)and were able to meet up with the Morgans to treat our kids to a fun bounce-house filled extravaganza called Monkey Island.
Valentine's day brought the valentine fairy and she/he brought yummy treats for both boys and daddy. Of course, now it is determined that the valentine fairy was in deed a she this year.The boys created valentines for the grandparents and had fun giving them (except I still have yours brad and debbi since I forgot to bring it to family dinner:). We made heart ornaments to give out of yarn and glue and the kids really loved it. John and I had our traditional valentines evening dinner-without kids; they were in bed-alfredo, cheesecake and salad..always yummy.
Johnson is nearing the end of preschool and we are so proud of how much he had learned in the last several months. He is such a smart boy with a big heart-just like his dad! Mason is potty training and really doing an upstanding job with it. Although is getting to be so grown-up, John and I are so glad that he has not outgrown giving us daily doses of hugs and kisses. London turned 5 months and couldn't be doing better. Her Bohn Spurs have seem to have taken a break from moving and she is back to being the sweet and delightful baby that she is. She has started solids now and her menu includes apple and pear sauce, prune juice (that has been a blessing in her's and my life-regularity counts:), carrots,and peas.
We feel so blessed by our Heavenly Father that we have such healthy, sweet, and special children that he has entrusted to us. We love our family and each other!

The 3 Amigos...

2011-01-25T20:38:00.000-08:00

So today I realized that all three of my kids, (yes, even London) are pretty funny! The things they say and do are really cute and show how talented, smart, and creative they are. The video of Mason is what he got into while I was in the shower. The second video was a repeat of a discussion I heard Johnson having with London while I was sorting and putting away laundry. Hope you all enjoy!

London's Blessing Day 1.23.11

2011-01-24T08:37:00.001-08:00

We had a wonderful day yesterday as our daughter was given a beautiful blessing by her daddy. The star of the show slept through most of the excitement but was awake and very sweet during the blessing. Almost all of our family members were present for this special time in London's life. We appreciate all of our family making it such a special day and we are grateful for the gospel in our lives.
Pictued: London (4 months), Grandma and Grandpa Luke, Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw Vliet

Christmas Fun 2010

2010-12-27T12:32:00.001-08:00

We have had tons of fun this December! We started off the season right by clebrating Johnson's birthday (soon to be posted:)and then we started into full "christmas season swing". We did special service projects, decorated cookies with cousins, saw the lights at Thanksgiving point, delivered gifts to friends and neighbors, and spent many evenings in the presence of family. All of this service, activities, and love made it a wonderful season.
Christmas morning was absolutely amazing this year. The boys were super excited for santa to come and the jolly fat man sure was good to them this year! Electric gutiars were the toys brought to the boys; Mason's a red/ white and Johnson's a black/gold. Mason got a bike from mom and dad and Johnson got a nascar track that we are still trying to figure out:). We had a great time staying over at Maw-maw and Paw-paws house and opening presents with them on Christmas morning. After a hearty breakfast, we dashed over to our house to welcome grandma and grandpa with Christmas cheer! They brought with them an extra christmas gift in tow this year- our sister in law Violet and nephews Jaxson and Logan from Texas. We had a great time visiting and playing together.
We finished off the Christmas celebration at the Lukes house the 26th with a big, yummy christmas dinner, songs, and successful nativity:). Thanks to all for the Christmas memories built, cards and presents sent, and heartfelt wishes that will remain with us throughout the year.
MERRRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT..............

Dressing in their Sunday best!

2010-11-12T11:54:00.001-08:00

Last Sunday, I thought it would be great to get some candid pictures of the kids in their "sunday dress since they always look so cute! Hope you enjoy!

Tricks and treats....

2010-11-12T11:49:00.000-08:00

Halloween was wonderful and we loved celebrating it with mawmaw and pawpaw. The kids enjoyed pumpkin shaped pizza before they went out to raid the neighborhood for candy. Mason loved the whole process of trick or treating and had it down after about three houses. Johnson, after we did about half the street, was beating us to each house. Full buckets of candy and hour later, the kiddos collapsed into their beds to dream sweet dreams of their Halloween night!

"Here comes Halloween......"

2010-10-28T12:24:00.000-07:00

The Luke family has been celebrating Halloween in style! Our house is decorated and we are awaiting the big trick o' treat day:). Some of our activities have included parties, decorating the house, picking pumpkins, doing fun spooky projects, decorating yummy cookies, and figuring out our costumes. Daddy is a wheaties box, mommy is a geisha, Johnson is a Ninja Turtle, Mason is a cowboy, and London is a pumpkin- and we look awesome!
Check out these pictures of our fun crafts, cookies, and parties! Happy Halloween!

London Nicole Luke 9/25/2010

2010-10-11T09:42:00.000-07:00

What a happy day we experienced two weeks ago when our beautiful London came to our family! She was born at 1:20pm at 7 lbs. 2 oz. and 19 1/2 inches long. She is very olive, has blue eyes, and dark brown hair-the most out of our three kiddos! Everyone in our family is in love with her and she is the "princess" at our home. The boys are very attentive and gentle with her. Mason loves to give her kisses and makes sure I always have a blanket for her. Johnson gives her the binkie, tells me when she is crying, and lets me know that I need to feed/change a diaper. What helpful boys! Daddy thinks the world of his little girl and so do I! We are so excited to have a new addition to our little family!
Included are pictures of Meghann and I, as well as my niece Kate Natalie Larkin. As most of you know, Meghann had Kate the night before I had London. It was really neat being a few doors down from her in the hospital. Congrats to Meg and Mike!

Mason's Birthday- The Big 2!

2010-09-13T08:41:00.000-07:00

This week was full of birthday fun for our little two year old! We enjoyed the zoo on Monday, had a pizza party on Wednesday, and a party with all the cousins on Sunday. Thanks to everyone for making Mason's birthday so wonderful by coming to celebrate with us! A little bit about Mason: -He loves to dance, epecially to the music in movies. -He has a little gallop step that he does all the time, especially when he is excited. -His new favorite food is spagehetti. -Buzz Lightyear is his favorite character. -On his birthday, he knew exactly how to blow out the candles on his cake and really enjoyed the frosting. -Talking comes easily to this little guy and you can pretty much understand everything he says. -His best friends are Johnson and Daisy (she will hold still as long as Mason needs her too to pet her or just lean against her). -Riding bikes, playdoh, and nap time are some of the hightlights of the day for Mason. The time in his car seat is not a hightlight! -He says wonderful prayers and can even say scriptures with help from mommy and daddy. -Books are a special part of his day and we love reading together. Occasionally, Johnson will read to Mason and they both love it. -Climbing on daddy to wrestle is an everyday thing and so is tugging on mommy's arm in the morning and saying, "Want brefast mommy. Eggs, toast, syrups. Watch a moobie peese?" Again, Happy Birthday Mason! We are grateful to have you as a part of our family. You are such a sweet spirit that Heavenly Father sent to us. We love you! Mommy, Daddy, and Johnson

The Zoo

2010-09-13T08:36:00.001-07:00

We went to the Hoagle Zoo last Monday with Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw. The weather was so nice and we really had a great time. We saw the new baby elephant, Zuri, and now Johnson is convinced that is what we should name his baby sister. The kids loved riding the carosel and picknicking at the park. It really was a fun day!

Johnson's First Day of Preschool

2010-09-02T10:45:00.000-07:00

Today was the big day that Johnson has been waiting for....first day of preschool! We have been preparing for weeks and he was all set to go this morning with his Bob the Builder backpack (thanks Dad for the DI find:), Iron Man folder, glue stick, crayons, pencil and scissors. Daddy gave him a blessing and we took these cute pictures of him. The person that had the hardest time was Mason. He cried and cried when Johnson walked into school and I thought "There goes his best friend." Mason was so excited to pick Johnson up and Johnson had a wonderful first day. The teacher said that he was ready for a classroom setting and they worked on rules and signals. He eagerly packed up his backpack, thanked his teacher, and can't wait for school next week. What a kid!

Vliet/ Luke Cabin Trip and Yellowstone 2010

2010-08-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

John and I had no idea how relaxed we were on this trip until we got home. We truly had a wonderful time at the Warnick cabin and we appreciate their generosity in letting us use it.
Our trip began at the Mountain Man Rendevous where we saw (and smelled:) what mountain men are really made of! Truly, they had beautiful wares and the kids had a great time peeking into teepees to see new treasures. The next day we stopped at the classic car show and our eyes dazzled by the many beautiful cars from different eras. We all agreed that if someone gave us our pick, we could really be happy with any that we saw! Later on, we were dazzled more by the beauty of Yellowstone as we drove to Old Faithful and the hot pots. This was the first time for many to see the wonder of Old Faithful and we even had a little chipmunk friend join us in our viewing. (I think the kids valued the sighting of the chipmunk more than spouting water!) Sunday was very relaxing as we attended Sacrament in the A-frame church building at Mack's Inn. After naps, we vetured into Yellowstone again to see the waterfalls. On our journey, we saw buffalo, elk, a variety of birds, and even a bear in the distance. The lower falls of Yellowstone was truly a marvelous sight and we were all glad to have taken the time to have seen it. Monday was spent in West Yellowstone to view the IMAX and do some shopping. We finished our excursion eating our treats from the candy store and letting the kids run it out at the park. Tuesday we loaded up after breakfast and rafted the snake river. Paw-paw enjoyed this so much that he wished we had done it twice! Although we had not seen any moose on our river trip, we did spot four moose as we rode four wheelers later on in the afternoon. Maw-maw was even adventurous to drive the four wheeler herself-way to go Mom!
Evenings were spent playing games or watching hilarious shows on tv that we don't get at home. We all agreed that we ate so much better that we did at home. Funny how things seemed to be a whole lot better at the cabin! It was a great way to end the summer and create new memories with our family.

Luke Camping Trip

2010-08-16T08:48:00.000-07:00

Well, this had to have been the best camping trip this summer. The Luke family camped out overnight up American Fork Canyon and we had a really awesome time! Mostly the cousins just played in dirt, trees and bushes and they couldn't have been happier. The adults really had a great time sharing stories around the campfire and having a good laugh and who could forget grandpa's "hike" we all participated in? It was a great time to spend family time together and create memories. Thanks everyone for all the effort-until next year!!!

Louisiana Trip Videos

2010-07-19T13:58:00.000-07:00

Louisiana Trip 2010

2010-07-19T13:27:00.000-07:00

Our trip this year to Louisiana was wonderful thanks to all of our family. We had a short trip to Navarre Beach and the kids had so much fun playing in the surf and sand. Thanks to Patrice and Rick for hosting the Vliet family dinner- we all had a great time catching up! Thanks to Maw-maw for all the dinners she provided us that were so yummy. The fish fry and boat ride made our trip Uncle Yorke and family! And mucho thanks to the lifegaurds Barrett and Amber for watching and playing with the kid. Also, a thanks to grandpa for hosting Father's Day dinner that was yummy and to everyone else that made our trip so special! Lastly, a big thanks to grandma and Mr. Jerry for letting us crash at their place-we always appreciate it!
Some of the highlights of the trip was our visit to the New Orleans Children's Museum, the beach, and the time we spent in the pool. Johnson learned how to swim with a float so that he can kick around the pool. I think Mason perfected his love of bare feet whil on the beach and he was a complete daredevil in the pool- we never knew when he would just take off! Captain Johnson was convinced we needed to buy a boat after an awesome ride with Uncle Yorke and popcicles became a favorite with Mason.
Thanks to all for the memories and hope we see ya'll sometime soon!

Summertime

2010-05-27T07:11:00.000-07:00

Our family has been very busy and very excited about all of our summertime activities. The pool is opening, the weather is getting warmer, and we even set up our tent on a trial run for our future camping adventures. Johnson especially has been very excited to go camping so we have a little overnight trip planned in a few days. Mason has been excited about running...no joke. It is like he was harnessed all summer and now when we go outside, I just see his little legs moving as fast as they can go!
We recently put up our fence and returned the dogs to their home (mom and dad were so nice to keep them until we got the fence....thanks:). Today, my dad and I are undertaking a new project of building a wooden fence around my vegetable garden. I mean, at this point it is a little neccesary with a 3 and almost 2 year old as well as 150lbs. of dog frequenting the backyard! When we return from Louisiana, we will finish the backyard with sod.
The boys are pretty excited about our vacation to Louisiana and the beach. We are gearing up by reading beach books and that has definitely increased the excitement. Mason is getting so tan and I know he will be a little chocolate drop when this summer is over. Johnson's hair is getting lighter and his skin darker with the weather change. Handsome boys! We plan to visit the New Orleans zoo and Children's Museum while we are there and hopefully can escape some of the heat.
Baby sister is doing really well and has been my most active child yet....uh oh! Mommy and baby are feeling great and mommy is starting to feel a little bit warmer these days. John is doing really wonderful at his new job and can't wait to get a break from all the work for a little while!
We look forward to a fun summer with all our family and friends. The crowning moment of the summer will be the arrival of our little girl. See you all this summer!
the lukes

Hop, Hop, Hop.....Easter 2010

2010-04-05T07:53:00.000-07:00

What a lovely Easter we had spent with all our family members. It was made even more special by having Conference over the weekend. The Easter bunny did come to our home and brought some pretty fun baskets to some pretty good little boys (video included)! In addition to some candy, silly string, cars, anda basketball was in each basket-the boys really loved them. We held Conference breakfast at our house with the Vliet side (plus some college friends of Kailyn's that were visiting for Conference). It was pretty much one of the biggest breakfasts that I have ever hosted- we had a great time! We travelled to Dave and Lisa's to watch the second half of conference. They had some pretty delicious chili and corn bread and the rest of us contributed the rest. All I can say is yum, yum. After conference, the kids made bunny hats with grandma and had an easter egg hunt. The boys had a great time visiting with their cousins and we enjoyed seeing the family. Thanks everyone for all the efforts in making our Easter great! Most importantly, we reflected on the Savior this week with a special Family Home Evening. As a family, we are grateful for the ultimate sacrafice our Savior performed on our behalf so we could be forgiven of our sins and return to see him and our father in Heaven. Happy Easter everyone!

Just a cute picture of the boys!

2010-03-23T14:40:00.000-07:00

All About the Boys....maybe a girl?

2010-03-11T08:38:00.000-08:00

We are very excited to share with everyone that the Luke crew is expecting our fifth member, baby which will be born in October. John and I actually found out when we were at the super bowl and it is fun to imagine who is coming to join us in the fall! Although I have been way more sick with this baby than with the boys, I will not be surprised nor disappointed if this is another boy! We will keep everyone updated as the months go on. Meanwhile, my little boys are growing to be little men! Mason reached his 18 month milestone this month and is as cute as ever. What a chatter box! He can be pretty bossy as well but is an oh-so-sweet person when it comes to cuddles and kisses. He has an obsession with puppies right now and cares for three stuffed ones. Some of his favorite things are dancing (he will dance to any music he hears), making messes :), eating anything labeled "fruit", playing with his brother, "swimming" in the tub, and yelling "daddy!" when John gets home. We love Mason and are so proud at how sweet of a little boy he is! Johnson and I have started working on writing his name, recognizing letters, and counting. We are constantly amazed by his vocabulary and even more surprised when he uses big words in the correct context. Johnson loves reading and had begun to try reading to himself. Playing with friends and riding his "big-kid" bike are easily his most favorite things to do. He also really enjoys singing during family home evening and does a great job reading his scripture when it comes to scripture time every evening. Johnson is best friends with his brother and looks out for him often! We are proud of how Johnson is making good choices and how sweet he is with his brother! So some funny stories to share with you all: I went to Provo one day and picked up my sister for lunch. We decided to take the kids to the McDonald's to play and it was a really cool playplace. There were these red balls that the kids could play with and definitely not enough for how many kids were there that day. Johnson managed to find a ball but was very concerned that Mason did not have one. He scouted one out for Mason and told me proudly he had done so. Eventually, Mason was acosted by another kid who "stole" the ball. Johnson was beside himself and stalked the kid until he put the ball down for a moment, just enough time for Johnson to retrieve it for his brother. Johnson came up to me and with a furrowed brow and pretty funny hand gesture said, "Don't worry mom, I got the ball back for Mason." I am so glad that I did not have that worry that day! We always joke about cute "Mason Man" and how he likes to get into everything. One day, I was trying to get the kids to the car so I could go shopping. I kept calling for Mason and he was pretty silent upstairs. After buckling Johnson and getting my bag in the car, I set out looking for Mason. He was oh-so-quiet which meant he was into something. Well, lo and behold he had tried his hand at making toilet paper wads and throwing them onto the bathroom walls. He succeeded! So I had a pretty nasty cleanup the next day! We love our family and we love these stories!

When the Saints come rollin in........

2010-03-11T08:29:00.000-08:00

Enjoy this video we took at the game!

Super Bowl Madness

2010-03-11T08:12:00.000-08:00

So again, just a little late to spread the news about our latest venture- to the Super Bowl!!!! John and I had a wonderful time swimming with the dolphins, taking a trip on a Catamaran, attending countless parties and dinners, bumming on the beach, and just being treated like royalty. Enjoy the pictures!

We made it......through our home process and the holidays!

2010-01-21T09:13:00.000-08:00

We apologize for the delay in our posting as of late. John and I have been pretty moody since being put through the ringer on the sale of our previous home and the purchase of our new home. All is well now and Mom and Dad have been so kind to let us stay at their home while we fiqured out all the mess. Luckily, we will be moving out this weekend and are pretty happy to see some of our stuff that has been in storage for this long (especially my shoes:).Sometimes I wonder, 'wherever did we get such patient kiddos?', as they have been so good and patient with mom and dad at a super high stress point in our lives. They have enjoyed playing and associating with Maw-maw and Paw-paw.
Christmas was a day of no stress as we celebrated with our new found traditions over the last few years of sledding, visiting with Grandpa and Grandpa, spending Christmas Eve with Maw-maw and Paw-paw in an FHE that is Christ-centered and always enjoyed, and of course seeing Kev and Yoana come our way;). The boys were very good this year and received many wonderful gifts from Santa and family. Johnson favors his tool set and Mason is really enjoying dumping the play food EVERYDAY (goes to a plastic kitchen). Can you tell that I am overjoyed when he does this? John was pretty stoked about a new watch and Rachel is loving and trying learning how to use her sewing machine (does anyone need throw pillows? that is the only thing I have made!).
I had thought of several things to put in this post but the most important thing I thought of as the new year has begun, is that despite our trials, the most important thing is our family and the gospel. You may say that I can say this now after our trial is done, but I decided this long ago before things got better. We love you all and appreciate your involvement in our lives. Have a great New Year!

Happy New Year!!!

2010-01-07T07:29:00.000-08:00

It has been awhile since I updated our blog and sorry for not having cute pictures as well (camera stuff still packed). Yes, that is right, we are still not moved into our home since we are STILL waiting on loan approval for the clients buying our home. Despite the stress and frustration, John and I have celebrated the holidays and really had a great time with our family and especially our cute little guys.
Christmas was wonderful! Santa came and I have never seen so much excitement from Johnson. Of course Mason was good as well, but he was more interested in the wrapping paper and bows:). John and I actually got gifts for one another this year and we had fun doing it. I truly learned that although the gift is nice and appreciated, but the effort that goes into it is the best. We have shared our experiences with one another and it has been fun. Family parties this year were great and we loved spending the holidays with all of our family members. We are truly blessed and thank our heavenly father for all he has given us-even those pesky trials:).

Happy 3rd Birthday Johnson!

2009-11-30T15:47:00.000-08:00

This week, on Dec. 2nd, our sweet little Johnson was born! We are celebrating this week with fun (despite the move) complete with birthday breakfast and birthday party on Thursday. Johnson has requested a "Thomas the Train" party and is especially excited about his cake:). Since our camera dock is all packed up, I promise to get pictures up as soon as possible! Meanwhile, let the "10 things we love about Johnson" entertain you:)
1. The way he calls granola bars "handle bars"
2. The looks that he gives when he is super serious or trying to tell you something important
3. Telling us our favorite secret- "I love you Mom (or Dad)"
4. His special love for his cousins and friends whom he is always so excited to play with
5. The way he says his sweet prayers
6. Bossing the dogs around in the backyard
7. Being such a big helper by putting his laundry in the washer, washing his hands, putting on his shoes, putting his toys away, and throwing away trash for mom.
8. The cute way he daily asks when dad is coming home.
9. Saying "You're my best friend."
10. We love what a sweet, kind, compassionate, thoughtful and helpful little boy Johnson is becoming. We love his sweet spirit and are grateful to be his parents! Happy Birthday Johnson!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-04T10:09:00.001-08:00

Well, the Luke family had a very fun and full Halloween complete with all the tricks and treats! We started our week off with our Annual Halloween Party. We had some awesome costumes so check them out!
During the week, the boys decorated Halloween cookies, carved pumpkins and went to the school Halloween carnival. Johnson was a cool cowboy and Mason was the cutest elephant. Grandma Faye and Mr. Jerry accompanied by Great Grandma Carlton, Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw all came out for Halloween dinner and trick or treating. Johnson did two streets this year! Our friends the Porters and the Hills joined us later on for more food and after-treating madness (just a lot of kids and a lot of candy)! We had a great Halloween and look forward to next year!

Our Trip to Zion's National Park

2009-10-26T10:58:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago, my mom just felt like taking a trip! She had a few days off and wanted to go to Zion's National Park-luckily I was her trip buddy. Well, me and two cute boys!

We stayed overnight at a lodge that was GORGEOUS! Johnson was so cute because he loved the place. He kept calling it "our little house" and his favorite was the pull out bed that he slept on. Mom and I enjoyed watching STARZ movie channel and visiting and the next day, we took a lovely ride up the canyon on a tour bus. We thought it a good idea to get out and walk around but as soon as we did, we were freezing! Luckily, the boys had jackets on but mom and I had forgotten-we will never make that mistake again! We had a great time travelling and enjoying the scenery. Thanks mom for letting us come along-we had a blast!

Riding the Heber Creeper

2009-09-30T07:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we took a family trip to Heber to ride the Heber Creeper train. The scenery was beautiful and the weather was perfect for our train ride! Johnson and Daddy walked the whole train and Mason and I chilled in the breeze of the outdoor car. We enjoyed snacks and visited on our 1 1/2 hour ride. We visited Granny's afterward for yummy shakes and took a picnic dinner to the nearby park where the boys enjoyed sliding down the slides and swinging on the swings. It was the perfect activity to begin our Fall season!

Update on the Luke's

2009-09-23T14:12:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are into September and we have had one busy summer! We had camping and cabin trips, excursions to the pool, and home projects galore! Two of Johnson's favorite things was visiting the Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving point and playing with cousins at the Luke cabin. Mason's favorite things were learning that birthday cake is actually yummy and walking is soooo much faster than crawling:).

We finished the basement this summer and have been very happy to have a cool retreat when the temps inched up! We now have a family room and play area for the kids with- are you ready for it- STORAGE rooms!

John and I have been enjoying our time spent together now that he is in his current position at work. He has more free time to spend with us and it is great for him to be able to take off when he wants and needs too. We are grateful for his job and thankful for his hard work! Another big thing to happen to the Luke's- John's completion of his degree. We are very proud of him and have enjoyed celebrating this enormous accomplishment. As for me, I am teaching tap classes at my friend's dance studio and making jewelry for my other friend's craft fair. Having fun and living life:).

John and I are busy, busy, busy in our callings and usually do the "kid shuffle" on Sundays. It is not unusual for me to be conducting or for John to be teaching with Mason on our hip! Despite the business found on Sunday and during the week with our callings, we are havng fun and are grateful for our opportunities to serve!

We love spending time with our extended family and we love our little family! Goodbye summertime!

My New Blog

2009-09-19T07:38:00.000-07:00

Hello friends and family! I wanted to let you know that I have a new blog with jewelry that I have created. Check it out: http://www.sweetmagnoliasjewelry.blogspot.com/ Let me know what you think!

Happy 1st Birthday Mason!

2009-09-09T08:13:00.000-07:00

For the last couple of days, we have been celebrating the birth of our little chocolate drop! He was born at 7:45 pm on September 8th and is the cutest one year old we know! On Monday, we had family come over for dinner, presents and homeade ice-cream cake. (Thanks to all the family for the cute gifts-he really loves them:) We had spent the day at temple square earlier with Uncle Shawn and Kaitlyn who flew in to visit for the weekend. Mason was pretty tired and we tried to get him interested in his cake, but he was sleepy and not too keen on several people staring at him. We ended up giving up on him and he quickly went to sleep.

Last night on his birthday, we ate pizza and played games with the family. The birthday boy was absent for this as well since he again went to sleep, but not until he ate his cake! He must have known it was his birthday, because instead of him crawling around all day, he just up and decided he was going to walk everywhere!

He is so cute and loves to play with Johnson. They have adopted the game of chase which usually includes Mason running after Johnson most of the time-he does not care, he loves it! They ride bikes together and Johnson gives Mason rides in the laundry basket. Books are what they love most and if we could just get Mason to stop tearing the hundreds of books off of Johnson's shelves, we would be in business!

Some things that are totally Mason:

-he likes to point at everything and has started adding his own words to what he points to

-he loves saying "no" and "ohh" but these two words are mostly drawn out with a volume influxuation: too cute

-he likes anything bread, fruit, and some veggie but does not like any cheese or meat-trust me I try daily:)

-does not like his hands dirty (triat inherited from his daddy and just like his brother)

-he does the "wake up" dance in his crib which is so funny

-loves to splash in the bathtub but does not like the splashing at the pool

-loves to snuggle you if you have a blanket; he will bury his head and coo

-loves tickles and "stealing sugar" under his chin

-he loves to BITE (no worries, we are working on this one!)

-we like his chunky legs and can usually get pretty good giggles out of him from kissing his little rolls

-we love that he is our son and we love the sweet spirit that he brings into our home. We are excited to see him enter this new year of his life and hope to be his best friends and good parents to him!

We Love You Mason! Happy Birthday!

Mommy, Daddy, and Johnson

Yellowstone Vacation

2009-09-04T08:10:00.000-07:00

Our family recently visited Yellowstone and stayed in a family cabin. Our numbers were small this time since we did not have the whole "crew" but we had tons of fun with Debbie and the Bringhursts. The kids just had fun playing together, riding bikes, and staying up late-who wouldn't!. We visited the Mountain Men Rendezvous were tents and tepee's were set up with, yes they do exists, mountain men selling furs, jewelry, clothing, tools, and much more. It was pretty cool and I almost had John talked into throwing a tomahawk! We visited Bear and Wolf Discovery and watched the bears eat and learned about how they survive. We learned many OTHER things about bears that just made us plain afraid. Enough said! A video is included below.
We shopped, rode bikes, visited a car show, attended church, fed the fish and just rested and relaxed. Thanks Debbie for organizing-we had a great time!

First Day of Crawling

2009-07-22T20:04:00.000-07:00

So last week was Mason's first time crawling and he is so cute doing it! We love to try and get him to crawl to us and he is getting rather fast at it! This week he took a few steps and loves to walk to me when we practice. Enjoy this video of him in action!

This second video is of Mason doing his funny little "wake up" dance. He was doing it a ton and then stopped all the action. He does the dance a little but it is more so a cute video of him and Johnson. Enjoy!

Video of Our Mechanical Bull rides

2009-07-22T19:00:00.000-07:00

So on our Snowbird trip, we rode the mechanical bull- check it out. We got a good laugh!

Happy Birthday Dad and John

2009-07-22T18:26:00.000-07:00

We celebrated John and Dad's birthday this year at Trafalgar, a family fun center and boy did we have fun! It was moms' idea and she sure did know how to plan a good time:). We ate pizza, dippin dots, had cake and we followed it up with opening presents. John got an arm sleeve (ha ha megs and mike) basketball shorts, movie card, jerky, etc. He racked up-thanks family! Dad was given Chicago tickets from Meg and Mike and we brought him Subway lunch and the kids helped me make a t-shirt that said "Your lookin at the world's greatest Paw Paw" complete with hand prints.

At first we golfed the mini-course that was dark and all fluorescent lights, under the water theme. Johnson just had fun running around and whacking the ball while the guys settled into a pretty tight game. John won but not after Mike and Dad gave him a run for his money! We rode this virtual movie ride into a haunted mine and the whole time I was trying to figure out if Dad was scared...hmmmm. Go carts were fun and Johnson had the best time waving to his Paw Paw, Daddy, and Uncle as the whizzed by us. Yes, yes our car was the slowest but I assure you it was to no fault of the driver! We spent the rest of the time playing video and arcade games trying to get as many tickets as possible to put in for a prize at the counter. One hundred and ninety tickets got us a plastic dagger and spider ring for Johnson. At least he loved it!

We did not get the kids home until past ten but we had such a fun time. Thanks family for the awesome time and thanks for playing with Johnson and watching Mason. We love you all!

Snowbird

2009-07-22T18:03:00.000-07:00

This is so horrible that I am just now posting about the trip John and I took to Snowbird Ski Resort last month. Might I just say how wonderfully adorable my husband is and how thoughtful and insightful he was to see that I was in need of a BREAK. Therefore, he swept me off my feet to an overnight stay at Snowbird up in the Little Cottonwood Canyon. Thanks to my mom watching the kids (you know we sooooo appreciate it:), we were able to spend over 24 hrs. kid-less and just Johnnie and Rachie! John got a summer special package that enabled us to have passes to the day activities at Snowbird. We arrived early in the day and spent all day riding the Alpine Slide ( a huge track that starts at the top of the hill and winds down in which you ride a little cart of some sort), the zip line, and mechanical bull. We also tried the bungee trampoline. I loved it just flipping and flying and John found it a bit un-nerving (that's okay honey, at least you beat me at the Alpine Slide). We shared a massive hoagie at the top of the mountain after the tram ride and then spent the evening working out, eatring papa john's pizza and sipping hot chocolate by our wood-burning fireplace. Needless to say, it was AWESOME and we enjoyed just being ourselves and enjoyed being a couple feeling like we had just gotten married. Thanks honey for all you do and for all your love-I hope I am always deserving of it!

Summertime..An' the Livin' is Easy

2009-07-07T21:03:00.000-07:00

Well the Eagle Mountain Luke's have had a busy couple of weeks filled with outdoor adventures! John was fortunate to run into a lull with his new store opening and has been able to spend quite a bit of time with us and we are ever so grateful. We started out in Idaho for the Luke cabin trip. Preparing for a pleasant experience, we were a little worried when we stepped outside the vehicle and were immediately swarmed by mosquitoes. My sister in law Carrie had warned us to be prepared so we calmed ourselves thinking we would find solace inside the cabin. WRONG. The mosquitoes were horrible inside as well. By morning we were comparing bug bites and contemplating whether to go home when we decided to call pest control. Everyone had their doubts if the pest guy could get rid of our cabin critters, but we left the cabin with a positive mind and spent the day in West Yellowstone visiting the IMAX, eating a picnic lunch, playing at the park, and even stopping to pick up some ice cream. With fingers crossed, we returned to the cabin and found the problem pretty much solved and were much relived. Debbie joked that we were the scouting party sent out to make sure that everything was safe for the wagon train- we were glad it all turned out well. The rest of the trip was spent rafting, playing, eating, staying up late and just having a great time. The best was Johnson having all of his cousins around him to play.
The next weekend we ventured up the American Fork Canyon for a three night camping trip for the 4th. Originally the plan was only for two nights but since we had no campground reservations, I was concerned about finding a spot. John was really positive about it all despite one comment that he was not really enthused on going early. However, we were glad we did because all that night people were driving through our site and flashing flashlights trying to find a spot. We camped at Salamander Flat and went hiking and four wheeling. We even had a water balloon fight and Megs and I tried out my new solar shower I got from a friend for my birthday. Of course, we totally ate better camping than we ever to at home and resolved quickly to get back to better eating habits when we returned home.
We love spending time with our family members and we feel so blessed they actually want to spend time with us (if you don't, just keep that under wraps for the time being....thanks!). It is amazing that now we have both sides of the family near us so that we can participate in these memory building vacations, dinners, and activities. Thanks to all our family for all their hard work in trying to keep us together and bond our family tighter. We love you all!

Bear Lake 1/2 Marathon

2009-06-16T10:40:00.001-07:00

I thought I should put the details down of how the race went since I know ALL of you want to know! I definitely had such a blast with my friend and running buddy Andrea Porter. We got to Bear Lake early Friday evening and went to the Garden City Park to pick up our racing packets. The packets had all sorts of samples in them and they also gave us our running shirts and numbers. We then joked about how there really were only three places to choose from to eat and finally settled on a pasta dinner at the third place we went. We got back to our condo, which a generous friend of ours lent us for the night, and we chattted until we decided it would be a good idea for us to go to bed. I tried to take a hot bath but ended up running out of water and my alarm clock in my room was possessed and kept making funny noises during the night. When we both woke up the next morning, we told each other that we both did not get very good sleep and prepared for the race. After getting on the buses that would bus us to the start of the race, we felt pretty warm so I rushed back to put our hoodies in the car. I had to also make one more trip back to the car because I had forgotten my allergy spray and realized I would not be able to breathe out of my nose if I did not have it! Unfortunately, when we finally got to the start line, we were freezing because the wind had picked up and it began to rain. Kind bus drivers let us wait out the rain until the race began. Despite countless bathroom trips before, I had to stop after two miles for a bathroom break. I caught back up with Andrea after about two more miles and then it began to rain. Thank goodness the rain did not last very long but it was enough to get us pretty wet. I was rounding mile 8 marker (they counted down from 13) and all of a sudden I got the largest stomach cramp. I had a small cramp once in all my training and this was a huge blow because I was in tons of pain and I lost pace with Andrea. I stopped for literally two seconds to do a stretch and then kept on running. I slowed my pace and kept breathing to get oxygen to the cramp and finally after four miles of running with it, it went away. I picked up my pace and finished at two hours and 13 minutes. The scenery was so beautiful and it felt so good to accomplish something I was nervous that I could not do. After the race, we ate out, shopped, and stayed the night with Andrea's brother and sister in law, Hannah and Kendall. They were so much fun to hang out with. We ate pizza, visited, watched a movie, and ate a ton of ice cream (we gave up sweets before the race). I had such a fun weekend and it was great to be with my good friend. We had so much fun visiting and relaxing-thanks Andrea! And thanks to my hubby for really encouraging me to go and taking care of the kids all weekend-you are the best!

Achievement Days

2009-06-16T09:34:00.000-07:00

So John and I were laughing last night because in the last few weeks we have both achieved something and received medals. That has not happened since grade school! John participated in a 3 on 3 basketball tournament for our Pony Express Days and they one. Prizes included a medal, basketball, and $20 gift card. It was so awesome that he talked about it for days and is just now getting over the sunburn! I ran the Bear Lake Half Marathon on the 13th and also was given a medal but no gift card....darn it. I did come in at two hours and 13 min. and ran a little over 13 miles. It was an awesome experience and I loved it! I can't wait to do it again. The best was I was able to run it with my good friend Andrea. We spent the weekend in Bear Lake and Logan and really had the best time recharging batteries! She and I have been training for close to three months for this race and it was great to see all of our hard work come to fruition:). Thanks Andrea and mucho thanks to my awesome hunk of a hubby who encouraged me to take some time for myself!

2009-05-21T11:47:00.000-07:00

So, I wrote a whole other post about our trip and it did not post! Bummer:( So here are some more picures of the French Quarter which easily has to be one of my most favorite places.

Tribute to the "Stanky Leg"

2009-05-21T11:29:00.000-07:00

So on our trip (which I am still writing about since I can't seem to finish it for lack of time-forgive:), my goofy Uncle Shawn could not stop talking about the stanky leg. He would catch us doing something and yell out, "Rachel, watch out for the stanky leg!" and of course................. we had no idea what he was talking about. Until one fateful evening. Uncle Shawn, Logan and Kaitlin were visiting us the night before we departed for the northland and the time came to finally see the stanky leg in action. The world may never be the same. CAUTION:HEAD TURNING INVOLVED

More of Louisiana:)

2009-05-05T12:52:00.000-07:00

Here is some more video footage of Louisiana. Enjoy!

Jazzin It Up in the French Quarter

2009-05-05T11:12:00.000-07:00

We had a really great trip down to Louisiana. We took some video footage of us touring the French Quarter where we shopped at the French Market, ate beignets at Cafe Dumonde, danced to the jazz music, and saw the sights. Since most who view this blog might not ever actually make it down to New Orleans.............this will make you want to go!

What We Did In the Midst of a Snow-Filled Day

2009-04-03T13:54:00.000-07:00

I paused from busily cleaning up our home to take the kids on a "laundry basket" rides! The kids loved it and Johnson had a great time directing me from room to room and making cute car noises. PRIOR to the rides, Johnson felt it would be helpful to assist me with the laundry and dumped all the CLEAN socks into the washer of DIRTY rags. Thanks Johnson:)

2009-03-23T12:41:00.000-07:00

Neighbors have already taken dibs on my sons for their daughters. Of course that makes me burst with pride because I know not only that my boys are handsome little men, but their spirits are beautiful too!

2009-03-23T12:23:00.000-07:00

Lately, we have been literally stunned at how grown up Johnson has become. We have started to see his little personality flourish and independence become stronger. He has taken up the hobbies of playing sword fight, building sandcastles, feeding the dogs dirt and rocks, and cleaning the house. Pretend play is so much fun to watch with him and he is addicted (Yes, it is true) to cars and dirt bikes-not surprising:). When you ask him to smile, this is the image he will most likely portray for you (picture above) and he truly thinks he is smiling. The other item he cannot get enough of is books. He has followed John and I around the house asking us to read to him and occasionally I catch him "reading" to himself.

I have discovered that Johnson is VERY helpful. After John showed him how to feed the dogs, the next day I found Johnson taking scoop after scoop of dog food and dishing it into the bowls. Needless to say, we had extremely happy dogs that day! I just laughed when Johnson came up to me with that serious look he does (you know what look I mean) and said so matter-of-fact, "I fed the dogs Mom." I thanked him profusely as he went back to his duty of building sand castles with determination.

Having a toddler is a tad bit challenging but mostly wonderful. I had no idea how wonderful until yesterday, driving home in our van. I told John I loved him and then told Johnson that I loved him to and with clear speech Johnson replied, "I love you too Mommy". At that moment, I didn't care that it was way past his bedtime or that laundry would haunt me tomorrow. I didn't give a second thought to the piece of pie and two bowls of ice cream he inhaled or how I cheated on ice cream myself! My child loves me. He said it and, like John stated perfectly, "You have waited you whole life to hear that."

Just a Typical Day

2009-02-19T10:29:00.001-08:00

I took this video of the boys this morning and thought the family would enjoy it!

2009-02-19T10:15:00.000-08:00

Our Mason bug is now 5 1/2 months old and growing strong! He has this contraption he stands in called an Exersaucer. It is basically a play place on a disk so it allows for the baby to move the exersaucer easily. Mason has figured this out and watching him for ten minutes in this thing will definitely have you rolling. See, Mason is reeeally STRONG. He has figured that if he pushes with his little ham bones we call legs, he can launch the disk back and forth pretty good distances. So two Sundays ago, we got the boys ready for church and we were getting all the finishing touches and we watched in amazement as Mason was getting really into it! He was rocking the exersaucer so much and with such great force that John asked if maybe we should stabalize the thing so that he didn't get whip lash. We put the stoppers on so that it could stabalize it....but despite it- he is still rockin and rollin!

2009-02-19T10:08:00.000-08:00

So Johnson had a few valentines this year ( I know! He's only two!) and I cannot blame those little girls because he is such a good friend and cute kid. So one of the valentines had a "Cars" pencil taped on it which was, of course, sooo cool. We promptly sharpened the pencil and Johnson spent a little time drawing with it. Later, he came up to me and kept asking for my help to position the pencil on the back of his ear. This is one of those moments that you wonder as a parent where they get the idea to do things such as this! Then it dawned on me- John comes home everyday with a pen stuck behind his ear. As Johnson runs into his arms, John always removes the pen and then father/son bonding begins (kisses, monster hugs, wrestling, chase...you name it we've got it!). It is so cute to see a little boy want to be like his wonderful daddy.

2009-02-05T13:15:00.000-08:00

This is a video of our family at Navarre beach last summer (2008). I wanted to test it out- ENJOY!

Congratulations Meg and Mike

2009-01-27T15:19:00.000-08:00

So you both knew that this would come........posting the news on the blog! So now I think I am safe to announce that Meghann and Mike will be married on May 8th in the Salt Lake Temple. We are so grateful that they have found one another and they are truly the perfect couple. Mike proposed last week, Monday the 19th of January, and Meg's ring is beautiful! Congratulations to you both. And Mike,..................welcome to the family:)!

Perhaps the Two Cutest Boys Ever

2009-01-10T09:05:00.000-08:00

When I was Johnson's age (2yrs) my mom and dad took a picture of baby Meg (maybe 4-6 months old) and I laying in my pink and white poster bed my uncles and grandpa made for me. A few Christmases ago, Meg gave me the picture enlarged and framed and it now hangs in my guest bedroom. As I was putting the boys to bed, I remembered that and thought it would be fun to recreate the moment. John and I are so grateful for our two little boys and look forward to the ups and downs that we will encounter with then on their road through this life. They are our little angels and truly have beautiful spirits! We love you Mason and Johnson!

First Basketball Showdown of the Season

2009-01-10T08:51:00.001-08:00

Well it was blood, sweat, and tears on New Year's Day as the Vliet side of the family met at our church building to play to the death for bragging rights in basketball. Okay, so maybe no blood or tears were sweat were shed but we definitely sweat a lot! We are glad no one killed over after playing five twenty point games:). It was the girls and dad versus John and Mike- don't see it as unfair numbers because they kicked our tushies! We had so much fun playing and so did Maw-Maw and Johnson playing with borrowed toys from the nursery. We all went out to Chili's (thanks Uncle Yorke and Aunt Mary) after for a celebratory lunch and discussed the next showdown. To be continued........

Mason Rounding Four Months Old

2008-12-30T20:46:00.000-08:00

Our sweet little man is almost four month's old in a matter of days. I cannot believe where the time has gone and how quietly life seems to move so that I don't notice the time passing. Here are our favorite things about Mason:

-He is so smiley..what a happy little baby

-It does not take much to make him laugh

-He "talks" to his hands

-Those soft, big, brown eyes

-Giggles when you undress him or change his diaper...I think he will be very ticklish

-His conversations with the ladies in Relief Society. While some are crying because of the spirit, others are laughing at how vocal Mason is...what a time!

-How cute that right leg is when he just gets it kicking over, and over, and over.....

-How patient he is with hugs and kisses from big brother..he never seems to mind

-That look of how you know if he could just move he would get that toy and bite it!

-His sweet little spirit that is already apparent

-Most of all........he is ours.

WE LOVE YOU MASON: mOmMy, DaDdy, & jOhNsOn

Visits from the Family Down Under...Down South that is!!!

2008-12-30T20:42:00.000-08:00

All the way from Louisiana, my grandma and Mr. Jerry made it through snow, ice, and one looong delay to join our family for a late Christmas celebration! They finally met Mason for the first time and were shocked at how big Johnson had gotten. We have had some fun family dinners and they have been spending time with the kids. We look forward to the rest of the time we have with them this trip!

Discovery Gateway

2008-12-30T20:20:00.000-08:00

Okay..so if you have never been here-SO COOL:) !!! Mom and I were in search of something fun to do and when plan #1 fell through unexpectedly, we decided to cruise on down to the Gateway and do a little shopping to kill time before going to Temple Square for the lights. Lo and behold we stumbled upon the Children's Discovery Museum and had such a blast! Johnson had so much fun and did not want to leave! We played in the village, bubble factory, water pools, garden, tree house, gas station, shopped at the grocery and rode in a real helicopter ( okay, real but grounded)! Check out our fun pics!

NOTE: Just because my son does not look happy, does not mean that is unhappy. Quite the contrary...he is very happy and trying out a new look:)

Christmas Time

2008-12-30T20:06:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful Christmas we had as a family. John and I count our blessings when we think of our two beautiful boys, wonderful home and loving family members. The best thing was that we got to see all of our family (those living close) for the holidays and those we did not see (you know who you are:) we corresponded through web-cam, emails, phone calls and cards. We love you all and thanks for loving us! Happy Holidays!!!
Some of our favorite highlights:
-Grandpa holding Mason for the first time (he, he) and capturing the moment:)
-Kevin and Yoana's first Christmas......married!
-Johnson being a Shepherd in the Luke recreation of the manger scene
-Johnson and Porter being the coolest guys IN the manger scene.... no offense John, Kevin, and Kyle!
-Visiting Temple Square for the Christmas lights and agreeing that the tree in the JSB does not look nearly as good as when it was up for our wedding (several have agreed on this fact)
-Seeing the look on Johnson's face when he tasted hot chocolate for the first time:)
-Watching Paw-Paw put "Mack" together- a good thing we super glued him now!
-Listening to "Away in A Manger" and "Silent Night" while holding my sweet little Mason bug
-Watching the absolute JOY in Johnson's face while opening his gifts and then hearing him say "thank you" to those who gave him the gifts
-Talking about and sharing testimony of the Savior at the Vliet Christmas Eve FHE night
-Lisa Luke's AWESOME dessert at the Luke Christmas Party...Yummmmm:)
-All the cards we received in the mail from family and friends and catching up with those we have lost contact with
-Realizing that the gospel and our family are the most important things we could ever have and to have both, makes us very rich people!

Snow Days Are Here At Last

2008-12-30T20:01:00.002-08:00

We have finally had a bit of snow our way these last few weeks- try around 16 inches standing in our yard! I was so glad though because I love the snow and was worried that a white Christmas that Bing Crosby always sings about might just not have been in the cards for us this year. Well, ten inches was our first load and here is Johnson loving every minute of it!

Oh the joy of being a Mom....(truly it is:)

2008-12-15T12:27:00.000-08:00

So yesterday was Sunday and as the good little Luke's we are, we showed up to church on time and ready to tackle another sacrament meeting with the kids. Johnson was pretty reverent and we were getting through the sacrament without a hitch until we experienced a little hiccup. Okay a BIG hiccup!
John decided help Johnson with his snacks so he passed off Mason bug to me. Mason was a little fussy so I turned him towards me to see if he needed to burp. BIG MISTAKE. He projectiled a long stream of vomit all over my clothes and himself. Before he could catch his breath, he vomited again..all over the floor. Thank goodness we were seated in the cultural hall for easy cleanup! The worst part was that since he had vomit coming out of his mouth and nose, he did not get to breathe. So while everyone is enjoying the reverence of the sacrament, my little bug lets out the most blood-curdling scream. My heart just sank for him. I quickly packed him up in the car seat and headed home for a complete overhaul on our wardrobes and was back in time for the closing of the meeting.
After being pretty sick myself late last night, I pondered on the day's events and although I admit to myself that I was pretty grossed out and embarrassed, this was still something I could look back on and smile a little. This is one story that deserves the line, " So remember the time when......."

Santa even came to Eagle Mountain!!

2008-12-15T08:51:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, Santa and Mrs. Claus visited us out here in Eagle Mountain riding not on a sleigh but on a firetruck! The funny thing about the whole thing was that Santa was supposed to visit between 8 and noon and no one wanted to miss it. We would hear the fire truck siren in the distance and would quickly bundle up and stand outside to greet the jolly fellow. The only bad thing..................we did this like, five times. Eventually, Santa seemed to be coming our way when he made a wrong turn and completely missed our street! Rioting was about to occur when we were informed that Santa had run out of candy and needed to make a quick stop back at the fire station to get more. After a few hours of waiting, cold hands and red noses- Santa finally graced our presence! Johnson stared in amazement and Mrs. Clause threw him a bag of salt water taffy. So Santa left, of course until we see his work on Christmas Eve night, and we went home to enjoy some yummy...hard as a rock :) taffy!

Our Annual Christmas Cookie Party

2008-12-08T09:21:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday, the whole family came out to our house to decorate christmas cookies and celebrate Johnson's birthday. I think more cookies and cake were eaten than decortated! All the cousins came and had a great time playing. We all enjoyed good conversation and made some new memories. We enjoy having events at our home!

Happy, Happy, Birthday Johnson!!!!

2008-12-03T15:06:00.000-08:00

Johnson had a wonderful birthday yesterday! We celebrated with his favorite meal of bbq chiken sandwiches and macaroni and then followed it with Pumpkin Spice birthday cake. Earlier in the day, Johnson helped to make his little cake. He poured in the water and oil and helped me to stir the batter. The only bad thing was he wanted to eat the cake right away- I had to explain to him it needed baking first!

Maw maw and Paw paw gave him and eighteen wheeler truck that has lifting sides to hold matchbox cars and Aunt Meg gave him a slew of "cars" themed outfits. This inculded a talking cars shirt- after today I have realized he DOES KNOW how to press that button on the shirt:). We gave him his own talking vaccum and his friend Kayden gave him a cute card with money for his bank account. His good friend Bella showed up awhile later and gave him a magna doodle- he loves it and has been drawing all day! Great Grandma Carlton sent him a nice birthday card and some money for his account also. Thanks to all for thinking of Johnson on his special day.

Yet, birthday is not over yet!! Saturday all of the family is coming over for a cookie decorating party and birthday cake. We can't wait to see everyone!

Pizza Time!!!

2008-12-01T12:46:00.000-08:00

After a week full of Turkey, we just had to have some pizza! This was the first time I had a little helper and he did so great! As I am writing this, Johnson is sitting on my lap describing to me this picture of how he put the sauce on as well as the cheese. Enough said. He did a wonderful job and was very helpful. I think he really enjoyed himself. And yes Porters, if you are reading, that is your Bosch and yeast container. Thanks for letting us use both- and don't worry I will replace the yeast:)

Santa Coming to Town...In a Helicpoter?

2008-12-01T12:25:00.000-08:00

The day after Thanksgiving, Mom and I took the boys to University Mall in Orem where KSL news flew in Santa on a helicopter. They handed out free hot chocolate and donuts and then we heard the noise from above...definitely not reindeer! Johnson is amazed with helicopters and that is precisely why we went. He stared with wide-eyed wonderment as the helicopter circled around us three times, finally landing with huge gusts of air jetting from the massive propellers (talk about extra cold). And then the jolly fat man himself emerged and after Johnson figured out that this was the Santa character that everyone had been talking about all morning- he smiled and waved:). We had a great time but the best was seeing Johnson's sweet smile and cute words, "Copter mom. Hi Santa! Bye Copter!". That's why we do the things we do for our kids.

Christmas Has Arrived At the Luke Home

2008-12-01T12:23:00.000-08:00

Last monday night for family night, we all shared hot chocolate and cookies while decorating the Christmas tree. The funny part was that Johnson loved this glass ice cream cone ornament so much he kept trying to eat it!

Our Last Ride of the Season

2008-12-01T12:18:00.000-08:00

On our 5th Wedding Anniversary, John and I decided to take a ride as part of our activities for the day. The weather was pretty warm for this time of year and the mountainside by where we live was so beautiful. This is my first real ride on my four wheeler since I was pregnant with Mason when we bought it and then it was broken for a while- it rode great! Now the bikes are locked up in our new shed:( We look forward to getting on them next year!

2008-11-21T08:01:00.000-08:00

Sooooooo! Let the potty training begin! He is so excited to potty train and we have been working on it for almost a week now:) He insited that I take a picture of him on the potty but I will not have him embarrased for life by posting it! He does pretty well and had one day with no accidents recently! Yeah! Should I be excited about this you ask? Elated should fit better the joy I will experience once I only have to buy diapers for one child. Next question will be: How long exactly will that take:)?

Mason's Baby Blessing

2008-11-20T11:32:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday, John blessed Mason Keith in our home. We had all the family (Lukes and Vliets) attending including Great Grandma Hazel, Great Uncle Rex and Aunt Geri. It was so much fun to have all the family together to celebrate this special occasion! John gave a beautiful blessing to Mason and those included in the circle were Grandpa, Paw-paw, Uncle Rex, Uncles David, Kyle, and Kevin as well as friends Eric Thrope, Joe Porter, Mike Larkin and our second counselor Bro. Barker. Mason was blessed with health and strength as well as hopes to gain a personal testimony of the Atonement of our Savior. John also blessed Mason to have a positive outlook on life and to bring joy to those around him. Included in the blessing was an expression to the love that we have for Mason. The spirit was strong and witnessed to us what a special day it was in our home. We followed the blessing with a lite dinner and joyous conversation. This will go down in my journal as one of the best days in the lives of the Luke's:).

Trunk or Treat :)

2008-10-31T14:43:00.000-07:00

This past Wednesday night (Oct. 29th), we attended our Ward's first trunk or treat. Maw-maw and Paw-paw tagged along and we had a great time! Johnson held his own and actually racked up a pretty hefty bucket of candy. I tried to get him to let me hold the bucket for him because it was getting so heavy and he gently told me " no mommy". He had candy and he was not letting it out of his sight! Check out how we decorated the trunk of the van:)

Family Night

2008-10-28T09:09:00.000-07:00

This past Monday night we got together with the Thorpes, Ratliffs, and Porters to carve pumpkins and have root beer floats. We all decided that John's was the best but I thought mine turned out pretty cute!

Party All Night Long!!!

2008-10-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

Well, we had an awesome Halloween Party with a turn out of 24 people! Almost everyone dressed up this year an we had some pretty wild costumes. Our friends Kindra and Mike won the costume contest; they were dressed as Dracula's Bride and a Trojan Warrior. Yet Meg and Mike prevailed coming in a very close second dressed as the Burger King guy and Dairy Queen frosty (check out meg's hair-it explains her costume:) Everyone enjoyed tons of great food including a beautiful Halloween cake made by my talented neighbor (she is going into business so check out the advertisement on my blog) . We played tons of games and everyone had a great time visiting and meeting new friends. The night ended around 12:30 and to all of you who did not show- we'll see ya next year!

Riding at Five Mile Pass

2008-10-21T13:14:00.000-07:00

Saturday afternoon I told John that I wanted to go riding. One hour later, the car was packed with dinner and the bikes were loaded- we even had Maw-maw and Paw-paw tagging along! It was so dusty out on the West desert mountain, but we had fun zipping along the trails. Johnson is the one that has the most fun. He laughs and hangs onto our legs. Of course we always go very slow with him and everyone wears a helmet. Even Paw-paw rode around a little! We only rode for an hour but it was a perfect way to end the day!

Zoo Day

2008-10-21T11:23:00.000-07:00

Last week, we went to the Hogle Zoo in SLC as a family. The weather was perfect and we got there early and beat all the crowds. We saw the monkeys first and what was particularly entertaining was a baby capuchin monkey who kept swinging and jumping into bushes. Next we went looking for the white alligator but it must be too cold now because he was not in his exhibit. (By the way, the white alligator is on loan from the New Orleans Aquarium and many years ago, I held that same alligator when it was a baby.) Johnson loved the cougars and kept calling them "kitty's". He also did this with the snow leopard, bobcat, and tiger. John taught him to say each animal's name as we passed by-we know Johnson is so smart! We had a great day as a family.

Our Cute Little Mason Bug

2008-10-18T13:29:00.000-07:00

Mason is getting so big. I can't believe that he will be six weeks old on monday. He loves his baths and is a big eater- 4oz's already! He started smiling this week- so cute. Johnson did something really cute with Mason today. Mason was starting to cry and was laying on the changing table. The crying stopped short and I went in to get him and Johnson had climbed up on the chair and had his finger in Mason's mouth. Mason was sucking happily and I just had to laugh. Johnson is always so concerned about Mason crying that he is usually on "binky duty". We are grateful for his help!

Johnson at the Scarecrow Festival

2008-10-18T13:12:00.000-07:00

This weekend Johnson, Mason and I (Rachel) went to the Scarecrow Festival with my friend Stephanie and her two daughters Bella and Ava. Stephanie and I laughed because we actually were able to fit the six of us and two double strollers in my compact van- it was like doing circus tricks to get everyone and everything out of the van! Bella and Johnson are good friends and they play so well together- they really had a great time. They jumped in some blow up houses together and it was funny because everytime Johnson jumped two jumps, he would fall, laugh and get right back up again! They also had a huge toddler play area with big toys (cars, airplanes, seesaws, slides. etc.) I almost jumped into mommy mode when a terror toddler wacked at Johnson over a little tykes car. Thoughts of "Where is his mother?" sprang to mind! All turned out well and Steph and I got some really cute pictures of the kids on hay bales next to the scarecrows. It was a fun day out!

One of Our Most Favorite Things

2008-10-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

John purchased a dual sport Yamaha bike last Friday so we all took turns riding on it- except Mason of course:) Johnson loves to ride our four-wheelers and in turn, loved riding this bike too! He loved it so much that he cried when we took him off and when Rachel took a spin with out him- I am such a cruel mom! This bike is pretty zippy and we had fun zipping around the neighborhood but we did stay within speed limits. The best part was we got some pretty strange looks from the neighbors and I happily shouted, "Don't worry! It's street legal!" Oh the joy!

2008-09-25T10:44:00.001-07:00

Johnson is learning how to brush his teeth-and is pretty good at it! He says "teeth mommy!" and I know that he wants to brush his teeth. The picture is Johnson with his toothbrush yesterday morning. He is also getting interested in the potty and often has me sit him on it at different times of the day- potty training here we come!

2008-09-24T08:36:00.000-07:00

Happy "two weeks old" Mason! We went to his doctor appointment and he is now 8 lbs. 3 ozs. The doctor said he is just one healthy little boy! He is sleeping very well and eating well also. John was just initiated to the late night spit up the other night- what an experience! Two towels and a change of blankets and clothes later, we go the situation was under control:) Johnson is learning new words all the time and can fill in words when we read books to him. Rachel is almost done with the garden- I am carrot-ed out! I cannot think of anything else to make with carrots! Just a few more zuchinni and then the garden will be cleaned out. John loves my carrot-raisin bread so as long as I can keep making that, we will use up those carrots!

Big Brother Johnson

2008-09-19T16:28:00.001-07:00

Johnson is such a wonderful big brother! Mason is just "baby" to Johnson right now but we are working on getting him to say his actual name. He loves to kiss Mason on the head and the cutest thing is when he holds Mason's hand in the car. Johnson helps mommy by holding Mason's binky or throwing away the diapers- he is a big helper! Mason has already been introduced to almost all of Johnson's cars and stuffed animals- Johnson is doing a great job sharing. We are proud of the big boy that Johnson has become and we are enjoying him in this stage of his life!

Mason's Birth

2008-09-19T16:28:00.000-07:00

Mason Keith Luke was born on Sept. 8th at 7:45 pm at American Fork Hospital. He was 7 lbs. 7 oz. and 2o 1/2 inches long with black hair and black eyes- just like mom! We are so grateful that he came to us so healthy and strong. Welcome our new little baby boy!