Dear Lucas,

What a wonderful family home evening we had at the temple together. You were so excited to see Angel Moroni. You wondered why you couldn't go in. There are very sacred things that happen in the temple and when you turn 12 you will have a better understanding of those ordinances. Only the cleanest people can enter the house of the Lord. You are very clean and work hard to make good choices - so I know you will get the opportunity to go inside one day. I also know that if you continue on the path of righteousness, you will be able to be sealed to your own family there some day. 

The closest we can get to God is attending the temple. This world is filled with darkness and sin. It takes great courage to stand above the rest and keep yourself spotless from the sins that surround you. You are such a leader. I can see you teaching others about Jesus Christ and even serving a mission some day. I know you have so many individual traits that Heavenly Father blessed you with that will help you get through this life and that will help others to see the light as well. Thank you for always making your brother happy and helping to teach him by example. He sees you fold your arms so reverently for prayer, he watches you show love to others and I know he'll want to be just like you. Lucas, I love you so much. I know that Heavenly Father has a special love for you, too. He knows your trials and wants you to succeed. The scriptures will help you do that. Please remember to read and learn. Always know that life is easiest with the gospel. I can't wait to take you to the temple someday. You make me so proud already. Your smile lights up the room. 

I love you so much, Groobs. 

hugs & kisses, 

"mommy"

Conversations With Groobs

I dressed you in sweats one morning and we headed to a doctor appointment. After the appointment I offered to take you Christmas shopping. This was your reply: "Not in my SWEATS, Mom!" I guess you rarely wear them and understand the importance of staying well groomed. I think that's a good thing. :) I also wanted you to try on a hat in the store and you said, "don't mess up my hair!" ...this coming from my very stylish 3 year old. 

After fixing the toilet when the chain came unhooked, you said: "You FIXED it, Mom? I'm UMpressed!"

You had been playing in your bed with a tractor for quite some time. I came in and asked you to park it and tell it good night. You replied, "What?! I'm so confuuuused."

You always tell me to "have patience!"

Never do you ask for help. I am often stopped in my tracks with a hand in the air, a cute head nod with eye brows raised telling me "I got it. I can do it myself."

You have the funniest baby talk with your brother. You call him "Bode Boy" and "cutie patootie". You often ask him questions and then answer for him saying, "Yes, you ARE handsome, Boden" or "Yes you DO like tractors, Boden." You also call him by his full name all the time. "Mom, I think we should get Boden Jeramy dressed, don't you?"

At the dinner table you asked what kind of meat we were eating. "Are these ribs?" (you know what ribs are thanks to Daddy's Anatomy book you love.) We replied that they were in fact ribs. "Are they ribs from a cow or a human?" ... actually they are from a pig. "Well I like to eat human ribs." ...*crickets*...

mom: "Do you know who Heavenly Father is?"
Lucas: "His son is named Jesus. He says, "This is my BELIEVE-ED son... Hear him."

Your favorite thing to do is read our Book of Mormon "Hero" cards. They're like trading cards of prophets from the BOM. Right now you love Ammon and the gory story of him cutting off the arms of wicked Lamanites - which is in fact way too old for you and definitely rated-R. You can finish my sentences while I read it and you love the part where it says "Ammon had the power of GOD." but you say "DOD" because G's are still hard for you to pronounce.

The other day you prayed that you would someday get to ride on a train. And in case Heavenly Father didn't know, you repeated yourself more specifically, "a passenger train."

I love you and I really love talking to you. Thanks for keeping us on our toes.

hugs & kisses,
"mommy"

Caught You

I caught you talking with your construction figurines.

I caught you singing and dancing in your room.

I caught you giggling in time out.

I caught you playing on Daddy's ipod.

I caught you sneaking an oreo before breakfast.

I caught you flexing your muscles in the mirror.

I caught you picking up your brother.

I caught you outside without shoes on.

I caught you on the counter tops.

...and this morning I caught you sleep walking... in the kitchen... with two fists in Grandma's candy drawer.

amazing.

For the last, I don't know... 8 months or so, you have come up with every bed time excuse in the book. 
It has recently changed to compliment hour and Daddy and I can't complain.

"You're AMAZING, Mom."
"You're the best Parent EVER."
"I WUV you."
"You're the best PLAYER in the whole world." (What?) I'll take it.
"You are awesome."
"You're my favorite."
and when you think I'm not listening or didn't hear you, you add more syllables. "You're my fav-or-i-i-i-i-te."

If I return any compliment to you in any form, you say "nooo, YOU are amazing. I just a boy."

I do think you're amazing though. I think you're such a good helper. I think you came into my life at the perfect time. Your smiles bring me so much joy. Not only that, I have hope. I see the genuine love you have for your family and cousins and I am so grateful for it. I have hope that the same love will someday radiate the world. I hope that you can create and embrace happy moments and live a life time of pure JOY. Most of all, I do "WUV" you.

hugs & kisses,
"mommy"

You hosted your first FHE!

You have had this obsession with Angel Moroni. You love to talk about him, see him in pictures and always ask to "go in!" when we drive by the temple. I was in the church bookstore the other day and you wandered your way in to the children's section. It wasn't long before you noticed all the scripture character action figurines hanging on the wall. Did you go for Stripling warriors? Did you find a sweet baby Jesus? Did you seek out the ripped Nephi figurine? Nope. Angel Moroni. That's all you cared about. So I had to have it. :) I hid it for a few days because I wanted to wait for a good time to give him to you when I could let you know of his importance.

Time went by, and I had to run to the dollar store for some shipping envelopes. I was in a rush, and you understood that we were just running in fast. Until you saw a life-size trumpet JUST like Angel "Moron-on-i's". We had to stop. We had to stop and look at all of them. There was no longer a rush to get out of the store. We both had fun picking out the most "Moron-on-i" like trumpet.

I asked if you would host FHE and you were SO excited to. We kept it a surprise and the family loved it. We dressed you up like Moroni and you marched into the living room blowing that horn just like I imagine Angel Moroni would. "do do doooo!!"

It was hilarious when Dad took a turn blowing the trumpet. He didn't do it your way, so you politely said "show how" (I'll show you how) and taught him the correct way to sound the trump. You did great. :)

We proceeded to teach about the plates and the visions of Moroni that Joseph Smith had. You explained that the spires on the temples point "up up heaven".

I enjoy every teaching moment I have with you. I really love watching you learn. You remember EVERYTHING and it really amazes me. There will be no empty promises from me, because I know you better than to forget. :)

I love you, Groobs. Thanks for sharing your "knowledge" of Angel Moroni with us tonight.

hugs & kisses,
"mommy"

Conversations with Lucas

You are officially my favorite child. You are so darn witty. You make me laugh with all your funny sayings. You have finally become my verbal little guy! You repeat whatever it is we say. You are doing GREAT!

Today while watching Huskies footaball, you repeated EVERYthing Daddy shouted. Including, "RIP IT!" and "OH YEAH" as well as "TOUCHDOWN!" He is so proud to have a son love Sports the way he does. We recently went to a Husky Basketball game and you watched the entire thing! Someone got fouled hard and you said, "OH NO!" in an angry yell. It's just so funny to see you start to understand the games we watch! You seem way too young to be interested. That's it! We're signing you up!

The other day, we were getting ready to run errands.
Lucas: Ready Dad! Let's go!
Dad: Where do you want to go?
Lucas: Ride.
Dad: Where do you want to go on a ride to?
Lucas: Huskies.
Dad: Oh, well they don't play tonight.
Lucas: (pause) Seahawks?

We were surprised by this because we rarely mention the Seahawks.

Mason got appendicitis on Christmas night. I had been trying to get you settled in for bed shortly after I heard the news. I thought telling you would settle you down. So I told you how he was sick and needed to go have surgery. I continued on, singing and making efforts to turn you "off" for the night when you made the most creative excuse to get out of bed yet. With your most painful face, squinting your eyes, using your most whiney voice you said, "Mom... me sick... owww... (grabbing your stomach) hurt... hospital... doctor... ohhhhh...." My response? "No, Lucas. You are not sick. You're going to BED." What a creative TWO year old!! Asking to go to the hospital?! Funny kid!

I love to hear the things that go on in your little head. Thanks so much for finally sharing them with me!

hugs & kisses,
"mommy"

coming of age

I'm sure this is the first of many. 

This just means that you are OFFICIALLY not my baby any more. You are a big 2 year old boy. Sad but true.

Here is a list of your current vocabulary:

yellow - ahloww

blue - boooo

green - naaaan

pink - mahp

tammy - mammmmy

joe - do

grandma - wamma

grandpa - papa (every old man is papa)

buffalo - bu oh oww

mint - mimp
juice - dusssss

We signed you up for speach therapy - just to find out that there's a 3 month long waiting list. 

I'm not worried because just after you were evaluated, you started saying tons more words!

You are so adorable. When you're ready to talk more I'm sure you'll have lots to say.

You might be a rough and tough boy by the looks of your socks, but you're nothing short of sweet.
Today we went out in the garden to look for worms under the pumpkins.
Out of no where you went from your haunches to your knees, closed your eyes and folded your arms. I asked you if you wanted to pray. "uh hu." I then asked who we were going to pray for - to which you replied, "Papa." So there we were. Out in the garden, mid afternoon praying for Papa.
After we finished the prayer, you opened your eyes long enough to ask me to say a prayer for "wama" too. So, we said another prayer for Grandma.

I love how in so many ways - you teach me.
Seems a little backwards, doesn't it?
I just hope somewhere along the line you feel like I taught you, because I seem to be the one learning here.

Love you, bug guy.

hugs&kisses,
"mommy"