Dear Plain Ol' Grammy,

Thank-you so much for the books from the Wildlife Fe-brae-shone. I don't get much mail, but it sure is fun to tear open the envelope! Aileen, our neighbor, brought my wildlife book from the mailboxes last week and didn't know I was "Master Luke". She thought maybe they got the address wrong. My favorite part of the books so far is when Billy the Kid stands on his mommy's back, because it reminded me of the time when Daddy was rubbing Mommy's back and held my hands so I could stand on her - just like Billy! Only Billy the Kid is a goat, and Mommy says I'm a monkey.

Mommy and I hiked through the snow drifts to get to the back porch yesterday and then we shoveled snow away from the back door so we could get inside that way. I stayed in the snow until my hands were very cold and red. I just love to toss it in the air.

I keep getting in trouble for pushing chairs into the kitchen, but it is so fun to be tall! I hope one day I am very tall and can reach the highest cupboards. Daddy and Mommy say, "Chairs stay at the table", but I wonder why were chairs made to be so move-able if they aren't supposed to be moved? So I do it anyway, when they're not looking. And sometimes I even help with the dishes.



I love you Grammy. Tell Wuf hello from me and give him a hug. I am getting excited to see you in 2 weeks and six days! Mommy is counting down every morning and telling me how happy she is to go on the plane. You'd think it was her first time!
Well, see you soon!

Love,
luke

Lord let me not go blind

Luke's Dedication, Divination, Determination

The three D's in Harry Potter's apparition class are hard to remember and he and Ron are always making up funny replacements for them. But Luke really was Dedicated on Saturday night. The church stood with us and prayed for Luke, and us as parents, and the way Luke behaved you can be sure we convinced them we need the prayers. He was bouncing off the walls.

I read this hymn, which I love (and which I'm pretty sure nobody heard because Luke was shouting "BUH-BOON!" and whacking the balloons on stage):

In the Bulb There is a Flower
In the bulb there is a flower; In the seed, an apple tree; In cocoons a hidden promise; Butterflies will soon be free! In the cold and snow of winter There's a spring that waits to be, Unrevealed until its season, Something God alone can see.

There's a song in every silence, seeking word and melody; There's a dawn in every darkness Bringing hope to you and me. From the past will come the future; What it holds, a mystery, Unrevealed until its season, Something God alone can see.

In our end is our beginning; In our time, infinity; In our doubt there is believing; In our life, eternity. In our death, a resurrection; At the last, a victory, Unrevealed until its season, Something God alone can see.

Derek read a blessing for Luke from Numbers 6:24-26

The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.

Then people came up and surrounded us to pray with us and Luke ran down the aisle and out of the sanctuary while everyone's eyes were closed.

We had "Mac-a-mommy" for dinner last night.

Watch them GROW

This hyacinth is to help me get through the last of winter, while those of you in California are enjoying almond blossoms, muggy rain in Bolivia, and I am feeling sorry for myself. These pictures were taken over 24 hours. My house smells like flowers.

This boy eats like I did when I was a kid. Ate right down the middle of the muffin. Muffin everywhere!

helping with laundry

This morning we ate "Punky butt!" for breakfast, also known as pumpkin bread. That's my last pumpkin from my garden. Now I can officially clean out the pantry!

A person is a success if they get up in the morning and gets to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do.

- Bob Dylan

Spring Cleaning

I am going all out this week with Spring cleaning. I know it's not actually Spring yet, but I want it to be so badly that I am cleaning the house in the hopes that Spring will catch on to the idea. While Luke and I cleaned windows this morning I told him that we needed clean windows to see the flowers out of...it may be a while before that becomes a reality. The work doesn't go as fast as I imagined when I have a toddler running around behind me making messes while I clean. As I cleaned under the kitchen sink this morning, Luke was busy dumping all the cat food out of the bag onto the freshly mopped floor. Then while I was shoving couches away from the wall to sweep, vacuum and mop beneath them, Luke pulled up a chair and dug into the plate of danishes on the kitchen counter. Aye aye aye.