Luke Thomas- 9 months old

I have blinked and another month has already passed.  I'm not even surprised anymore that the 17th has come again because you've been growing leaps and bounds.
As I write this you are happily munching on table food because you refuse to be fed anything that has been pureed or mashed up in any sort of way.  You prefer to gum it or you scream your head off at the silliness of baby food and a spoon.  So, eat away at that deconstructed chicken pot pie, sweet little one, because that is one less thing mama has to do at dinner time!

I didn't even bother putting you inside the laundry basket this month, because I knew you'd have it flipped over and be outta there before I could bend back up to take a photo.  Instead, I let you push it happily across the floor until you found the childproof lock you are so enamored with.

 Yes, I understand your frustration that you can't get it off the door.  That is the point. ;)

I told Sean the other day that he better watch out because I think his record of walking first will be taken down by you.  He walked just around a week shy of 11 months, and the rate Luke is going he's going to probably match or best that.  He cruises around holding onto furniture, can climb the stairs (much to my surprise of finding him halfway up in a blink one day), and is eager to join the ranks of the big kids partaking in their mischief making.  You'll be there soon enough, sweet boy, so please slow down.  You're really the last baby this time!

 mmm, tasty

 Trying to figure out how to get the toy (just out of sight) without letting go of the chair

Luke- 8 Months Old

Time just keeps ticking away too fast!  Luke is now 8 months old and really settling into his little personality.  Here he is in his new famous expression of crinkling his nose when he smiles.

First Day

What a fun but packed day!  Lots of things to adapt to our schedule and modify from the curricula lessons to work for the pace our kids need to learn, but I think it will be doable.  The hardest part will be keeping Jack occupied without the mishaps we had today.  But, overall, I loved every part of having them home.

Atlas Copco Family Fun Day

Jon's work hosted a family fun day today complete with bounce houses, games, BBQ, ice cream, cotton candy, train rides, bingo with prizes and tours of the facility for the families to see where they go off to work everyday.  

Traveling

Our family doesn't travel much at all...mostly because of the logistics of traveling with 5 kids, one of them still nursing, but I often wish we could travel more...until we take a trip, then I'm fine with our staycations at home. 

Jon & Amber- B.C.

B.C. 

as in Before Children

Yes, once upon a time...long, long ago in a faraway land...

Jon and Amber had been married for 6 years without children.

I almost can't remember those years.

Fun on the Farm

This morning, we made a visit to some friends' farm, on which they raise chickens and a couple of calves.  The had a blast, but they also learned about the animals a bit and even had the opportunity to feed the calves their bottles.