Last Half of Summer 2013

One of my favorite things about writing on the blog about our family's latest activities is that it gives me an opportunity to look back on the last month or so to see all the good that has happened and that we've done.  It is true that these entries don't cover the ins and outs and ups and downs of our everyday life as a family, but it reminds me of the good and helps me be grateful. And there is much to be grateful for, as I look at these fun pics:

I know I put pictures of Harry on this blog way more than anyone is interested in, but I can't help it.  He makes me smile.  And this moment in particular was cute.  They took a nap together that afternoon and they were both snoring like CRAZY. 



Ron and Joann got Andi this Superman shirt for her to wear as a nightshirt, in honor of Michael's love for Superman.  I thought it was a thoughtful gift, and Andi loved it.  She's well aware of her dad's love for the comic hero. 

The weekend of July 13th was Farmington Festival Days, and they put off fireworks that night.  It was fun seeing them from our deck.  We initially waited for them to go off, but they didn't, so we put the girls to bed.  Then when Eric and I heard them we ran and got the girls so they could see the show.   

My sister Leslie had her fourth child on July 15, 2013.  They named him Bowen Lee Francis.  Bowen is my dad's middle name, the maiden name of his mother.  I'm sure he'll go by "Bo."  He really is very beautiful.  So fun to see him for the first time that day.

Aunt Leslie being a great aunt even on a day she gave birth.  She was eagerly showing my girls Bowen's tiny little body.

My girls were so excited to hold the baby.  I was surprised to see so much interest.

Andi couldn't get enough of her new cousin.

I couldn't get enough of him either.

When we were at the hospital that day, Eric took a picture of the tile there.  Gotta' appreciate some good tile design, ya know.

We spent many a good summer night at our good ol' hometown amusement park.  Lagoon is certainly not my favorite place, but it has become so fun for me to take the girls there.  They all got to flex their bravery muscles as we would go from ride to ride and pool to pool at "Lagoon-a-Beach."

They love the carousel ride...I would say it's their favorite.  (They love those high thrills!  :))

Eric put some new rocks in his aquarium...An exciting development for our cute little fishies (Some of them aren't so little though, and some of them aren't as nice as I would like them to be either.) 

I had to take a picture of my wall this day because I finally put up my favorite little tree quote that I had in our old house. 

After Lagoon one night we went to Station Park in Farmington and hung out in their fun courtyard they have down there.  Had a little ice cream, ya know.  Gotta' love summer nights.

We were at Lagoon-a-Beach and I had to stop and take a picture of these perfect curls. 

 

Two peas in a pod.

My niece Lydia enjoying her new baby cousin Bowen.  Lydia just started junior high this last month and I'm still having a hard time believing it.  She was born my second year of college and I remember so well the night she was born.  Time flies, it's true.

 

After Eric and I gave our talks on the martyrdom of Joseph Smith, I thought it might be cool to go to the church history museum in SL to see some of the memorabilia there.  We made a night of it and went to the Cheesecake Factory at City Creek.  The above pictures show some of the fun.  The girls loved going out, Eric took full advantage of the opportunity to be a goof, and I enjoyed the church history museum.

This is my mom's dog, Cleo, on her last day.  She was put down in August. 

She was a big part of our family....

She was born when I was in 9th grade and I watched her birth.  She's been through a lot of our family's ups and downs.  She loved my brother Chris, and my mom will miss her a lot too.  She's a part of us!  We'll love her sweet soul always.

More Lagoon pics above.

Cute Cleo.

 

The following pictures are of the girls' last day of swimming lessons this summer.  They made a lot of progress; I was a proud parent.  Abbey got her sea legs on this year as she experienced life in the deep end.  Andi got brave and learned how to put her head all the way in the water.  She's been proud of her new skill and has liked to fetch stuff at the bottom of the pool. 

Ava was really good at swimming this year because she remained happy throughout her lessons and she didn't cry.  She laughed and jumped and danced every day with her teachers.  She also got to experience the deep end as her teachers held her.

Abbey is in this picture--look for her head popping out towards the back.

Happy girl!  yay!

Ava floating on her back.

Ava going to the deep end with a noodle wrapped around her.

Look at that brave girl.  I know she was challenged, and I'm so proud of her for continuing to try and learn.

Grandma and Grandpa Luke came to see the girls on their last day of lessons.  So nice of them.

 

The following pictures show some of the fun we had when we went on a trip up to Montana to visit Grandpa Ron.  At the beginning of August, Abbey, Andi, Joann, and I left on a Thursday afternoon, stayed that night in Idaho Falls, and then drove up to Great Falls on Friday.  We stayed in Great Falls clear until Monday afternoon.  Ron has been living and working up there since February and Joann will be moving up with him as we speak. 

Here they are in Idaho Falls, at the "falls."  Nice town, nice hotel.  The girls got some good swimming in.  We also got to visit Joann's sister, Carol, while we were in town.  Carol and her family are so kind.  Michael often spoke fondly of them and I can see why.

At one of the pit stops on our road trip.

Here is Ron and Joann's newly purchased house in Great Falls, Montana.  It is a new adventure for them.  Ron works up there now and so they're going to make the town their home.  They found a gem of a house, as you can see.  It's so cute inside...

Even the garage is cool.  It matches the house perfectly.

I love seeing what people do with old houses.

Playing at a park in Great Falls.

Ava and Eric stayed home while we went to MT.  They spent some time at my parents' house with the cousins.  Here Ava is holding her new cousin "Bowen."  What a good picture!

Ava and my dad up to their usual activities.  She loves playing patty cake with him. 

Ron and Joann took us to the Lewis & Clark museum in Great Falls.  It was very interesting and the girls learned some things.  It was one of my favorite parts of the trip.

Eric ran the Bair Gutsman race on the Saturday I was gone.  I felt so bad for missing it.  My awesome dad and brother-in-law, Scott, went up and supported him at the finish line though.  Here he is at the top of the mountains in Davis County.  ...Right next to the water towers.  Go Eric!  So proud.  It's not a race for sissies, for sure.

This shows a little (or not so little) project Eric worked on while we were in Montana.  There was a chicken coop in our backyard that the previous owners had built.  They obviously had a lot of chickens, because the coop was well-used, to say the least.  Eric was happy to start tearing it down, as you can see.

Another fun highlight from our Montana trip:  We went to a water resort with Ron and Joann.  It was a place located right in Great Falls.  The girls were so excited to go.

Playing with Grandma Joann at Grandpa Ron's temporary apartment.

Grandma Joann is good for always playing right along with them...She knows how to get in some good grandkid time.

Another picture from the waterpark.  Andi, Abbey, Ron, Joann, and I all went down the waterslides.  It took some coaxing, but we all finally did it.  It was an afternoon not to be forgotten!--Joann had her first waterslide experience, I successfully made it down the slides without getting my hair wet (yes, I know...I'm an idiot...I just didn't want to deal with wet hair for the evening's plane ride), and Abbey and Andi flexed their bravery muscles once again in trying new things.  So proud of them. 

Ta da!  One of the most exciting adventures of this last summer!  Andi and Abbey got to ride on a plane!  It was Andi's very first time.  Thanks to Ron and Joann, we didn't have to drive back home from Montana...we got to ride comfortably for just a little over an hour to get back home.  The girls were so excited...It was so fun to watch. 

Ava and Harry while we were gone. 

Seriously, look at him.  Freaking adorable.

In the middle of August, Grandma and Grandpa Luke took us to see "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."  It was Mom, Dad, Andi, Abbey, Carter, Luke and me that went.  So fun and memorable.  My dad just loves that show and I think he was so glad to share it with us.

Enjoying some family time at the cabin in mid-August.

At the pizzeria in Bear Lake.

At Joseph.

Carter and Luke at Joseph.

Typical of the fun we have at the cabin together.

Leslie and her new baby Bowen at the cabin.  He's so cute he makes me baby hungry.  A good and bad thing.  :)

Swimming at the pool in Bear Lake.

Ava on Eric's back, swimming away.

One night, we had an evening stroll to the beach.  It was a beautiful night.

Grandma got the grandkids Bear Lake t-shirts.

This is a typical Ava pose.  Cute little lady.

Spending time in the loft, watching "The Wizard of Oz."

Enjoying the evening air. 

We went to the beach with the family and it was a fun day.  The water was choppy, but we got in some good boating and water time.

We set up our usual camp on the beach.

 

We went with some friends this summer to the church history museum for their "Book of Mormon tour."  The girls' friends Elizabeth Buckway, McKenzie Munk, Anni, Alyssa, and Natalie Romano all came with us to the museum.  Fun afternoon.  Grateful for good friends.

An exciting development in the Luke family this summer:  My parents finally got a new driveway. 

Andi with her new backpack, getting ready for kindergarten.

My big girl.  This picture looks like a first-day of school picture, but it's not.  It was a couple of weeks before school started.  She was trying out her new bag.

Andi's 5th birthday party!  We were so glad to have all of her friends come to celebrate with us.

At the end of August, the mountainside just northeast of us caught fire.  It was a scary sight at night, and it seemed a lot closer than it was.

I seriously started packing up some of our valuables...:)

Another birthday party picture for the 5 year old baby.

Andi opening her presents.  Notice that Harry now poses for pictures.  :)

One of her most favorite gifts:  Aunt Bethany was at the Disney Store in Times Square this summer and she got Andi some Ariel school supplies.  She knows my girl.

Strawberry shortcake cupcakes.

Andi wanted to have a "beauty salon party," so that's what we did.  Here's Maelee with her "face mask" on.  So funny.

Bethany helped get the girls all dolled up in make-up.  I was so glad to have her help.  She knows how to do a good party.

Andi's friend Alyssa Romano in her newly-applied makeup.

The birthday girl.

My friend Marie brought her daughter Emma to join in on the fun.

Grandma Joann helped paint nails.  Look at her go.  The girls loved it. 

Opening presents in the evening with our little family.  She got Monster High dolls...Her most wanted gift.

During Andi's friend party, we had chocolate covered strawberries, an Andi favorite.

Licking the cake batter before her party.

Posing with her new Easy Bake oven.

Having cake and ice cream at Grandma Luke's the Sunday after her birthday.

Scott's birthday is the day before Andi's so it was a party for him too!  :)

Getting our Easy Bake skills on.  We made cookies, cupcakes, and mini pizzas.

Precious to me.  :)

The week before school started, all the Luke cousins gathered at the Lagoon trail for a bike ride.  Here's baby Bowen goin' for a ride in the stroller.  He was wide awake.

Lookin' at the animals on the trail.

 

More Lagoon fun before the summer ended...

The morning at the Lagoon trail.

So cute.

Cute hair day.

Lookin' cute.

It seems little Abbey isn't so little anymore.  She has grown a lot the past two years.

It's soccer season again!

I never tire of getting flowers.  Thanks Eric.

Having fun at the ward party that Eric and I helped execute.  Many hours were devoted to posters, invitations, and delivering invites.  Turned out good, though.

 

On a date with Mom for her birthday, at Robintino's, one of her favorites. 

Here it is:  The first day of school picture.  Andi's first day of KINDERGARTEN and Abbey's first day of 2nd grade at Farmington Elementary.  So proud of these cute girls.

At her first recess.  Yes, I really did follow her to her first recess.  What can I say?  It was a hard parting for me.  For her, no problem.  For me, well, don't ask.  It was a long week preparing for this big day.  Sounds cheesy, but the tears were coming so easily.  Seeing her take this big step into school was a big deal for me.  She's been my buddy and my purpose. 

So proud of our baby girl.

 

Harry loves his outlook point in front of our front door.  It makes me laugh watching him guard our house.

Harry found something good under Andi's bed.  :)

One day, Andi and Ava wanted to be twins. 

Look at this.  Ava loves getting back tickles from Grandma Luke.  She'll just get in a trance and relax like she's in heaven.  So cute.

Soccer pictures.

Doing her very first kindergarten homework.

Ava getting a birthday breakfast.  August 30, 2013.

 

She's officially four years old now.  Big girl.

 FOUR!!!

Ava's presents.  (Notice the Cinderella bike!)

A new comforter with PONIES on it!  (She LOVES "My Little Pony" these days.)

I can't remember where we were when this picture was taken.  Sister love.

Ava's first ride on her new bike in our driveway.

I made her a cake and Eric got mini ponies to put on top.  :)

A new outfit from Grandma Joann and Grandpa Ron!  So cute.

We took the girls up to Soldier Hollow for the annual sheepdog fair.  Ava got her face painted with a "My Little Pony"-looking horse.  So cute.  (The pony's name is actually "Rainbow Dash"--Ava's favorite!)

Abbey got a cute dog on her face.

At Soldier Hollow.

They had a competition where dogs would jump in a pool to see how far they could jump.  Funny and cute.

Andi loves ladybugs.

Aunt Wendi and Uncle James met up with Abbey, Ava, and Eric at Sheris' grave at the end of August to commemorate the four years since Sheri left.  Wendi got some darling pictures that day (that I will post soon.)  Grateful for the support.  Those are always tender times and I know that Sheri is loved and missed, to say the least.

Eric set up a tent in our backyard on Labor Day weekend.  Saying that the girls loved it is an understatement.  They camped out back with him and they laughed and told stories into the late hours of the night.  So cute and fun.

Daddy Daughter moment.  :)

 

All of those pictures cover our adventures from July 15 thru Labor Day.  It was an eventful time, as you can see.  Like I said before, grateful for all the good times we share.  We are blessed to have each other and to have such great families. 

 

The next post will surely cover our new beginnings now that we've started school.  New days are here and the girls are growing fast.