HopperJournal

They Grow so Fast...

2012-01-26T18:03:00.002-05:00

To prove it, I wanted to share a few pictures of what we've been up to the past few weeks. Luke has turned 15 months old and he is really growing fast. Will and Jack are not too far behind either. Jack will turn four years old in just 5 months from now. William just turned six and likes to act very grown up like... but he's still very reserved. Ha! They are full of personality and charm. Every one of them is unique, smart, funny and sarcastic... hmmm, I wonder where they got that one from?! ; ) Needless to say, I'm really enjoying watching how much the three enjoy playing together and getting along. They are truly best friends. There's never a dull moment around our house, but that's how I like it!

Here's my little climber, runner, and very smart little toddler. He can get his fingers, hands, entire body...you get my point, anywhere he finds it necessary. He can climb on anything, you name it.
You gotta love the look on his face on this picture. ha ha! We found him in the boys room dumping out the dinosaurs from their box and sneakily hiding himself in the box with Jack's leapster explorer. Oh, Luke!

Hooray!...

Luke is 15 months old and weighs 25 1/2 pounds and is 32 1/2 inches long. He's also staying healthy hasn't had any wheezing or allergy symptoms in the past couple of months (that's without taking any breathing treatments too) : )

Here he is at it again, one of his favorite things to do. Trying on his daddy shoes...

Silly kid!

A few weeks ago, my parents came to visit us after my procedure. The boys had so much fun with their Grandpa. They especially loved building train tracks with him.

Coloring away...

This is what they love to do every afternoon after quite/nap time :)

Brotherly Love minus one!

Luke doesn't like to sit still for pictures anymore :(

He does sit still to read books though. He loves to read and loves to point at every picture on the book too.His favorite books are, Brown Bear Brown Bear, Little Train, Goodnight little Bear, Goodnight Moon, Backyardigans(his favorite TV show too), Boohbah Boo(I know, not our favorite either, but this was Will's favorite too, and the Bible.

These pictures are not very good, but I left my camera at home and all I was my phone.

We took the boys to the bowling center last Thursday evening. We had so much fun that I think we might be going again very soon.

William is getting really good at bowling.

Jack's first time bowling went great, he had a lot of help from daddy ;)

watching it slowly go....

Happy boys!!!

I know I didn't post any pictures of Luke, but I didn't take any good ones. :(

Maybe next time I will bring my camera :)

Best Memories of 2011

2012-01-01T00:41:00.001-05:00

Here's our 2011 year in review: Needless to say, we've had a wonderful year! It was an eventful year and full of firsts and achievements! Luke reached all of his baby milestones, William played T-ball and got straight A's on his first report card, and Jack began K-3 and is doing great in school, too. It's really exciting to welcome another brand new year! I know that me and Adam look forward to another year with our sweet little boys! :)

January:

Luke at 3 months old could lift his head up. The boys also loved the winter frost in Georgia.

February:

Luke began to roll on his tummy and he was really good at it!
I also celebrated my 26th birthday.

March:

Will started T-ball practice. Super exciting for Will and Adam!

Luke also cut his first tooth, and we celebrated our 6th year Anniversary!

April:

We took the boys to the Georgia Aquarium. Luke really liked looking at the fish. Luke, also had his first Easter, and Jack potty trained. YAY!

May:

Mother's Day at the fire station. Adam and the boys really made it fun for me. Luke started to sit up and had his first taste of mashed sweet potatoes. We took the boys strawberry picking, and William played his first t-ball game. It was Awesome!

June:

Jack turns three! My little boy isn't so little anymore :(
We also have our big family reunion, Father's day, and our trip to Charleston! Super Fun!

July:

We took the kids to Splash in the Boro. It was their first time ever visiting a water park. It was so much fun! We also celebrated the 4th of July at the fire station with Adam!

August:

First day of school! My little Jack started K-3.

William also had his first soccer game, and we took the boys to their first Warner Robins Little League game. They won the SEC game!

September:

Luke starts to cruise everywhere!

October:

Luke's turns one and loved his cupcake! :) Aunt Angie got married, the boys dressed up as Clone Troopers and Yoda for their first Halloween, and had a blast at the Georgia Fair!

November:

Adam turned 32 and we go to our first Georgia/New Mexico game together. Luke gets his first haircut and ends up looking the same! HA HA!(I just couldn't do the "big boy" haircut ) We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with our family, and Luke enjoyed his first turkey meal! yummy :)

December:

My SWEET William turned SIX!!! Where did time go?!?!

Luke had the cutest baby dedication. We began a new family tradition, The Elf of the Shelf. We don't do anything mischievous with our elf, we just basically like the thrill of finding him each morning.

The boys had their Christmas program from school. Jack sang the entire time and William was part of the play, they were so Cute! We took the boys to Callaway Gardens, Fantasy in Lights. It rained most of the time, but the trip was so much FUN!

December 2011: New Year's Eve!

We spent the evening in Byron, with mom and dad. We had a wonderful time, laughing, talking, playing with the boys, and eating! As you can see, we had a busy year, but we LOVE it this way! We have so much fun as a family. We hope that all of our friends and family have a blessed 2012!

Happy New Year!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-28T00:16:00.002-05:00

On Christmas Eve, the big boys made a cake for Jesus. They sweetly sang Happy Birthday to him. Of course, I had to forget to get the candles, but my sweet boys did not mind it at all :/

Later that evening, after I spent an entire day cooking Christmas dinner. We visited Adam at the fire station for a special Christmas Eve dinner, a sweet treat and to read the Christmas story with him. It was definitely worth the crazy day!

At about 12:30 a.m. Mrs. Claus arrived with all of the presents. Of course, she followed orders from Santa Claus ;)

Santa was very sweet to stay up late the night before he left to work. He put everything together and helped wrap presents.

The very next morning, our boys woke up at 7 a.m. Thankfully, Adam got home at the same time they got up.

Luke got his very own and personalized Pal. He loves it!

What?!

He was so excited to see his name on the name tag!

Bumblebee and Optimus Prime! Santa doesn't miss a thing!

It's a Thor sword. He loves it...

even though he's never watched it ;)

Jack is really into Transformers... that's basically all he wrote on his wish list.

He was so happy!

Grandma also knows that he LOVES Star Wars.

From mommy and daddy,

This is his favorite movie of all time... Cars!

Now Luke...

Surprise!!

His first red furry friend!

Luke's favorite thing to do was to open gifts. He was our little helper :)

Yay!! Little people wheelies!

Santa left this amazing gift for Luke. I have to be honest, Santa always leaves the most amazing gifts!

Luke LOVES his wagon!!

Opening more and more presents! Jack and Will also got a Leapfrog Explorer,

Comic heroes underwear, Clone Wars DVD, puzzles, helicopter, superheroes and nano bugs in their habitat.

Will wanted everything to be Star Wars....

He wrote Star Wars pj's on his wish list and 100 Star Wars shirts. I'm guessing that Santa only had time to make one set of pajamas. Forget the shirts! HA HA!

He loves this GI JOE airplane!

He's still learning to use this thing.

OK. I'm still very excited about this sweet gift that my boys gave to me. I wasn't expecting a gift, considering a few weeks ago I had been given an awesome camera.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I just can't believe I got my very first pair of UGG boots! I really plan to use them everyday! :o)

Without knowing, the boys also gave Adam the shoes that he's been wanting for the longest time.

The boys also got him a jacket, underwear(yes, for your sake not shown), and some very powerful cologne.

he-he!

After a wonderful and very blessed morning at home, we headed to Byron to have Christmas dinner with our sweet family.

Nana thought this would make for a great picture, and she was right!

Priceless!

After a delicious meal it was time to open presents.

We always go by age, so Luke was the very first one to open a present.

Next year, there will be another baby that will go first! ;)

Aunt Angie, this movie is so hilarious! Jack loves it!

thank you

The cutest costume I've ever seen him wearing.

thank you Aunt Amy

Amy, Will loves this remote control car. He plays with it all the time!

Thank you Nana and Papa.

I love going outside and looking at the sky!

This is also a favorite. They beg to play Mario Kart all the time just to sit in it. We have to remind them to share, sometimes. :)

A special gift from the boys.

We always have a fun time with our family. We have been blessed beyond measure!

This was a Fantastic Christmas!!!

Christmas Time...

2011-12-24T03:11:00.003-05:00

Adam and I wanted to show you this sweet Christmas gift that we gave to each other this year. For some time now, we've been wanting to invest in a really nice Canon, but never really had the guts to spend the PRICEY tag on it. Well, after many talks and an amazing deal, we decided to invest in one. Wow, we haven't been disappointed yet! In fact, we keep asking ourselves why we didn't get one sooner. This camera is all we use now and we can't make ourselves put it down for anything ;)

Our newest addition,

Canon Rebel T3i EOS 600

Adam has been getting really good at using this camera. He's already taken some amazing pictures!

It's crazy to me how a camera can capture everything in just a quick click.

Well, moving on to Christmas. The kids and I baked gingerbread cookies a couple of weeks ago. We iced them with Adam while he was finishing school work.

Jack couldn't help himself from giggling. He thought his gingerbread man was funny looking.

Just perfect for a sweet little guy!

Will was a little more detailed with his...

CUTE!!

Adam has talent. By that I mean, he's much more creative than me. He always makes things look better. His gingerbread man was no exception to the rule. Check out the final product a few pictures below :)

Can you guess who's little fingers are these?

HA HA! Gingerbread cookie monster!

OK. So, I know these aren't your traditional Christmas gingerbread men cookies but very creative, huh?!

A couple of days later, Will and Jack had their school Christmas program. They did so good! Jack sang along most of the time, and Will even had a couple of lines in the Nativity play.

Here's our little man walking to the stage very confidently. Not one inch of fear :)

He kept sticking out his belly!

Hello :):)

William played the cutest Shepherd I've ever seen!

He did so well singing. He never appeared nervous. We couldn't be more proud of our boys!!

Adam couldn't help himself taking pictures of his boys after the program. A few turned out really good!

Merry Christmas!

'Deck the Halls'

2011-12-17T02:20:00.001-05:00

I have wanted to post pictures of our wonderful time putting up our Christmas tree, but it always feels like I'm running short on time. Well, I decided that 1:30 in the morning is the best time to catch up. I guess I'm viewing it as my only opportunity to write before another hectic day goes by, and I find myself feeling extremely disappointed for not keeping you up to date. I am not a morning person, and The 'Early to bed, Early to rise' doesn't really apply to me. What can I say, I'm a night owl, I'm a much happier person at night than at morning. So here I go. :)

Thanksgiving evening, after getting home from an amazing day with family, Adam and the boys brought down our Christmas tree from the attic. Adam had to work the following day, but he had made a promise to Will and Jack to set up the tree before he left. Adam always keeps his promises and there aren't many exceptions to break them. The boys were thrilled staying up late that night. The joy of watching their little faces light up as our Christmas tree lit up, made it totally worth the 10 o'clock bedtime!

This picture looks out of focus, but I think it's beautiful. :)

2 days later,

We had our first winter fire. The Christmas music and hot coca couldn't be left out from this perfect night!

Luke was elated to help out too, and I am elated that all of our ornaments are made out of plastic and construction paper!

These two Santa's helpers were so sweet and productive.

It's OK every once in a while to take a hot cocoa break. BTW,

Luke did also get a milk break too!

Just sharing a secret about Jack, he LOVES Christmas!! ;)

FYI, Adam and I did help! I just wanted to throw it out there, just in case you were wondering where we were.

This is the finished look. Wish I hadn't cut off the top of our tree! It's got a pretty bow on it. ;)

Can't wait to post all about the Christmas Program at school!

Happy 14 months Luke!

2011-12-14T01:56:00.002-05:00

Luke at 14 months!

He can...

walk really fast

climb anything that looks dangerous

imitate any facial expressions

point to mommy, daddy and brothers

tell you where his nose, hair, mouth, hands, feet and tummy are

find a ball if you ask him to

say mama, Dada, " day day"(thank you), "caw" (car), "ba"(ball), "by"(bye), "peas"(please)

smack his lips when he wants a kiss

play peek-a-boo

blow raspberries on your stomach and laugh hysterically while he's doing so

blow kisses

wave hello and bye

make car sounds when playing with brothers hot wheels

He loves...

to eat EVERYTHING!

yogurt,blueberries and peas

music and to dance

Elmo

playing with his brothers

reading books

to smile

bath time

naps

snuggling

pretending to talk on the phone

cars and trains

to give hugs

Luke has become a very curious and determined toddler in blink of an eye. He's beginning to climb on just about everything. Just the other day we found him standing on Jack's toddler bed. He was attempting to jump off just like a superhero! I almost fell over imagining what would of happened if in that second I hadn't been around to catch him! Silly kid...haha!

A little over a week ago, Luke was dedicated to the Lord. Our church had one of the sweetest dedications that I have ever seen. Will and Jack were also dedicated as babies, and nothing was ever quite this big. They offered finger foods and refreshments, had a wonderful slide show, and decorated with this beautiful center piece(pictured below). I was able to keep the cute snowflake ornaments that had Luke's picture on them.

It was a very sweet and special day for me and Adam. We have been blessed with three amazing little boys and we couldn't be any happier! We prayed for all of the sweet babies in that room that day. We prayed for Luke's salvation, and for the guidance of our Father in Heaven as we bring up our precious child in the ways of the Lord!

Happy 6th Birthday William!

2011-12-06T01:11:00.001-05:00

It's hard for me to believe that Will is six years old today. I remember William only a few months old, and waking up each and every morning, with a big smile on his face. Although it's been six years since then, William hasn't changed at all. He still wakes up each morning with the same warm, and sweet smile that I remember of back then. It's like his mornings are new and full of joy everyday no matter how he felt the previous day. I know that he makes our mornings feel very special. Today he got up really early and we could just tell how excited he was. I made pancakes the night before (because our school mornings are very hectic) and it made our morning a little easier. He loved the candle on his pancake. He loved celebrating his birthday all day long!

The table cover and plates were 3-D and Jack loved wearing the glasses. ;)

Clone Troopers!

Sweet faces!

Will requested cheeseburgers for dinner(sorry, not shown). So Adam cooked cheeseburgers on his grill. They were so good!

Clone Troopers are everywhere!

Jack loves his beanbag and his brother's blaster.

Will LOVES his soldier costume! Thank you Nana and Papa!

My sweet and happy Luke!

SO HAPPY...

A Batman blaster...

from Aunt Amy. Thank-you!

The sweetest card ever...

from his brother Jack!

brotherly love

helping brother open presents... Will wanted him to! So sweet~!

every boy can use more tools...

from Aunt Angie and Uncle Dale. Thank you!

want to join the dark side???

A Darth Vader mask from us...

and...

The coolest gift this Star Wars fan has been begging for the longest time, an X-Wing and Tie-fighter!

love him!

He plays soldier almost everyday. Now he has a costume to go with it ; )

He he. Do you think he'll be embarrassed of this picture 12 years from now?

We always leave the best for last!

Will thought his birthday cake was so awesome!

Happy Birthday Bubba! Mommy and Daddy love you bunches!!!

A Jedi's birthday party!

2011-12-03T22:30:00.001-05:00

That's right, and who would've guessed?!?! Our sweet ~~William,~~ oops, I meant Jedi wanted a Star Wars party for his 6th birthday!

It all started early Friday morning, while Will was in school. Around 10:45 a.m. Will's friends from school sang to him and afterwards, everyone celebrated with a very special and sweet snack, cupcakes!

Will got a little embarrassed when it was time to sing. I know that deep inside he loved it! He had the biggest smile on his face.

Later that evening, all of the boys from his class attended his birthday extravaganza!!!

Will and Jack just hanging cool, waiting for everyone to get there!

Luke was such a little good baby. He never disappoints. He's as sweet as he looks!

He loved being around big kids!

Asher, one of Will's and Jack's bud's. He's a goof ball! It's no wonder he and Jack get along!

All of his friends from school made it to his party. William is very loved in this class. He also loves his friends very much! : )

Awww, Will's bestie! He holds a special place in his heart for Josh!

My crazy kid! Although, he looks pretty mellow here. Don't be fooled, pictures can be very deceiving!

This is something Jack would do too! he he : )

My baby is turning how old ?!?!

I can still vividly remember this sweet little face in my delivery room. *tears : (

Will was given many gifts. All his favorite, Star Wars Lego's!

and more Lego's.

I thought it was very sweet that all of his friends made birthday cards for him. He loved all of them!

Asher got him Star Wars shirts and that's good, because on his Christmas wish list, he added that he wants 100 Star Wars shirts! hahaha, not happening!!!

Last, but not least, he got a blaster, light saber, a Star Wars coloring book, and action figures. The party at Chic-fil-A was a total success. Next, I know, this family likes to celebrate, Will's birthday party with his family. On Monday, my sweet William turns six. I can't believe how fast time has gone by! (sigh)

Happy Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-29T03:49:00.001-05:00

We kicked off our morning with an early breakfast, and the Macy's parade. William remembered how much he enjoyed watching it last year, and this year there were no exceptions. Jack loved it too, but he loves just about everything...of course, except for dinner! After spotting our favorite characters and Santa Clause, we decided it was time to get dressed into our very casual, but very nice outfits. Soon after, our mini photo shoot began and surprisingly enough, the boys cooperated without any complaints. I took so many pictures I had to leave out a few, but let me share with you some of my favorites. I think turned out really good!

I bought this turkey smocked outfit for Luke's one year old pictures. Unfortunately, his pictures were schduled around the same time he got really sick. We had to cancel the session, and this cute little outfit sadly only got used this one time! All three boys are now scheduled for pictures exactly one week from today. I'm so excited!!! She's an amazing photographer and I can't wait to see her work her magic with my boys!

After goofing around, we decided it was time drive over to Nana's and Papa's. Spending Thanksgiving at their house is always fun!

They love Aunt Amy so much!...

And also, their Aunt Angie!

Luke was so happy to be at Nana's! He played with his daddy most of the time!

love

our comedian!

smooches!!!

love this one too!...

My new favorite!

Wave hello, Luke!

Don't go up the stairs, Luke!

I made a scrumptious appetizer. Crab Stuffed Mushrooms...after cleaning and smelling the mushrooms, I have decided never to eat or smell one again... but they were good.

Luke helping unload the dishwasher. He helps everyday at our house!

Watching an old documentary about airplanes. Seriously, I don't know who had more fun, Will or Papa!?! ha ha!

After a few hours, it was time to eat a delicious turkey that Adam smoked! It was AMAZING!!! We all made casseroles and Nana made a delicous oven roasted turkey. The food at this house is always good! Nana made her delicious stuffing, personally one of my favorites! Needless to say, we are one very blessed family!

Luke ate his first Thanksgiving dinner...and he approved!! He ate everything on his plate!

After dinner we played outside with the boys and that made it so much better!

Luke going on walks with Papa.

This horse is from a swing set that Adam played with when he was a little boy.

It's play time!

Our not so great family picture but I still love it!

After we had enough with all the leaves, we headed in for a delicious homemade pumpkin pie made by Nana. Later that evening the boys watched 'Charlie Browns Thanksgiving'. They love Snoopy and laugh hysterically everytime he comes on. That same night, even though it was late, Adam, Will and Jack put up our Christmas tree. They both ended going to bed late, but they had two big smiles on their faces! The night couldn't have ended any better!

Give thanks...

2011-11-19T11:57:00.001-05:00

I wish I could list the million different reasons why I'm thankful. Some of these pictures are out of order, but I also wanted to add a few recent ones that were just too cute for me to wait to share.

If you remember, as I mentioned on my previous post, Luke had a recent follow up with his pediatrician. This visit was very helpful and very relieving, considering all of the stress that we've been under due to his health. Luke is what I guess in "medical terms" they call a viral wheezer. The chronic wheezing began two months ago when he apparently got sick with a cold. This head cold triggered bronchitis, and unfortunately his poor little body has been trying to rid of it ever since. As for now, he's on Pulmicort and Albuterol (a steroid and a breathing treatment to open up his little lungs), for a consistent 3 months, twice a day. So far he's been responding to the treatments really well. Now, if he could only lay sweetly and happily still for 5 minutes every day! That would be helpful.

1. I'm thankful that Luke is responding extremely well to the treatments.

2. I'm thankful for the time alone that I get to spend with my loving husband.

3. I'm thankful for these two sweet faces growing to love football.

4. I'm thankful for the times Luke is able to go outside to play. It doesn't happen often since the weather is usually too cold or too moist.

5. I'm thankful for sweet moments like these.

6. I'm thankful for the cutest little pilgrims that I have ever seen!

6. I'm thankful for the sweetest K-5 teacher ever! William is so happy that he gets to see Nana everyday!

7. I'm thankful for SBK(Second Baptist Kindergarten). Mrs. Aspinall has been a sweet teacher to both of my boys.

8. I'm thankful for Jack loving his school and friends.

9. I'm thankful for all the sweet blessings and prayers that William gives.

10. I'm thankful for all the cute crafts both boys make at school and get to bring home to me.

11. I'm thankful for the sweetest things that Jack is thankful for each day. Even if they're silly! :)

According to his school paper, Jack is thankful for his mom, dad, Will, Luke, toys, and fish.

12. I'm thankful for all of the good laughs that I share with my boys! Inside was the cutest and funniest things that Jack has brought home to me so far...

This is the outside of the card...

this is the inside of the card...

Mrs. Aspinall asked Jack what he would make for Thanksgiving dinner and this is what he said...

Apparently, my kid likes Chik-fil-A too much! hahaha!

Our first Halloween

2011-11-01T02:05:00.000-04:00

Ever since Luke has been sick I have tried to stay at home with him for most of the time. With the exception of when I have to take Will and Jack to school. We promised the boys a while back ago, that we would make a trip to a pumpkin patch. It just felt impossible to make it out any day with the kiddos feeling sick. Finally on Friday, since it did get warmer than it has been, we decided to make a quick run to a nearby pumpkin patch. The boys enjoyed it very much. They even got to play for a little while.

Luke was so happy to be out of the house :)

We made good use of these shirts the entire month! ha ha ha!

Later the evening, we had a little party!

sooooo yumm!

Jack only likes the icing...

Now moving on to carving and...

painting!

Luke did not get to paint, but he did love beating up this pumpkin!

Finished product~ By. Will and Daddy

he did most of the work ;-)

Now is time to pose!

This morning, the boys found a goody bag in the kitchen.

Happy Halloween!

This evening, they were all ready to trick or treat :)

From left, Jack (Commander Cody- The Clone Wars), Luke (Yoda the wise- Star Wars), Will (Clone Trooper-TheClone Wars)

Getting ready to trick or treat!

If you read my last post, you probably remember that Luke had a follow up appointment today.
I will post about it more tomorrow to let you know all of the details. Luke only stayed with us for a little while. Adam had to take him back to our friends house to keep him warm.

This was just the beginning. They each got tons of candy!

Will and Jack had so much fun with their friends. They played and laughed so hard the entire time we were there. I think they had a fun first Halloween.

So Sick!

2011-10-29T19:13:00.002-04:00

You've probably heard by now how sick our two boys felt this past week. Last Saturday morning Jack began showing symptoms of a bad cold, and later in the day Luke did too. To make the story short, Jack and Luke ran a fever of 102 for a few days. After a few days Jack began feeling better and his fever broke. He was able to return to school this past Wednesday. He looks so much better, but on occasion he does go on coughing spells, and just appears miserable. As for Luke, the symptoms lasted longer and appeared to be worse. Monday evening Luke just looked terrible. His fever spiked up to 104 and he wanted nothing to do with eating or drinking. By Tuesday, the coughing went from worse to terrible. He wasn't able to hold down food and his eyes were so sad, and puffy. Without a single sound Luke could tell you how awful he felt. The fast breathing and wheezing began so quick that Adam and I were terrified about his oxygen levels. That evening, after cooking dinner, I rushed Luke to the after hours near our house. Thankfully they are open until 10 p.m. and we were able to avoid the ER (well, so we thought!). One of doctors immediately checked his oxygen levels and they were horribly in the high 80's very low 90's. I could seriously feel my heart beating so hard just looking at the doctors concerned look. He immediately ordered the nurse to put him on a (nebulizer) breathing treatment. While Luke just laid there sweetly and quietly, the doctor informed me of possibly checking him into the hospital for possible pneumonia. I almost fell to the floor in disbelief of how serious his condition had gotten. He ordered a chest X-RAY that same night and after staying at the doctors office for a little over an hour his oxygen levels read 97, thank God! I returned home around 10 p.m. and swapped places with Adam. We both couldn't take Luke to the hospital since both boys were in bed asleep. Adam had to take Luke to the hospital for his X-RAY, while I, anxiously cried my eyes out the entire time that they were gone. Adam and Luke got home around 12 a.m. and we later found out that he was clear of pneumonia. Best News Ever!!! Even though Luke had a mild case of bronchitis he still had to be looked at by his doctor until his oxygen levels were back up to normal. By Wednesday night, Luke's fever broke. Thursday morning he woke up happy again and begging for breakfast just like he would normally do. Even though his congestion still sounds bad our little Luke looks 10x better! This Monday he goes back to the doctor for a follow up. Until then I still have to continue giving him his breathing treatments every 4 to 6 hours. God is great, and we will continue to praise him in the good, and in the bad times! Thanks to everyone for all your prayers!!!

Luke and daddy at the doctor's office. Luke had just finished a breathing treatment.

Luke knows how to wipe his own nose now! LOL!

He absolutley loves this dog!( thanks aunt Amy for this gift). He cuddles it and hugs it every night! :)

Luke Is Walking!

2011-10-23T14:51:00.001-04:00

There's nothing sweeter than watching Luke's growth and development. He can walk all by himself now. Yay!! To be honest, I sort of panic every time he tries to walk since he tumbles a lot too. I follow him around the entire house just to make sure he doesn't get hurt. I just love watching him reach a new milestone.

Here's a video of Luke walking to daddy.

Hooray for Luke's 1st Birthday!

2011-10-14T01:15:00.002-04:00

Luke is now officially 1!

He had a football theme party. Luke loves to play with balls and he is ready to play anytime!

We had game food. We also had sweet BBQ meatballs(not shown). It was delicious!

I found this awesome personalized banner on the Internet. Isn't it nice?!

Family

LOVE my little man!

Don't we look goofy? :-P

Will and Jack found candy corn in their favor boxes! woo hoo! Candy corn is their favorite this time of year!

Poor Luke couldn't find candy corn in his favor box :(

buddies

I think Luke wanted mommy to stop taking pictures of him!

Newleyweds (Angie + Dale)

Papa say "Arrr"

blow the whistle Luke! It's time for presents!

Luke walking little steps to me.

Aunt Angie and Dale picked out a winner!

happiness

Aunt Amy gave Luke his first stuffed dog.

Jack wants Luke to learn what barn animals say...(he's so sweet!)

Will and Jack made birthday cards for Luke. He loved them!

Will thinks that playing basketball in the tub will be lots of fun!! Ha ha!

opening presents

See his shaggy hair?!...

Next time, it won't look this shaggy! I'm scheduling his 1st haircut, PRONTO!

Gumballs

Just cuteness and handsomeness!

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to Luke, Happy Birthday to you"

looks weird...

feels mushy...

very tasty...

yummy...this is too good! I love it!!!

Happy Birthday Luke!
Mommy, Daddy and brothers Love you!!!

Almost One and Almost...

2011-10-11T01:00:00.000-04:00

walking!!!

Hooray! Luke took his first steps and he is now on a mission to walking!

I think he may just start walking the day of his birthday. No pressure though! He's only got 2 days left until his 1st birthday! :)

Week in Review...

2011-10-10T14:10:00.001-04:00

So I know that I'm a little late but I think by now you must be used to it! Ha ha!

Angie and Dale got married on October 1st at a small white church in Byron,Ga. Can you believe it's already been one week since then?!

It was so sweet to see Angie and Dale so happy and in so love. The wedding was short and sweet. Everything was really beautifully decorated too. The boys also enjoyed the wedding cake and groom cake. yum!

The Beautiful Bride with her Beautiful Mom.

Sweet and Beautiful sisters.

A toast to love.

The bride and her sweet nephews

It was very special to be part of this very much anticipated day. We are so very happy for Angie and Dale Lancaster!

The night of the wedding William started having stomach cramps, and felt so tired that he even skipped dinner(not at all like Will!). Later in the evening William was the sickest I've ever seen him. Just to put it this way, it was not pretty. We had to move his bed to the living room just to keep him close to our bedroom. I slept on our couch for 2 days just to keep him close to me. He says he had fun relaxing, writing on his bible activity book, reading books and watching TV all day long. Ha!

The cramps and vomiting only lasted a 24 hour period. So far, everyone has stayed healthy.Well, everyone but Luke. He's been having diarreah for quite some time now. Thankfully staying a few days on a strict diet of only carbs, oatmeal and yogurt has helped him improve. On Wednedsday we will take him to a GI pediatrician. His pediatrician did many stool cultures but found nothing. I'm hoping that everything will turn out fine and nothing to be too concerned about.

Being stuck in the house for 5 days isn't the definition of sanity for me. So friday afternoon we packed up the kids and headed to a corn maze that's really close our house. The boys had so much fun. They ate peach ice cream, walked through the corn maze and enjoyed the hayrack ride.

This trip was so relaxing and peaceful. We can't wait to go pumpkin picking next!

11 months old

2011-09-13T23:55:00.001-04:00

October 13,2010 was the day that my life changed all over again. Luke came into our world as sweet and amazing as he could be. I can still remember watching my three little boys in the delivery room close together. It was much more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. Now, almost one year later, Luke is still so very sweet and the most amazing little baby ever!

Just minutes old

1 month old

2 months old

3 months old

4 months old

5 months old

6 months old

7 months old

8 months old

9 months old

10 months old

Happy 11 months, boo boo!

Milestones:

-Tries cruising EVERYWHERE!

-Stands unassisted.

-Crawls backwards and forwards like a pro.

-He can wave hello, bye-bye and give kisses.

-He can say Mama and Dada (but lately mostly Mama).

-He can babble ridiculously and laugh hysterically.

Luke loves:

-Yogurt, cheese, milk, cottage cheese (you probably get it, everything with dairy).

- Fruits and veggies.

- Pasta and ground beef.

- playing with his brothers.

- music

- laughing

- monkeys and Elmo

- smiling and waving at people

- *LOVES* drawers, cabinets, closets, bathrooms and dirty hampers!
- hot wheel cars

- spending time with mommy

- books

- being tickled by daddy

- trying to walk...

Georgia Game

2011-09-04T03:45:00.002-04:00

My littlest Georgia fan!

You probably recognize this Georgia jersey. Both of his older brothers wore it back when they were babies.

Will has been very interested in sports lately that he begged me to let him stay up until 9 p.m. to watch the game. I was so glad I did. He watched Georgia score their first touchdown!

Gooooal!

2011-08-29T16:55:00.000-04:00

OK, so maybe I got a little carried away with the title of this post. I'm still feeling very excited about this past soccer game. William usually loves playing soccer and this past Saturday he showed how good he is at it. Our little William led his team to victory by scoring all 6 goals that his team made. At the end of every game they hand out star stickers based on they way that they play and Will received the gray star which represents best offensive player. The past 2 games he received the gold star that represents sportsmanship. So receiving a new star made him so happy!
Today he has his 4th soccer game and we are all looking forward to it.

scoring a goal!

goofy face!

This is a video of Will scoring one of the 6 goals.

It's clean up time!

2011-08-23T11:38:00.006-04:00

Will and Jack thought of a fun way to clean up their room and Luke thinks it's hilarious!

Two-in-one post

2011-08-16T03:04:00.005-04:00

Saturday was a very special day for us. Luke had his 10-month-old birthday, and Will had his first soccer game. So instead of making two separate posts I figured why not make a two-in-one post?

Luke at 10 months can crawl, cruise, and can stand without assistance for a few seconds at a time.

He can say mama (woo-hoo!!!), clap his hands, shake his head yes and no, wave hello and bye-bye, and blows kisses. Way to go Luke! (video below)

He loves jumping on this zebra!!!

Very soon our littlest will turn one. What a bitter sweet day that will be! I just want him to stay a baby a little longer.

Happy Birthday Luke!

Luke saying mama

Moving on to Saturday's game:

Here's our soccer player, William. So Will's first soccer game was a lot of fun to watch. Nana, Papa, Aunt Angie and her fiancee Dale were there to watch him play. He has become such a good little player and he absolutely loves it! The difference between this year and last year is ginormous. Not to sound biased, but my boy sure has skill to play soccer the way he does. I seriously don't know where he gets it from...(I think maybe from his athletic momma-lol). But joking aside, he's definitely got a soccer gene in him! We are so happy for him and we hope that he keeps loving to play as he grows older :)

Will playing soccer (sorry the video is a little shaky).

First Day of School

2011-08-15T10:55:00.001-04:00

Our morning began nice and early around 7:00 a.m. The boys woke up happy and excited thanks to a good 11 hour rest. They got dressed into the outfits they laid out last night. Will made his bed while Jack got dressed all by himself. It was such a smooth morning that they even had time to watch a cartoon.

William's first day of Kindergarten.

Daddy proudly dropping off Will.

My little Preschooler, Jack. He was so brave and proud!

Placing his pencil box in his cube.

He quickly adjusted to his surroundings. I think he will have fun today :)

All of my sweet babies are growing up so fast. It already feels different without them!

Game night

2011-08-13T01:15:00.003-04:00

Tonight we skipped our usual Friday movie night to take the boys to a very important game around here. Our hometown little league players were playing for the Southeastern Championship. This was our first time ever attending a little league game and we are so happy that we chose this one. It was such a fantastic game. Florida scored 2 in the first inning. The score stayed 2 to nothing until the last inning. Georgia scored 4 in the last inning for a great come back win! Will and Jack were hysterically jumping and clapping like I have never seen before. The crowd was unbelievable. The stands were packed with what seemed to be only Georgia fans! When the game was over we had to walk close to a mile back to our car but by then it was nice and windy and the walk seemed a little more bearable. Although we ended getting home around 11:00 p.m. to find our sweet precious Luke asleep, thanks to Nana and Papa who sweetly accepted to watch him for us tonight. I know that Will and Jack will always remember how much fun this night was. Next up, our little all star Will has his first soccer game tomorrow. I will post pictures of him playing. He has gotten so good at soccer that watching him it such a pleasure. We are so proud of all our boys.

Luke crawling...

2011-08-03T17:28:00.006-04:00

On one knee (hehe)

It amazes me how in the past couple of weeks Luke has taken off with crawling. There isn't a chance to make him slow down at all! He can wave hello and bye-bye, shake his head to "no,no", claps when we cheer to him, loves cruising, and has an interest in music. He's a sweet and smart baby! :) BTW, I have started a countdown to Luke's first birthday. In 2 months and 10 days Luke turns 1!

Well Baby

2011-07-15T17:11:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was Luke's 9 month well baby check up. The nurses and doctors are always amazed and often mention how sweet and cheerful he always seems to be. In fact, his nurse made the comment that out of all the children she sees (including my other two boys) she never sees Luke upset, grumpy or simply frightened. The more I thought of it the more I realized that she was right. Luke rarely cries and when he does, it is usually when he is hungry or simply tired. I suppose I got an an easy and happy baby after all ;) I also want to mention that he was given 5 shots yesterday!(not so happy about that)
Of course he cried, and I would have too if I was stabbed 5 times with those awful needles! I wish they didn't have to give that many shots to a baby or child at one time. I wouldn't mind if I had to be back to the doctor every couple of weeks just to space them out. Now his legs are swollen and painful. Poor baby. Now back to Luke...
My little chunk is now weighing 23 lbs and measuring 29 3/4 inches tall. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? What a Ham! Yes. He loves to eat, especially his mommy's milk! still!

Happy 9 months baby!

2011-07-13T23:00:00.008-04:00

Luke Ryan is 9 months old today. It's hard for me to believe that my youngest son will turn one in three months. Where did time go?!

(a birthday present from mommy and daddy)
It is a walker. I think he will be running down our hallway with this thing very soon :)

Remember that a couple of post back I posted a video showing Luke taking steps to crawling? Well, he has become so good at it that he considers crawling his favorite sport ;) He can crawl pretty fast too and can pull himself up to his feet on just about everything he finds! (he makes me laugh out loud every time he does :). At nine months he can wave hello and goodbye, he can clap and he can shake his head in response to "no"( does that mean we say the word "no" too much around here?) ha ha. Anyway, he melts my heart everyday. Our family is complete. Yes. Complete! I'm thankful to God everyday for an amazing little guy. Happy Birthday, boo boo! Mommy loves you!

Splashing in the Boro

2011-07-13T16:45:00.006-04:00

Yesterday we drove to Statesboro, GA and the boys experienced all the awesomeness of a water park! All three boys loved the slides(except for Luke, he did not slide), the fountains and the lazy river. This was their first time visiting a water park and it made quite an impression. I think it has become a family favorite!

I couldn't take as many good pictures like I wanted. These were the few that we took right before leaving the park.
It was a crazy hot day!!! Thankfully our sunscreen with spf 70 worked on the boys... no sunburns!

Luke had all the fun that he could handle and apparently too tired to care about where he was being changed!

Will, Jack and Luke slept in the car on our way home :-) We cannot wait to do it again next year!

Independence Day!

2011-07-11T21:58:00.011-04:00

One week ago today, we sang "Happy Birthday" to America. We remembered our founding fathers and we cheered for our freedom!

the boys making our traditional flag cake (not bragging, but we made it from scratch:)

Will and Jack had so much fun decorating and eating the berries.

yummy...

icing and berries

Cheese!

Future Cake Bosses?!... I think so!

that cake not only looked good but it tasted fantastic!

After the boys finished the cake we took burgers, chips, and cake to the fire station to celebrate with daddy!

This year, there were no fireworks for the Hoppers. Adam had to work on the day of the show...but our little guys didn't feel bad, they understood. They were just as excited visiting their daddy at the station! (Luke was asleep when we took this picture)

Summer 2011

2011-07-08T16:35:00.084-04:00

Hello Everyone! :) After taking a good three weeks off blogging, guess what? I'm back and you probably know that I have tons of pictures! You will see pictures as far back as Father's Day, our trip to Charleston, and a super fun family reunion! If you are brave enough to take on this challenge, then please proceed at your own discretion...it may take you a few days to finish. Ha ha ha. J/K.

Fathers Day 2011

(the boys made daddy breakfast in bed)

the boys made fun coupons for daddy...he especially loves the one that allows him to stay in bed for half of the day;)

We decided to visit my parents in Charleston this past June, a little after Jack's birthday. It was a short visit but fun! (Jack with his grandma opening a birthday present. )

It's a Spider Man helmet. Doesn't he looks so cute posing!

We were only in town for a few days and we did what we always do in Charleston. We headed to Isle of Palms beach! I made the boys take a picture with this Bear while we waited outside of a store for Adam. ( I could have sworn that I carried our sunblock lotion with me to the beach!)

The boys LOVED the beach!

Luke also loved the beach, especially the sand!

Jack showing off a tiny shell he found.

Guess who did not LOVE the water? hahaha

It took a couple of trips back to the shore before Luke gave it a chance...

I think he figured out that splashing ocean water is just as fun as splashing tub water :)

After spending half of the day at the beach...

we headed over to grandmas and grandpas for a visit after they got home from work.

The boys love spending time at their house.

Our Family Picture.

Later that evening we wanted to take the boys to Frankie's Fun Park but it got just too late. Oh well, go carts will have to wait until our next trip to Charleston.

We love visiting my parents in Charleston. It was a great trip. I know the boys will miss their Grandma and Grandpa.

Our 2011 Family Reunion!

Matthew, Cacey, Elijah, and Sophia came to visit us from Connecticut this summer. It was such a fun week! It felt really nice being together again!

all four Hopper boys...

Our beautiful niece Sophia with Luke

Later that evening Nana made a delicious meal. Chicken enchiladas...

the boys enjoyed each others company just like a little over a year ago.

The next day, all the kids were ready to get in the pool!

Luke and I took pictures and watched as everyone had fun in the water...

(Luke does not like the cold pool water)

My two sweet and beautiful sister-in-laws and precious Sophia...Isn't she cutest baby girl?!

Aunt Amy and Jack wearing his favorite swimming goggles... ha ha/silly kid:)

I love this one! One of my new favorite pictures of Nana and Will.

Fun...

and more fun at the pool :)

Later that evening we all packed up for a fun and exciting trip to Blue Ridge, Georgia!

This is the Cabin where we stayed for 2 days...

soon after, the boys were given their fishing poles and headed to the river behind our cabin.

Luke was ready for adventure!

This is the view looking back up at our cabin from the river.

Jack was so into fishing. Wishing we had seen some fish!

Will and Elijah also enjoyed it!

Sophia was so cute trying to give kisses to Luke and I think Luke picked up on it :)

Mario Kart lovers!

This is what we kept hearing, "I won, I won"

after playing they read a book before bed ;)

Luke happy as usual.

Brothers playing pool just like the old days.

Everyone thought it would be a great idea to walk across the river while all our babies napped. Angie was so sweet to stay with the kiddos, while all of us grown ups had fun!

Our last night at the cabin was fantastic. We played a family game on the Wii and made S'mores...it was yummy!

I love their faces. LoL

Brothers and Sisters

Our Beautiful Families!

not the right timing for Jack. His nose was itching : /

On our way home we did some sightseeing.

Blue Ridge has a train ride.

After the train took off, we walked into a store called Three Sisters Fudge...

All I can say is that it was really good!

We all had such a fun time. The Kozees later in the week came down from Cartersville, GA to meet sweet Sophia. I dont have a picture of all of us in the pool but just this one with Luke and Adam. Luke had fun with all the kids splashing and laughing!

Picture of all of us with our families.

I got tons of more pictures to come. Next up, our 4th of July small celebration at the Fire Station.

8 Months Old

2011-06-14T01:54:00.015-04:00

This video would be on my previous post, but there was an error, and blogger did not allow any videos on my post. I had to open a new post to show you this video :/

Happy 8 Months!

2011-06-14T00:27:00.020-04:00

My Sweet, Luke

I dare say it... Luke is still the happiest baby, ever! I don't get tired of saying it. He is always so very sweet and content and we are so happy that he is (:

He is now on a mission. A mission to Crawling! Lately he has taken all of the required steps to master his goal and I know that by next week, I will be back with some exciting news and a new video!

Jack's Birthday Party!

2011-06-09T23:01:00.041-04:00

I'm three, everybody!

After breakfast ( just like every year) Jack got to open "1" present from us...

We thought that opening a big one would be OK. His first Power Wheel (an F-150)

He was so thrilled and excited. They drove around the yard for hours.

later, the boys stopped for a quick snack a PB&J sandwich

but not too long after they both wanted a nap before the party.

After his nap, he got up and got into his birthday outfit. His favorite Spider Man shirt.
Spider Man was the winning theme out of Batman, Lightning McQueen & Jake and the Never Land Pirates. (he did good:)

Party Time! with a Spider Man Pinata.
Unbelievably Adorable

Splashing, laughing and running

Luke had so much fun but had nothing to do with the kiddie pool. (the water was too cold)

Everyone was there to Party. We had hot dogs, chips and coke. So delicious.

Fun. Fun. Fun.
Is he now a Preschooler?

Good Times. (By the way, the boys did not drive while Luke was in the truck)

We will have Pinatas every year from now on...

because pulling on the strings & of course the candy was all they talked about!

Jack's party was so much fun. I know that he had the best three year old party ever!

While we all smiled for the picture.

Jack was eating half of the red icing bordering the cake.

ha ha, that is so like Jack (:
You may notice that this picture is out of order. Keep scrolling down for more pictures of the party and his birthday (:

Happy 3rd Birthday, Jack!

2011-06-09T19:54:00.071-04:00

Time for presents, guys!
Jack relaxing with Papa & Aunt Amy

First up, from Nana & Papa
Just what he wanted, A Spider-Man costume & a web shooting toy.(not pictured)
Thank you Nana & Papa. (Oh, and Luke wanted a sucker too!)

I know Jack doesn't seem very excited about his new Wac A Mole game, but Daddy seems to be very excited for him. ha-ha :)
Jack absolutely loves this game! Thank you, Daddy!
Jack opening present #3 with his helper next to him.
Will was so happy for Jack. His face lit up every time Jack opened a present that he can potentially play with too.

next two presents were from little bro.

"Thank you, Lukey" (this is what Jack calls his little brother)

His two Aunts gave Jack Clone Wars characters.

Storm Troopers, Anakin Sky walker & Obi Wan Kenobi

Aunt Angie also gave Jack Spider Man Pajamas (not pictured) Thank you girls!

Will thought that Jack would really like this Spider Man Mask & he was right. he *loves* it

From Mommy & Daddy,

Toy Story light up shoes. (He's been wanting light up shoes for ever)

"Thank you, Will"

A gigantic fire truck Floor Puzzle.

After all of the presents were opened, Jack tried on his new Spidey costume...
he was so adorable. ( but he says, he looks super cool) I think both! my super heros minus one.

Cake time!
"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Jack, Happy Birthday to you"
Make A Wish!

The next morning on his actual birthday, Jack opened a couple of Birthday cards from all us. Inside he found three bucks. He was also very excited about Building his own bear.

The week before his birthday Adam and I had planned to take him after church to the Build-A-Bear store. This was the highlight of the day!
After choosing all of the bears and animals, he finally settled for a monkey... he named his new best friend, "Bananas".

Jack helping stuff Bananas...

Bathing Bananas...
(Will also got to build a friend. I will post pictures of him on my next post.)

Choosing a fireman outfit for Bananas...

dressing Bananas...

Showing Bananas what he looks like...

after an exhausting day he and Bananas were ready to go home.
Finally Bananas made it to his new home & into his new bed with his new best friend, Jack.
Bananas is the luckiest stuffed animal in the world. He's got the sweetest friend ever! One that will love him and take him everywhere that he goes. Jack, you are one fantastic big boy! Mommy and Daddy love you very much!

3 Years Ago...

2011-06-05T09:00:00.010-04:00

We were anxiously anticipating the arrival of our precious addition to our family. On June 5, 2008 at 11:24 a.m.
Jack Steven Hopper was born. Adam, Will and I felt so happy to finally meet one amazing little baby.
What a great day that was. Our little Jack has brought so much into our family. Everything has doubled. Double the Joy, the Love and the Fun!

Jack, Daddy and Mommy Love you so,so much! Happy Birthday!

More on Spring 2011

2011-06-04T11:31:00.026-04:00

OK, so basically today is the day before Jack's third birthday. The day of his birthday party! Which means I will blogging about his party a lot in the next day or two.

Ha-ha, if you know me, I always take my time with posts.

I have been meaning to post pictures of Will's end of the school year program and the end of T-ball season. But I have been so sleep deprived and tired with Luke nursing around the clock that I swear, my nights feel worse than those first few months all put together! Honestly, it's been really tempting trading blogger for naps. J/K. But today (I know that I picked the busiest day ever) I want to post about him because I want to share several good pictures of my Big Boy:)

(Sorry, if it this post looks a little rushed.)

This was at the end of the year picnic. The little boy in the center of the photo (Gabe) was one of Will's best of friends.

Will safely swinging his little brother & Luke is not happy with the idea.

Will's K-4 class had a pizza party too. Yummy!

Jack also enjoyed it too!

Later that evening Will and his class sang the Veggie Tales classic, "His Cheeseburger" song. So, so Cute!

Brotherly Love!

Mrs. Joyner (Will loves her so, he will definitely miss her!)

This was the only picture I took of Will at his last game. He hit the ball so hard that it hit the fence...woo-hoo! Go Will! We enjoyed watching him play and I know that he can't wait to play again next year :)

It was a fun school year but it's hard to believe that my little boy will begin Kindergarten next year. I know that I will miss seeing him this small.

Luke (Part II)

2011-05-24T22:49:00.029-04:00

Today Luke is seven months, one week and four days old to be exact. He's such a ham and loves to smile as you can tell. He makes such cute expressions that simply makes us chuckle uncontrollably...

scroll down and you'll see!

cute huh?

Now that he is seven months old he can...

-say Dada as soon as he sees daddy-

-rolls over nonstop!-

-sits unassisted all the time-

-reaches out for anything & everything that is in front of him-

-is ready to crawl-

-tries to pull himself up in his crib-
&
-eats everything given to him-

Luke is always this happy. He makes my heart sing every time I look at him. He's such an easy going little man. He rarely ever complains (without a reasonable cause of course. Teething is one of them!) He's got two new top ones coming in and it hasn't been fun, for both of us!

Will and Jack are so good to him. They always share their left over train tracks with Luke. They never want Luke to feel left out when they decide to play trains. Ever since Luke became a member of our family, both boys have shown an unbelievable amount of care and protection towards their little brother.

Just this past Saturday Will had his last T-ball game of the season. Nana and Papa invited all of us over to their house for our first swim of the year. The water was just too cold for me. Adam and the boys(except for Luke) were a lot more brave. They all got in the pool and had a fun time!(I will post pictures of them, soon.)

Luke is cute ready for summer!

May 8, 2011

2011-05-11T09:58:00.025-04:00

On Sunday morning around 7 o'clock the boys came storming into my room, shouting "Happy Mother's Day mommy"! They made my morning feel extra special! They had these beautiful flowers waiting for me on the kitchen table. They are absolutely lovely and smell heavenly.

Will is typically sweet and thoughtful but this morning he exceeded my expectations. He wanted to clean the entire house for me and of course I let him! Thank you, bubba(=

After Nana got home from church we stopped by her house to love on her for all that she does for all of us. Nana you are a great Mommy! We love you!

Daddy had to work on Sunday, so he asked all of us to stop by the fire station for an awesome dinner. We ate delicious comfort food. Oh, so yummy,barbecue. The boys enjoy playing with this pool table every time we visit the station. They love playing pool with daddy.
My evening couldn't have gone any better. I loved this Mother's Day! It was peaceful and filled with so much love.
Thank you to my sweet boys and Adam for making my day so very special.

I LOVE you, guys!

Luke (Part 1) Baby Food

2011-04-28T10:56:00.033-04:00

Two weeks ago Luke turned 6 months old. He's reached the age when baby food is introduced and he is so happy we did. On his birthday we had him try sweet potato for the first time. At first he didn't know what to think of it but now he enjoys them and has developed a taste for other foods that are now his favorites. Each morning he begins with rice cereal and apples, for a snack he will eat a couple of spoonfuls of pureed bananas, and for lunch and dinner sweet potato and pears. He's still mastering the ability to swallow after each spoonful and I am sure he will master it well just like his two older brothers did.
He is reaching every milestone at the speed of lighting and it's flashing right before my eyes. I want time to slow down. I want to see Luke taking his time growing up. I look back at pictures of Luke as an infant and I can't honestly believe that my baby is half way to his first birthday. Why? Well, I know I can get a bit sentimental but who can blame me? I have three boys under the age of five and they are growing like weeds. Will is turning six this year and starting kindergarten and Jack will turn three in 5 weeks and 3 days. Even though, I never have time to relax, unless it's 11 o'clock at night(and that's called sleeping). I absolutely love staying at home and spending time with their little faces every hour of my day.

On his birthday he took a usual morning nap.

After an hour he wakes up with this handsome smile.He gets floor time with big brothers Will and Jack.He always goes for their face! ha ha hasitting on his bumbo waiting for a very anticipated lunch...

Luke's first time trying sweet potatoes... (and why does it look like I'm stuffing his face!)

geesh, sorry Luke :/

umm...not a fan, just yet!

a few days later...

Luke smiling after a few bites of pureed pears. We found a Winner!

Spring 2011

2011-04-25T15:30:00.046-04:00

Hello everyone, again, it's been a while since my last post =) and because we all know what happens when you fall behind on blogging. I get tons of pictures to share with you. I may drown you with pictures (not that you mind) but I have decided to divide my post into small ones. Here is what you have to look forward to on future posts. My sweet baby Luke has turned 6 months old, has a new favorite puree food and is getting so good at sitting unassisted. Will is doing fantastic with T-ball, and my adventurous little Jack is Potty Trained! I will start with Easter pictures.

Hope everyone had a Happy Easter!

Easter 2011

He had fun with this egg!

Adam had to work on Easter Sunday. So we decided on having Easter on Saturday. These are the baskets the Easter Bunny brought Will, Jack and Luke.

the boys woke up early and noticed the baskets on the kitchen table. They hustled in our rooms yelling "Yay...we got Easter baskets"
They loved all the toys, books and of course candy!

Daddy reading the Berenstain Bears

Later after we had our egg salad sandwiches. We headed outdoors for a fantastic egg hunt!

Jack got distracted and refused to get his picture taken (:
Will looks so grown up in this picture...yikes!

Finally, I was able to get a good one with both of them...

Luke was not part of the egg hunt because he needed a nap. But he later joined us for some baseball fun.So SweetWe have been attending a new church close to our house and they had an Easter service on Saturday night. We cleaned ourselves up, got into our Easter outfits and headed out the door. It worked out perfectly since Adam had to work the next day.

Our family Easter picture taken at Aunt Angie's house.

Finally, I took these pictures of Luke wearing this Baby's 1st Easter onesie that Will and Jack also wore on their 1st Easter.

Happy 1st Easter my baby boy!

Will's First Hits

2011-04-11T22:22:00.003-04:00

Here is a video of our little man batting twice at his first t-ball game.

Will's First T-ball Game

2011-04-11T09:16:00.038-04:00

This past weekend was the most anticipated weekend ever. Yes. My little boy played T-ball for the first time! You probably have an idea of how excited Adam and I were. It was so much fun! We enjoyed every minute of it...even while we roasted out in the sun (= . Ha-and it's only April!

Before the game Adam and Will warmed up in our backyard. He loved posing for daddy!

We are always proud of our Bubba Joe!

Will waiting to bat...he was sooo very, very excited(=Yep. #10. this was his daddy's number he wore every year for baseball.Running to first... then running to third and home! my all time favorite third baseman.

As we drove away from the baseball field, William says with a huge smile on his face, "Mommy, I love playing baseball".

Luke's First Word!

2011-03-28T22:09:00.004-04:00

I am so happy that Luke said his first word, dada. We think it's great just how soon he is beginning to talk. He makes us smile from ear to ear every time we hear him say it. He always seems to say it when Adam is around , but we know that he's just making noise at this point. Here's a video of just moments after saying his first word!

Our Anniversary

2011-03-19T23:21:00.017-04:00

After dropping off the kids at Nana's we drove to Macon for a nice Dinner at Bonefish Grill. The food was scrumptious (I just had to use Will's favorite word). I had Salmon and Adam had the Pompano Piccata. When we eat out we never order deserts but considering the occasion we couldn't resist the special, Chocolate Creme Brulee. It was our first time trying it and it was so worth it! The dinner was great but our date was fantastic! We walked around the outdoor mall, had coffee from Starbucks and shopped at Barnes & Noble.

Luke also enjoyed our fun night out...he is always so very well behaved. We then drove back to Byron to pick up the boys. We were ready to see our boys again. Thankyou, Nana for taking the boys(=

Six Years Ago!

2011-03-19T14:28:00.014-04:00

Today marks 6 years when Adam and I made the best decision of our life! We said, "I do". I can still remember Adam's face when I made my entrance into the little chapel. He was the happiest I had ever seen him and so nervous too. I remember he kept nervously yelling "You look so beautiful!" I felt so loved by him at that moment and I was so blushing!. Six years later he still makes me blush when he calls me beautiful and I feel more loved than ever before! Six years later, God has been good! He's given to us three amazing little boys that have become our world and we can't ever imagine our life's without them. Through our happy times and not so happy times our marriage has been strong. Adam has always been so wonderful to me and is an amazing father to our boys. He is the the love of my life, everything I had ever prayed for and wanted. Today we will celebrate by going out to dinner. We are leaving Will and Jack with Nana and Luke will go with us. I will post pictures later of this special evening! Happy Anniversary, Adam!

1st tooth

2011-03-15T00:17:00.018-04:00

Here is evidence of Luke's first tooth. You have to look closer to see it but it's definitely there. In so many ways Luke reminds me of Will as a baby. Will also teethed early and got his first tooth at 5 months. As of now it seems that Luke is working on tooth #2 and that means buying more cute bibs. I know he will soak them to the max and will have to wear them more often. =)

We're still here...

2011-03-13T16:04:00.053-04:00

Today my sweet and happy baby turns 5 moths old and he's got his 1st tooth coming in! (tried taking a picture of it but I couldn't get a good one). So that explains all the drooling!Poor baby has itchy, itchy gums and everything he sees he wants to nibble it. He's on a nice routine but I feel like he needs a nice schedule just so that I can get more housework done around here. My chunky monkey is still eating every 2 to 3 hours, takes 3 naps a day, loves floor time and reading time. I always find myself always saying this, but he is such a happy and smiley little person. I just can't get over of how cute he is. I know it seems like I just stop by monthly to talk about my boys and I feel bad that I have been slacking. I don't know how, but time just flies! So I have to warn you, it is kind of a long post(:

He can sit up! No J/K. I was able to take a quick picture of him without me holding him.

He loves to sit up.

Will torturing his baby brother with a T-ball helmet. Ha-ha, We love Luke's expression!

Look @ how much hair my baby already has!

Something else going on around here is baseball. Everyone knows that baseball season has begun and in a house full of boys, this is a big topic at our dinner table every night. Adam has been dreaming of this moment ever since before we ever thought of having kids. Will now five can now play T-ball for Upward and so this is big around here. I remember when Will was just a baby, having conversations about this very moment. We can't believe that Will is old enough to understand the rules of baseball. Adam is also looking forward to taking Will to his first Braves game ever. He wanted to wait until Will was old enough to sit through a game and old enough to remember it. I know just how important it is to Adam. Starting this coming Tuesday Will has T-ball practice every week. We recently took him shopping for cleats and a helmet. We are so happy and excited for him. Little brother Jack loves to practice too. I know he will want to play alongside big brother:/

A little of everything...

2011-02-22T22:43:00.048-05:00

So I hope you got the meaning of this post title. You will see pictures as far back as my birthday. Remember on my last post I mentioned of how we were all severely sick? Well, since then all of the resting and soups for dinner seem to have worked. So much that just the other day I mentioned to the boys that we were having soup for dinner...again. And Will said, "No, not again!". Yes, now my favorite meal is the most hated dinner around here. All thanks to the longest lasting flu symptoms that we have ever had. But getting back to where I left off, we decided to take Luke to the doctor and he seems to have healthy lungs but he did have an ear infection. Poor Luke, that explains why he never wanted me to lay him down. He's almost at the end of the ten days left of the antibiotic and he's tummy has taken a hit, but overall, he looks so much better. Today we visited Nana's to celebrate Aunt Amy's birthday. We love Aunt Amy and we were so happy to be a part of this special day with her. Happy Birthday, Aunt Amy!

Luke's first Nursery Rhyme book.

February 3rd. I spent a lovely day with the most special people in my life! They gave me beautiful flowers, a stainless steel watch, a couple more of my favorite cozy socks, a starbucks gift card, a pearl pendant for my pandora and a jelly watch. We also had a great dinner at Olive Garden with my amazing family.

Love.Love.Love.

My Luke is sweeter than this cake.

We made cookies. Then Valentine Cards for daddy and the women that they love. Yes of course, their grandmas and Aunts(:

Luke's first time playing with toys that were once big brothers Will & Jack.

Will enjoys loving and hugging his

baby brother & while he is doing so,
little brother Jack sneaks in Luke's bedroom with big brother's Leap frog! Ha-ha

Luke is always this happy when he is on his tummy.

He is taking his time but still trying to roll over.

No pressure, Luke (:

He's got the chuckles!

The boys were looking forward to tonight

and really enjoyed the time spent with their Aunt.

My little guy. Very soon he will turn three. Hoping to have him potty trained before I send him to K-3 a few days a week.

Happy Birthday, Luke!

2011-02-13T19:32:00.030-05:00

Luke is 4 months today and he is growing big, and strong. We weighed him a few days ago and our scale shockingly read 20 lbs! Just Crazy! I do not know when and how he got this big this fast, but lately, he has been eating what seems like every hour! I'm still nursing and it looks like I'll be hitting my goal of 6 months, at the least. He seems always hungry at this point and I'm hoping that he will slow down at some point!( I need a break!) He loves rattles, teether's and fingers to nibble on. He loves to put everything in his mouth and I'm left wondering if it has anything to do with any teeth coming in. I haven't seen any yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if I did soon. He is truly a happy little guy. He loves to laugh, smile, giggle when tickled, babble like crazy, and to stare. We think that he will be the talker in our family. He especially always seems to want to talk to Will and Adam. The bond between them is truly amazing!

If your are wondering what we have been doing lately, let me fill you in briefly. These past several days have not only felt horribly busy, but we have all been horribly sick. We have come down with a cold/flu and it has hit us hard and for too long now. We have been trying to recover quickly and our daily ritual has been all about relaxing. Watching movies, reading books and eating soup is in our to do list. Poor Luke was sick on his birthday and I may have to take him to the doctor tomorrow. He sounds congested and a little wheezy. I'm hoping that the headaches, runny noses, nausea and coughing has run it's course! I want it back to normal around here. I have yet to post pictures of my 26Th birthday and pictures of Will and Jack. I will post soon, so keep checking in for it. (:

my handsome baby boy, Happy Birthday!

Just like a Spring Day...

2011-01-29T21:58:00.023-05:00

What a great, fun day at the Byron park. The weather was spring like, just perfect. We walked the trails and the boys had so much fun riding their bikes, looking for "dinosaur bones" only found sticks, and playing on the playground. It felt nice to just walk around without heavy coats on.
Jack loves his mommy & the outdoors. Nature is his best friend(:
i love daddy, too!
fossils anyone?

after not having any luck, they decided that the playground would be a great idea.Nana met us at the park and had us over for a nice, delicious meal. Thank you, Nana. Is always great to spend time with you!
Will- See what I can do mommy?
Later, while at Nana's. The boys ran outside to see Papa flying his airplane...
The boys love the idea of one day flying with their Papa and their Papa loves the idea too!

Happy 3 months, Luke!

2011-01-13T22:07:00.020-05:00

I can't believe that Luke has turned 3 months. Surely I knew this day would come, but when you have two other boys, everything is played in fast forward. Although he is still so tiny(I may just have to eat my words later) I can already tell that he is the type to let everything roll of his shoulder. He is a charmer, patient, and the most loving and thoughtful baby there is.

Will and Jack adore their little brother. They are wonderful helpers and show so much compassion when their little brother is upset. They surround him with lots of baby talk, hugs and kisses. To say the least, I am so proud of all my boys.

Because our days feel so short and dividing our time with all three boys is a juggling process, we make sure to spend time with Luke as if he was our first. Taking as many pictures and recording as many moments together is a definite must. So far he's hit a couple of milestones. He turns to us when called and recognizes each of us. He does seem to smile extra big for his daddy. Adam doesn't have to say a word and Luke is all smiles.

He is drooling like crazy at this point but I have not seen or felt any teeth's, yet. He's cooing, kicking and trying to reach for a few toys. He has found his hands and absolutely loves to suck his thumb.

His next well baby check-up is in April (@ 6 months old). He will be due for shots, so we are in no hurry to visit. He is now wearing 6 month old outfits, but as you can see, this chunky monkey is getting closer to fitting into 9 month old ones. He is all rolls just like his big brother Will was as a baby.

He found his thumb. He's only done it a couple of times.

He just recently reached out for his giraffe.

He still loves to sleep. He only wakes up twice to feed at night. He still sleeps in our bedroom and quite honestly, I enjoy him being near me at night(-:

I love his chunky thighs!

Loving the Bumbo he got for Christmas. He feels all grown up in it!

Winter Ice on Mt.Zion

2011-01-11T22:14:00.036-05:00

How nice, Georgia got Snow once again. Although some areas (like where we live) got mostly Ice and freezing rain. Truthfully, whether it had been snow or ice we did not care. The boys and I had so much fun discovering our backyard with ice crystals and burying our feet in what seemed like ice slushy snow. Which we clearly had at least one inch of. We later took our daily much needed nap, had our favorite white chicken chili for dinner and afterwards, we all sat by the fire place under our fluffy blanket with the lights off. This may sound crazy coming from a Floridian, but this is what makes me love winter!

We woke up Monday morning to find a blanket of snow and ice covering everything.

Will touching the freezing glass door.

We all jumped under the covers, watched two episodes of spider man cartoons and snuggled for a while before heading outside.

The boys rode their four wheeler and they loved watching the trails that the tires made through the snow.

Welcome, 2011

2011-01-04T00:57:00.029-05:00

Our New Years Eve was great. We headed over to Nana's and Papa's. We enjoyed all the football and food. We ate pizza, wings, a salad and fudge. Um...what a great way to end a year!
The boys always have lots of fun when we visit. They made creepy crawlers with Aunt Angie and they got to ride there bike and trike up and down the street.

Luke enjoyed watching his brothers! (in this picture, Luke is wearing the outfit Aunt Angie gave to him for Christmas, one of my favorites!)

Later that evening, we happily welcomed the new year with our precious Luke.

Our 1st 2011 photo (Luke was wide awake for a midnight feeding!)

Have a Happy New Year everyone, We love you!

Our 2010 Year in Review

2010-12-31T11:43:00.031-05:00

January: 2010 New Years party at our house.

February: Our first snow. We also find out that we are expecting again.

March: We celebrated our 5th year Anniversary and take our family trip to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

April: Jack's first time visiting the zoo.

May: Will graduates K-3

June: Jack's 2nd Birthday

July: Cousins Elijah and Sophia(not in photo) visit Georgia.

August: Our annual trip to Charleston

September: Will completes his first Soccer season.

October: Our third baby boy is born, Luke Ryan Hopper.

November: We celebrated Daddy's 31st birthday.

December: Will turned the big 5.

coming this January we are continuing the process of Potty Training.

all of our friends and family,

Happy New Year!

Christmas 2010 from Nana's and Papa's

2010-12-31T01:05:00.038-05:00

Here we are at Nana's and Papa's later in the evening (our Christmas day). The kids were super thrilled to have a Christmas with their grandparents and Aunts. We had a wonderful time opening our gifts early.
Nana's and Papa's beautiful tree. We were all excited to see so many presents under the tree.

Jack opening his first present from Aunt Amy.
Jack's favorite movie character... a cuddly stuffed Buzz Light year!

Aunt Angie gave Will and Jack the book to go along with it.

Aunt Amy gave Will a Where's Waldo book.

Aunt Angie gave him...

A Jackks Pacific Creepy Crawlers oven with goop. He absolutely loves the idea of making all sorts of bugs! I remember loving it too (-:

Nana and Papa gave Jack the real big Buzz Light year!

Aunt Amy gave Luke a book with cool pictures for when he gets a little older.

Aunt Angie also gave him a super cute outfit...forgot to take a picture )-:

Will opening Luke's gift from Nana and Papa

We had little Buzz sit in Luke's Bumbo. Luke will love it as much as Buzz does!

My chunky monkey wearing his first "My Beary First Christmas" outfit. Out of all the cooler days we've had here in Georgia, this day was the warmest. So do not pass judgement, we had to undress him just to cool him off a bit.

He is truly this stinking cute! and yes, he is always this

sweet!Aunt Angie gave the boys an Alvin and the Chipmunks movie. They think is hilarious!
I was not left out.

Angie gave me this cute Apron(which I have wanted), Nana gave me a Ninja Prep for the Kitchen (It makes awesome smoothies*I love* and chops every veggie*perfect for me*) I also got a Body spray from VS with a lip gloss that I've been wanting!

Adam also received something he's always wanted...A smoker! Yes, I love it too! He will be doing a lot of cooking this summer. His siter Angie also gave him an all time favorite gift, a video game! His sister Amy gave him the board game Truth be Told( which he loves too).

Will loved this walking and talking Robot that Nana and Papa got for him!

Thank you everyone for all the great gifts! We are truly blessed.

Although this Christmas was different from all the others, only because daddy had to work on Christmas Day, it just served as a reminder that the day and time to celebrate has no meaning. Christmas is about being together with family and that is what we know and love to do best!

Santa Claus brought us an early Christmas.

2010-12-24T23:34:00.066-05:00

Oh yes, we got to open our presents yesterday.

Christmas came early to our house this year. Daddy is scheduled to work Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the day after. So we decided on an early Christmas! The night before, "Our Christmas Eve", the kids made cupcakes for Jesus' birthday.

We followed by singing several songs and daddy read a couple of stories. We sang, Happy Birthday Jesus (a different version that Will learned at school), Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and Silent Night (all the classics). We read, The Christmas Story and 'Twas The Night Before Christmas.

We had taken the kids to a pottery where they made these ornament beauties.
they hung them on Christmas Eve.

Now moving on to Christmas Day Pictures...

Will, Jack & Luke are up early and they dig into their stockings. Santa was kind to bring them both movies, How to train your dragon (for Will) and Toy Story 3 (for Jack) along with a favorite, a Super Mario car and other awesome goodies.

This year is Luke's first Christmas. It was wonderful having our Christmas with our newest addition. He loved all the noise and laughter coming from the boys!

Will and Jack underneath the Christmas tree!Luke loves to have conversations with his daddy (-:

Santa brought Jack food for his kitchen, a Batmobile, a dinosaur puzzle, a motorcycle and a couple of cars from his favorite movie Cars,
and also a small Buzz light year that he loves.

Will helping little brother open his first Christmas present from Santa

Will asked Santa for a Trio BATCAVE! a set of dragons, from his favorite movie (How to train your dragon), a map, a doctor seuss book(Theres a Wocket in my Pocket), a Wii music game, Super Hero comic books and

he loves maps!

this will go on his bedroom wall.

A special gift from daddy and mommy.
Will wanted a big boy bike with training wheels. So daddy and mommy got it for him.

My sweet little bear...Luke loved his first Christmas!

the boys gave daddy a mouse pad for his laptop.

also some nicer earbuds....

and clothes.

the boys gave mommy an awesome gift! My first Net book to take with me everywhere. Now, I can blog more often!

Our Amazing Christmas Dinner.

After eating dinner and playing with all our toys, we headed to Nana's and Papa's to open more gifts, Will also took his bike to ride up and down the drive way.

He's good at pedaling too!

I will be back for Christmas Part 2. From Nana's & Papa's House.

two months old

2010-12-13T23:59:00.019-05:00

Luke is 2 months old today.
Luke's first Christmas is almost here. He too, got a chance to decorate the Christmas tree.

Some moments are not so happy :-0

but smiling and laughing is what he loves to do the most.

He has his two month old well baby check up tomorrow. I will be back with all the stats and the milestones he is reaching.

He's not so little anymore...

2010-12-06T23:08:00.072-05:00

William is FIVE!
&

We have been busy planning parties, parties and more parties for one unforgettable birthday. I hope Will enjoyed it as much as we did! To say the least he's had a ton of cake and lots presents. His first with all his friends, followed by one with just family and the third at school. I hope this answers why I haven't posted lately. Between thanksgiving, birthday's and decorating for Christmas, to tell you the truth, we are spent! So here's how we got started with all the fun and I'm sure you rather see pictures than lots of typed up words. So here they are...

The morning of December 5th, Daddy made him a super delicious cake!

After Sunday dinner and cake, Will opened presents. Nana, Papa, Aunt Angie and Aunt Amy gave him one of his favorite gifts, an Iron Man costume.

loving on Aunt Amy &...

Aunt Angie. His two favorite Aunts!

later, he opened gifts from little brother's Jack and Luke.

he is very grateful for his favorite pal/best friend he also got several gifts from his daddy and mommy"he has officially become, Iron Man".

Two days before his birthday, Will celebrated with all of his friends at Monkey Joe's. He chose Hot Wheels for his theme.

Will was not thrilled about getting blindfolded, so little brother decided to take his place!the sack race was not Will's idea of fun, but several of his friends thought it would it be (-:He did go for the pizza and cake...& also for presents!(smart kid)

Now for some Christmas decorating!

The boys had tons of fun putting up the Christmas tree with daddy.

The boys did all the decorating and with some help from daddy.
after all the hard work, they earned some egg nog.

Here are some pictures of our Thanksgiving feast and fun with our family.
Nana prepared a delicious southern meal at her house. What a wonderful family I have!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T11:12:00.007-05:00

So it's turkey day and of course a day to give thanks for everything. I wanted to give thanks first off, for my wonderful husband. So without the waterworks (I will try), Adam has been my rock this past year. He has listened and understood me (without Ever complaining) when I feel tired, overwhelmed, or just moody. He loves me just the way that I am and that means the world to me! Our kids, well, where do I begin? It's almost hard for me to fit it into words. They are everything to us! They bring so much happiness and love to our family. William is a giver and very compassionate, Jack is thoughtful and caring, and Luke, is the sweetest and most content baby. For our families to whom I am so blessed to have. They always show their love and support in all that we do! For all our friends who are so dear to us, we love you and we hope you have a great Thanksgiving. I will post pictures soon of our great big family dinner!

1 Month Old

2010-11-13T23:50:00.042-05:00

Luke Ryan is 1 month old today and weighing a decent 10 lbs. Yes, he is still the best baby-ever! He came into this world very content, non fussy and super sweet. Sleeping is still his favorite and believes firmly on letting mommy sleep in the mornings, although, big brothers do not agree with him. He is staying awake longer these days and eating a whole lot more! Feeds twice at night and about every 2 hours during day. He can lift and hold up his head for longer. He also loves to smile extra big when he is talked to in a funny voice. We know how quickly he will outgrow this infant stage and we plan to spend every moment capturing it.

Here's a picture of his first bath
at just 5 days old.he still sleeps anywhere we lay him down Cute outfits Aunt Angie gave to Lukeshowing off how playful he's becoming! We l-o-v-e the outdoors!

It still feels like we brought him home yesterday.

We love you baby!