3

Dear Luke,

Today you are three years old. Here are a few things we want to remember about you and this time in your life.

• You are 41" tall and weigh about 33 lbs.


• You like most fruits, but don't like many vegetables. Cucumbers and broccoli are about the only veggies you eat regularly. We are hoping to expand that list soon.


• You want a snack as soon as breakfast is over even if you've eaten a GIANT breakfast.


• You call McDonalds "Old McDonalds" and you prefer hamburgers to Chick-A-Way (Chick-Fil-A).


• You still love your stuffed dog Rocky.


• You still suck your thumb. We've said that "three year olds don't suck their thumbs". That day is here so we'll see how that goes. It is going to be a hard habit to give up.


• We've also said you have to be three years old to chew gum. Uh-oh.


• Your favorite toys are your excavator and dump truck. You dump your blocks all over the floor then scoop them up and dump them.


• You also like to drive your Little Tykes truck around the house and pretend like you are the garbage man.


• Other favorite toys include your vacuum cleaner and any toy that even remotely looks like a weed eater or leaf blower. You frequently do weed eating and leaf blowing in the house and make the accompanying (LOUD) noises to go with it.


• You love to be read to and I frequently find you in your room reading books on your own.


• You love getting books from the library.


• You don't like to take a nap and you will tell me, "I not seepy" then follow that with a three hour nap.


• You are potty trained and usually even wake up dry in the mornings, but you still wear a pull up at night just in case.


• You adore your big brother Fletcher. This summer has been good for the two of you to learn to play together. You proudly refer to him as "my brudder".


• You are a homebody. You prefer to be here with mom rather than out running errands.


• You still cry when we drop you off at Sunday School and when the babysitter shows up.


• You love to wrestle with Daddy.


• Everywhere we go, people comment on how cute you are. Your big brown eyes and that adorable smile make my heart melt.


• You will randomly say, "Mama (or Daddy), I need to tell you sumpin' (something)." We say, "What do you need to tell me, Luke?" You say, "I wub you."


• Your answer to every question during Bible time is "Bebus" (Jesus). We try hard not to laugh.


• You've figured out the whole rhyming concept and love to have fun with it. The other day you called your swim teacher Mrs. Hess instead of Mrs. Jess and giggled.


• You'll say something to us (sometimes talking back when you aren't supposed to) and then say, "I was just jokin."


• You like to tell knock-knock jokes, but you only know about three of them so you tell the same ones over and over.


• You don't like to let us take pictures of you.


• You don't like to pick up your toys.


• You love watching Bob the Builder on TV.


• You have a bit of a stubborn streak.


• We are currently working on what it means not to "talk back" to mommy and daddy.


• You know exactly where to go sit (at the end of the hall) when we send you to Time Out.


• You are learning that we only spit when we are brushing our teeth and it is only ok to lick ice cream cones and lollipops not Mommy or Daddy or your brudder.


• You will pick up any bug you see dead or alive which freaks Mommy out. I'm afraid you are going to get bitten by something.


• You will bust out your dance moves anytime you hear music playing like at the grocery store or at the pool. I hope you never outgrow this.


• You love to go anywhere with Daddy in his big truck.


• When you are with Daddy, he surfs the radio stations to find cool songs. You always want him to stop on the heavy metal rocker songs then proceed to "dance" in your carseat.


• You love to be outside with Daddy.


• You ride your balance bike so fast now. You've gotten too big for it so you are getting a new bigger one for your birthday that will turn into a pedal bike later when you are ready for it.


• Daddy loves to call you Short Stack.


• Mommy calls you Love Bug, Lukey Boy, Doodle Bug.


• When we call you nicknames you tell us firmly, "No, I just Wuke!"


• You are loving, curious, silly, smart, funny, handsome and happy.
• We are so thankful we adopted you. Our family just wouldn't be the same without you.


• If we could pick any three year old in the whole wide world to be our little boy, we would pick you. Every. Single. Time.

Happy Birthday, buddy! Have fun this year learning and growing and becoming all that God has planned for you.

We love you!

Mama and Daddy

"I thank my God every time I remember you...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
Philipians 1:3,6