The Estes Family

Hmmm...it doesn't matter what my intentions are, my posts instead of getting shorter in between have become longer! As we are now into August, I become slightly depressed at the thought of another winter looming on the horizon. Oh well....hopefully I'll have an extra finished space in another month or two! (I already posted cause it wouldn't save and I didn't want to lose things....but now I will add the commentary to the pictures fof anyone who cares :) The progress on the basement has come to a standstill the last week and a half but hopefully will get back on track soon! A month and 10 days till we leave for vacation! How exciting. I have no idea though how I will be away from my sweet little boy for 10 whole days. Taking lots of pictures with me! Luke did have his 18month appointment with good reports! He is officially 24lbs 12oz. (34th %), 32 1/2 inches (57th %), and 47 cm for his head (28th %). He takes after his daddy in the noggin department! :) I asked the Dr. about his bow leggedness still and his feet (especially the left) turning in and he said that it should resolve itself. Oh well

The first few pics are back from June 21....David and I's 5th Anniversary. We didn't do anything big, but were able to spend some time together doing various things. Didn't want to spend too much money since we have our cruise coming up.

While we were bike riding on a nearby path, they had this little wagon and fake flowers set up, so I thought it would be a cute picture :)

Awww....the lovebirds! Tried our best to set the camera steady on the fence to get us both.

Another pause in biking as we turned around

Later that afternoon we headed over to the Kandel Compound and did some fishing. (This is where we fished the night we got engaged 7 years ago!) David caught 10 and I managed 8....I can never beat him!

As we rounded the end of the lake, this is what rolled in. We braved the cold wind and rain for about another 1/2 hour but I got TOO chilly and we headed quickly back to the Jeep. Fun memory at least!

Takin a stroll around the church parking lot after service. He looks so grown up in that outfit :(

Shovin in some spaghetti

still shovelin.....

A few cute snack time expressions

Peekin through daddy's legs

Guess who found the pens? Guess he didn't find the paper though!

Future Tiger Woods? Gotta start somewhere right? 2 clubs at once even!

Taking out his agression on the camera

A big smile at the fireworks.

Amazed by the fireworks!

Bare piggies on daddy's lap.....still watching the bright lights!

With Aunt Heather after the fireworks. Looking for more!

Man that was a late night! But SOO worth it :) Thoughts of fireworks dancing in his head!

Day after the 4th we gathered at mom and dads with Heather and David and had a picnic and played some cornhole of course!

Since the little man couldn't play cornhole, he got a sucker.

What you talking bout?

Aunt Heather stollin Lukers on a walk

Playing on Grandma's new slide

Nothing goes better together than balls and a slide!

Just a little boy standing in a big yard :)

Stompin in the puddles......definitely a boy!

David and his sis Dana threw a wonderful surprise party for their parents' 30th Anniversary. They invited their old wedding party and had a replica made of their original wedding cake. I worked 8 hours at work but someone was nice enough to pick up the last 4 hours for me so I could be there!

Time to feed each other cake.......

This is how it turned out. What did you do to deserve that in the last 30 years Dave?

Stretching.....

Showing his butt! Sexy huh?

Visiting with cousin Jennifer. Jen's been and will continue to teach in Hong Kong for at least the next year. She was able to be home for a few weeks in July and since it had been a year since she'd seen Luke, we made it over to visit and swim! :)

Looking at Uncle John's HUGE train display!

Watching all the trains go round and round!

Working on his tan.......David and I got this tanning bed back in May at a garage sale. The guy selling it was moving and couldn't take it with him. It's two years old and hardly used. We got it for $250!!! Such a strange thing to own! I can use it now for pre vacation tanning and for my sissy's wedding next year! Can't really go anywhere to tan anymore since Luke is around.

Luke LOVED trying on mommy's shoes...flip flops, slippers, tennis shoes etc. He also loves removing the vent cover on the floor and shoving as many shoes down it as he can :) Haha. These next few pics are just the process of the shoe fitting process.....

Yeah, these are pretty comfy....

However, they do make a better seat.

At friend Abby's house. (Abby is wearing our birthday gift we got her :) Aren't they cute?

Swimming at Aunt Mimmie's with grandma

Mmmm that was good cherry cheesecake......"mom, where's the next batch? Don't ya see I'm all out?"

Luke's first actual sink bath at home. The last time he got one was when he was a few days old at the side of the sink. He plopped himself in this time after I was just washing his FEET.

Just like the shoes in the vent, he was shoving as many things as he could find into the disposal. Have to make sure to check that before I run it the next time!!!

He was parched....what can I say?

Cutie pie :)

Several videos of Luke..........being Luke.

First I have to breathe a HUGE sigh of relief! One of the biggest things I was dreading about this summer is about 95% over for me! HALLELUJAH!! As I mentioned in the previous blog, we are going to finish the larger 2/3 of our basment this summer so that Luke has a play space during the winter especially. Anyhow, I was absolutely not looking forward to cleaning the basement out (as it was FULL of crap!). Over the last couple of weeks and any "spare" time I had with Luke around, David and I threw out basically a dump trailor worth of junk and trash and I have almost everything in plastic bins and organized on the unfinished side of the basement and part we're going to do is officially CLEARED OUT!! David has to take some measurements and make a material list and the project should be underway!! YIPEE! It'll take a few weeks, trying to fit it in on evenings and weekends, but it'll definitely be done this summer...hopefully by August! We have something to add to the basement when it's finished too......while garage saling, David came across a tanning bed that is 2 years old and hardly used and the seller was trying to get rid of it. We bought it for $250! Haha, how funny that I'll have a tanning bed in the basement now :) I like to tan a little before vacations so I don't burn and for occassions like my sissy's wedding next summer. I don't plan on using it year round of course.

We've definitely been LOVING the weather! I can't tell you how much better I feel on a daily basis when the sun comes up early and goes down late and it's warm out. We put up Luke's little swimming pool and picked up his sand and water table (still needs put together though). We've started swimming at Great Aunt Mim and Uncle John's. It's an inground pool that I grew up at. We absolutely LOVE going there!

Luke and our Youth Pastor's boy Vaden. They were over for a cook out one evening and the boys got to play a little :)

One of the little rides at Toys R Us on the way out. Daddy had to hold his hand behind Luke's head because the shaking threw his head back into the metal coin slot! Luke liked the worm climbing in the apple.

Goofy boy eating one his favorite desserts......banana cookies!!

Nakie Luke climbed onto the chaise lounge chair and then up onto the end table! Little naked monkey!

Scribbles on the bathtub

Another favorite food.........."deese"

Washin the cheese down with a huge can of sweet tea!

What can you say about that look!?

Climbin with daddy's hat on

Taking daddy's hat OFF!

Funny face :)

Stealing the melon....

Eating the melon..............

Still eating the melon :) Crack me up!

First time in his new pool

Getting sprayed by the elephant!

Hard to see, but daddy's spraying him on the belly.

That looks so uncomfortable! Look at that belly!!

Huh?

Baby shower for our friends Mike and Shannon. They're expecting a boy in September!! :)

A momentous ocassion. LUKE'S FIRST HAIR CUT!! I decided enough was enough with mommy's hair trimmings and decided to go get it cut. Went to a kid's salon and Luke didn't want to sit on the animal seat alone, so he sat on my lap and ate his sucker while they chopped his hair. He was oblivious!

David caught me with an awkward look on my face. Duker was such a good boy!! 5 minutes in the chair and $13 later we were out of there. Pretty expensive for a little boy's hair cut!