Gotta get my blog on!!

I can't believe 2 months have passed since my last post! I don't have any excuse for slacking on my blog updates....we've had plenty of new material!! I've been gently reminded by friends and family alike to 'get my blog on' and start posting new pictures- so here they are : ).

January...

...was spent recovering from the whirlwind of celebrating Christmas back to back with Luke's 1st Birthday at the end of December.

February...

...flew by! We were able to escape from the cold Cincinnati snow to sunny Hilton Head Island for a long weekend with our friends Tom, Meredith, and Madeline who graciously invited us to join them at their beach house on Daufuskie Island. It was a beautiful weekend by the shore and the weather couldn't have been more perfect for February in South Carolina...60's and 70's all 4 days! Luke *loved* the beach and we had a great time with our friends. We are looking forward to a return trip to Hilton Head Island in June for summer vacation.

This is what we left in Cincinnati on our way to the beach...we were so glad to escape the snow!

DAY 1
Waiting for our ferry from Harbor Town Pier to Daufuskie Island.

Yay!! We made it to the beach!!Madeline enjoying the beach too!

DAY 2

We explored more of Daufuskie Island and Luke loved walking and playing outside in the warm weather. It was his first time playing outside since last fall.

Everyone travels by golf cart on the island because cars are prohibited. This creates a very pedestrian friendly environment. One of Luke's favorite things was taking a ride in the golf cart. His favorite spot to sit was up front where he could see the best!
Enjoying the opportunity to play outside!
Madeline helping Luke accesorize!Yay for sunshine!Both Luke and Madeline *loved* playing in the sand.

DAY 3
We visited another fun beach and Mike went golfing in the afternoon with Tom.

Where's Luke?

Taking his time and enjoying the freedom of walking wherever he wants at his very own pace!
So many seashells to play with!What sweet babies!

Later in the day after naps and golfing we headed back to the beach for one more visit before heading home the next day...

Bye-bye beach...see you in the summer!DAY 4
On our way home from South Carolina we stopped in Tennessee to see the Great Smoky Mountains. It was a quick trip but a fun way to break up our drive home.
"Dad, these mountains are SO BIG!"

Dental Hygiene

With seven teeth it is important to practice good dental hygiene...

with ninja skills of course!

Walking

Just for fun this is a short video of Luke walking~

Luke's First Birthday

December 29 we celebrated Luke's First Birthday with family and friends. The theme was "Winter ONEderland" which included lots of snowmen and snowflakes. However, it happened to be about 60 degrees outside that day which put a slight damper on the hot chocolate bar. We had a great time celebrating and overall it was a huge success!

Aunt Jenny and the birthday boy.

Opening gifts with the help of Luke's friend, Carter.

A cool, new "gumball" machine.

Luke loved ripping the paper off the presents. He handed each piece of paper to Mike or someone else sitting close by (no matter how small the piece).

Birthday hugs from Lorie.

This is a guest post from Mike...so I've been getting more interested in wood-working in the past months and decided to try my first "big" project. We had talked about buying Luke a rocking toy and found a couple of airplanes online that we loved. Instead of buying it, I bought the plans online and began work. What I had hoped to be a Christmas gift turned into a Birthday gift (it almost became a New Year's gift). This is my best project to date and what's even better is that Luke loves it. One feature that makes it very special is that the Walnut parts (the dark wood) are from a tree cut down 40 years ago at Megan's Grandmother's house in Northern Ohio. We hope this becomes a family heirloom that Luke will pass on to his own son (or daughter).

Birthday (cup)Cake!

Rice Krispie Snowman.

Mmmmm...is that for me?

Can I eat this?

Yes!

So tasty. I just might eat all of it.

After getting cleaned up, there was still time for play...

And one more gift to open.

Our baby boy is ONE! Happy Birthday Luke Alexander, we love you!