Guarnieri Family

Photo shoot with Luke

2012-02-11T17:49:00.001-05:00

Here are some photos from a recent photo shoot Damien did with Luke.

Mountain Climber

2012-02-11T17:21:00.001-05:00

Since I had to work the day after Christmas, Luke stayed at SharpTop while Damien and I headed home. The gang decided it would be fun to climb SharpTop Mountain (something D and I haven't done yet). We heard that Luke walked the whole way and had a great time!

A few weeks later, we wanted to see Luke's mountain climbing skills for ourselves, so we went for a hike up Kennesaw Mountain. He did great and thoroughly enjoyed his trip up what he insists on calling "Georgia Mountain".

Christmas

2012-01-01T22:04:00.002-05:00

There was a lot to do to get ready for Christmas. It was very important that Luke visit Santa and let him know what was on his Christmas list. Then, each morning Luke had to look for Pickles, his elf. Each night, Pickles returned to the North Pole to report to Santa if Luke had been especially helpful (or not) that day. Pickles always chose a different place to spend the next day.

Trying on the stockings

We spent Christmas with Lisa's family at Sharptop Mountain Cove. Sharptop is a Young Life camp and our brother-in-law Chad works for YL and is able to get us one of the cabins. It is a beautiful camp in the mountains of north Georgia.

Christmas was toymageddon. Luke got tons of toys, including an r/c race car and helicopter, a rocket ship tent, a big wheel, Kermit the Frog and Big Bird, multiple Mr. Potato Heads, toys, toys, and more toys, and a new train table which Santa left for him at our home.

Luke's train table.

Lisa's photo of sunset at Sharptop.

An hour-long exposure of showing the earth's rotation as represented by star trails.

Nina comes for a visit

2012-01-01T21:29:00.001-05:00

Damien's mom, Lauren, came down to Atlanta for a visit in November. Luke had a great time visiting with his "Nina." We took a trip to the Fernbank Natural History museum and learned about dinosaurs. Luke also liked his Nina's sharp new red car.

Huntin' for a Pumpkin

2012-01-01T21:13:00.001-05:00

Luke and Damien had fun huntin' for pumpkins for Halloween.

Halloween

2012-01-01T21:09:00.000-05:00

Way back earlier in the year, Luke was introduced to "The Wizard of Oz." It quickly became his favorite movie and for Halloween, he wanted to dress up as the Tin Man. We thought we'd have fun and make it a family affair.

Luke gave Caleb a big Halloween hug.

Caleb, Colby, and Luke, aka Buzz, Mickey, and the Tin Woodsman, walk down the street for candy.


Luke remembered this guy dressed up as Darth Vader from last year and was sooooooooooo excited to see him. He literally ran to him. He made Lisa dash a half block just to get there. We had to go up to his house three times so Luke could talk to him. Luke told him that "D" is for Darth Vader (from his Star Wars alphabet book). Darth Vader said Luke was the bravest boy he had seen all night.

Fripp Island trip

2012-01-01T20:59:00.001-05:00

Back in mid-September we took a beach trip with Lisa's family to Fripp Island, SC. The weather was cooler than expected, so we didn't get a whole lot of beach time. We just had a good time enjoying each others' company. Here are some photos:


Cold weather - brrr.

Luke is the Alligator Hunter!

The water was so cold! All the adults watched from the side (in sweats!)

School party

2011-11-14T16:43:00.001-05:00

Because just one party is not enough, Luke had another celebration at school.

Luke was crowned the birthday boy by his teachers and felt special all day.

He took a chocolate chip cookie cake to share with his classmates.

Birthday Party

2011-11-14T10:43:00.001-05:00

Luke wanted a dog themed party this year. In fact, he had talked about his dog party since February, so I couldn't disappoint. We had a chocolate cake with a dog on it, dog plates and balloon, and doggie party favors. Instead of doing the party at the house, we had it at BounceU, an indoor facility filled with inflatables. The kids all seemed to have a great time, as did the parents. It was a wonderful place to have Luke's party - the BounceU staff ensured it was a stress-free experience for me :) I'm hoping we can do it there again next year!

Birthday Morning

2011-11-14T10:24:00.001-05:00

When Luke woke up on his birthday, we wanted to surprise him with his big gift.

He had said a number of times "We need a wagon" and "Aunt Kristin has a wagon, but we don't". Problem solved!

Don't peek! It's a surprise!

Yay! I have a wagon!

Take me for a ride

Opening a few more presents

3 YEARS OLD

2011-11-14T10:02:00.001-05:00

September 10th was Luke's third birthday!

It's so hard to believe how fast the last 3 years have passed.

Luke is such a sweet, fun, smart, and handsome little boy.

Here are pictures since his first September.

I love seeing how he's grown.

3 years old - September 2011

2 years old - September 2010

12 months old - September 2009

4 days old - September 2008

First Day of Pre-School

2011-10-08T23:37:00.003-04:00

This year Luke started preschool. He didn't make the September 1st cut-off, so he is in an older 2 year-old class. All of his classmates have birthdays between September 1 and December 31. Luke goes to school on Tuesday and Thursday from 9-1. He is really enjoying it so far. I was a little concerned how he would do the first couple of days - how silly of me. When I picked him up the first day, Luke proudly told me "I didn't cry!" In fact, he never cries. But I did get the full report every afternoon of who did cry for several weeks. Luke is having fun doing crafts, singing songs, and learning Bible stories and verses.

Can George and BaBa come?

The Vacation Day We Relaxed

2011-10-08T23:08:00.001-04:00

Our third day we enjoyed our resort - spending the morning in the pool area.

After naptime, we headed to Downtown Disney to do a little shopping.

Is it me?

With Cinderella

Lego Creation

More Toy Story - Lego Woody

Along with some Ghiradelli chocolate, Luke enjoys dancing to the music

Hollywood Studios and Epcot

2011-10-08T23:07:00.000-04:00

Hollywood Studios was our next destination. Much of our experience here was focused around Toy Story. We started the day with the Toy Story ride. It was by far the longest wait we had the entire vacation. It was a really neat ride: a 3D interactive carnival shooting gallery. Then, Damien rode Star Tours 4 times! Luke and I passed, but did several other things, one of which was watching the Beauty and the Beast performance.


Wearing the 3D glasses for Toy Story ride


Making friends with the aliens

Meeting Buzz and Woody

Smile!


Family photo

Riding the Speeder Bike

Wizard of Oz scene from Great Movie Ride

HOT!

After a rest at the hotel, we went to Epcot for a few hours.

Being eaten by the shark!

Trying on a fez in Morocco

So tired!

Magic Kingdom

2011-10-08T21:57:00.000-04:00

I thought it would be fun to take a family vacation the week before Luke started preschool. So we packed the car and headed to Florida. All 3 of us had a great time at Disney World. It was definitely a different experience with a toddler; it had been 7 years since Damien and I last went. We spent one day at the Magic Kingdom, and then ½ day at Hollywood Studios and ½ day at Epcot. The 3rd day we spent at the hotel pool relaxing.

Eager - Riding monorail into the Magic Kingdom the 1st day

We're here!


Dumbo takes us for a ride

Taking a spin at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party


Jungle Cruise


Luke's favorite part: the train ride (He also loved the Country Bear Jamboree)

Fascinated by the Indian

Getting tired


Luke is always asking if he can drive yet - finally got his chance at Grand Prix


Wow - Luke's a good driver (with both hands on the wheel!)


I wanted to race too!

Caron's wedding

2011-10-08T13:16:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to Caron and Adam who were married in August. We had a great time at their wedding. The location was a great place for taking photos :)

Caron's wedding

2011-10-08T13:16:00.000-04:00

Trip to the Hamptons 2011

2011-08-23T21:39:00.001-04:00

Our first official vacation of the summer took us to visit my sister, Anne-Marie, her husband Brad, Pops, and Linda at my sister's summer cottage in The Hamptons. We had a great time catching up with everyone! It was a nice, relaxing, beach vacation. We toured the island, grilled out a lot, and spent a couple days swimming in the cold Atlantic. Here are a ton of pictures:

A-M and Brad's house

Uncle Brad's sweet Porche

A-M, Luke, Damien, and Pops - Photo by Brad

Linda and Dad - Photo by Brad


So Zia (also known as Anne-Marie) bought Luke a felt sandwich-making kit. He loves it! Here he makes a huge felt sandwich for Uncle Brad. He's only two, but he's ready for a career at Subway!

Luke freaked out over the heavy winds at the beach, so much so that he wouldn't let go of the umbrella for (the very real) fear that it would blow away. It took him a while before he relaxed and enjoyed the sun and surf. Photo by Brad.

Pops messes with Luke who didn't want his photo taken.

Peek-a-boo! Luke plays in the garden out back.

grillin' and beer.

fun in the surf!

Tired after a long day playing at the beach.

The lighthouse at Montauk, NY.

Swimming Lessons

2011-07-19T20:19:00.001-04:00

Luke is enjoying swimming lessons much more this year than last. (And so am I, since he's not screaming and refusing to let go of me!) He has gained a lot of confidence in the water and learned a number of valuable skills. Of course, Luke is very cooperative with his teacher; he won't float on his back or swim with the noodle when we practice in our neighborhood pool. But Luke will do some incredibly big jumps into the the pool for me!

Just chilling while waiting his turn


Floating - even did a few seconds without support


Swimming with the noodle - no help from teacher

Say Cheese

2011-07-17T21:16:00.000-04:00

This fountain area seemed ideal for a mini-photo shoot. So here's Luke, in all his sweetness!

random cute photos

2011-07-17T21:06:00.000-04:00

Here are some cute photos of Luke from the last few months.

Sorry for the slacking in updating the blog. Enjoy!

Riding my Tricycle

I Love Krispy Kreme!

Memorial Day

Being Silly

The Lunch Lady Look

Smiling Evil Villian

Day Out with Thomas

2011-05-21T21:36:00.000-04:00

So Luke's adventure continued Saturday morning with a ride on Thomas the Train (the true purpose of our trip). In addition to the much anticipated ride on Thomas, there were other activities to keep the little ones entertained: the train museum, playing at the train tables, and meeting Sir Topham Hatt. Once Luke saw Thomas, he hopped and skipped with excitement. It was also a treat to have the conductor take his ticket as we boarded for the 25 minutes trip. And of course he was the cutest engineer there!

Chattanooga Zoo

2011-05-21T20:48:00.004-04:00

Last weekend we took Luke on an adventure. We drove to Chattanooga Friday morning and our first stop was a visit to the zoo. It's a small zoo and was practically deserted, both of which were really good for a 2 year old. He enjoyed running from exhibit to exhibit (had to stretch those legs after the car ride) and pointing out the animals he recognized. We thought Luke should have his first carousel ride here - he liked it until the music and motion started! Since we wanted it to be a special weekend for Luke, we ate authentic Mexican for dinner after he requested a quesadilla. I thought it would be fun for Luke's first movie theater experience to be an IMAX film, so we ended our night at the movies. We saw Born To Be Wild 3D, about orphaned orangutans and elephants and the people who rescue and raise them. However, Luke decided he was too cool for the glasses!

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T22:58:00.000-04:00

Damien cooked a fantastic Mother's Day Eve dinner:

Mushroom and mozzarella stuffed chicken breasts, Israeli couscous, mushrooms, and sugarsnap peas.

Then, Sunday, we started Mother's Day at church, had a photo shoot with Damien, then spent some time at the pool.

I'm so lucky to be mommy to this sweet, handsome boy!

Gymnastics Recital

2011-05-08T22:36:00.000-04:00

Luke has taken Mommy and Me gymnastics for a year. He has made a lot of progress this last session and Saturday was his first recital and an opportunity to show off his skills.

Doing a backwards flip

The bear crawl (Luke's current favorite)

Somersault!

I did it!

Mowing the Lawn

2011-05-08T22:15:00.000-04:00

Luke really wanted to help Damien mow the lawn. So he got out his cowboy had (just like daddy) and got out his mower (just like daddy) and went to work in the front yard.

Easter

2011-05-08T22:06:00.000-04:00

Luke coloring eggs for the first time:

Luke literally dropped the egg into the dye from this height. It was a miracle he wasn't covered in colors.

Counting and pointing to his favorites.

Luke was excited about his Yoda Easter Egg because it matched his Star Wars apron (both of which were given to him by his Zia).

A few pictures from the Easter egg hunt this year:

Caleb and Luke hug the Easter Bunny

Trying to get lots of eggs!

Look at Luke's haul!!

Luke explains that he doesn't have room for any more eggs.

Damien shows Luke the candy surprise in the egg.

Sweet Luke

The whole fam had fun!

They also jumpees and slides for the kids. Luke got brave and went up the slide a couple times.

After Easter Service (it was Saturday night, so casual):

The Easter Bunny Came!

Luke's airplane adventure

2011-04-19T00:13:00.000-04:00

I had a day off from work and I took Luke over to the Aviation Wing of the Marietta Museum of History. It has a C-141, S-3B, an F-14 Tomcat among other aircraft in various stages of restoration. The only plane that was open was the C-141 - a cargo plane - and Luke had fun running up and down the fuselage and pretending to pilot the plane in the cockpit. The nice docents gave Luke a little plastic C-5 model and a balsa wood glider. He'll be a Top Gun one day!

Trains

2011-03-28T21:01:00.000-04:00

The last time my Dad was here, he told Luke that next time he came to Savannah, they'd go see some trains. Dad was referring to the Visitors Center where they have a roundhouse and some train cars on display. Luke has a fantastic memory and was eager about seeing the trains. Luke even dressed for the occasion.

Engine and tender

Looking at the trains

Luke loves music and likes playing the piano at Grammy and Grampa's house. He knows how to sing do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do. Next: we'll work on where the notes are on the keyboard. Luke also loves Reuben the Cat. He kept saying "Hi, Reuben. How are you?" Luke always wanted to know where the cat was, but he was still cautious about petting him.

Petting Reuben

Playing the piano

St Patrick's Day in Savannah

2011-03-26T22:41:00.000-04:00

Luke and I went to Savannah for St. Patrick's Day this year. Anna and Josh went very early and saved good seats for the parade. The parade lasted 3 hours, so there were lots of things to see and hear. Luke usually doesn't like loud noises, but wasn't bothered until a firetruck put on it's siren and surprised him. It was a pretty day and we had a good time.

Watching the parade

Firetruck siren

With Grammy and Grampa (Luke thought it'd be funny with his tongue out!)

Kiss Me - I'm Irish!

My favorite little leprechaun

Forsyth Fountain - Green

More Photos

2011-03-24T21:32:00.000-04:00

It was another pretty day, although a little cool, and Luke was in a great mood. I persuaded Damien to hold another photo session. Here are some of our favorites:

Luke v2.5

2011-03-22T21:29:00.000-04:00

Luke and I had a fun photo shoot on the 10th when he turned two-and-a-half. Look how he's grown!! I'm not sure he has enough stuffed animals though.

new vacuum

2011-02-27T23:12:00.000-05:00

So we got a new vacuum this weekend because Best Buy was having a good sale. When I brought it home, it was in a huge box and Luke kept asking me to open it. So finally we did and the little boy kept coming in the living room telling me how excited he was! So I just had to let him vacuum to his heart's content (which lasted all of 3 minutes).

PIZZA

2011-02-22T14:28:00.001-05:00

Luke helped make pizza for dinner tonight.

He really enjoyed snacking on the turkey pepperoni during the pizza making.

YUM!

Sunny Days

2011-02-22T14:27:00.000-05:00

The weather here has been beautiful the last few days: pleasantly warm and perfect for the playground. In fact, Luke has managed to hit 5 different playgrounds in the last 4 days!

Swinging in the easy chair

Climbing the mountain

In fact, the weekend was a great time to rake the leaves, and Luke decided to help Damien with the chore.

Kicking leaves


Jumping

Helping is fun

God Bless America

2011-02-20T22:52:00.000-05:00

Luke loves music - listening to it and making it.

He has a great memory for tunes and lyrics.

Here is one of his favorites.

(Stay tuned - more to come later.)

Damien: This will be one of the videos that will be in Luke's "Behind the Music" specials on VH1 years from now.

Trike weather

2011-01-30T00:20:00.000-05:00

60 degrees and sunny here in Atlanta today and Luke was begging to go out and ride his tricycle. We are all a little stir crazy from the winter weather we've been having here, so we were happy to oblige.

Cousin Train

2011-01-18T20:57:00.000-05:00

Cousins Caleb and Colby came over to play yesterday while Kristin and Chad went out to lunch. Since the boys were wearing matching shirts, I brought out the camera. Needless to say, the pictures I tried to set up weren't very good. But when they made this train with the chairs, I finally got a cute one!

Snow Day

2011-01-10T14:44:00.001-05:00

All weekend, the forecast called for a mighty storm on Sunday night/Monday morning. We closely watched the news, as both Damien and I were scheduled to work in the morning. This time, the predictions were right. We got lots of snow and ice. Because the road conditions were so bad, we both stayed home. It's the first time ever in my memory that my store has closed. Luke and I went outside with Damien until Luke declared after only 5 minutes, "I'm done." He takes after me: he's just not a fan of the white stuff and would rather be inside looking out, than out.

There used to be a sidewalk here

Brrrr...it snowed

Damien's feet

6 and 1/2 inches !!!!

Luke wanted to go outside

And sled after seeing the kids across the street

Sliding down the backyard "hill"

Looking at the snow and ice

This is about as much as Luke touched the snow

Bye - Time to go inside


Big blue eyes

Big Boys

2011-01-08T22:20:00.000-05:00

I borrowed these photos from Kristin. They are so cute, I wanted to share.


Big boys having a grand time

Christmas Eve

Christmas Day

2011-01-02T22:56:00.000-05:00

Luke sees Santa ate some cookies and drank some milk

Luke roars like Chewbacca, one of the few toys he asked for

Playing with some new engines

Checking out all his loot

Yummmm - chocolate from the stocking

Reading and having a snack

Caleb plays with Buzz while Luke shows Colby the Millennium Falcon

White Christmas

Outside only for a quick picture

Toys, toys, toys

So excited!

Mr Santa Claus

2010-12-01T10:53:00.000-05:00

While in Savannah over the Thanksgiving weekend, Grammy wanted to take Luke to see Santa Claus. Bass Pro Shop has a great Santa, plus there are other neat things to entertain little ones there. We wanted Luke to be excited, so we talked the visit up on the ride over. He always refers to the jolly guy as Mr Santa Claus and prepared by singing his favorite song about him.

Hugging Santa

Hey Dad! Can I have this?

Operating the Train

Coloring takes concentration

Taking time to smell the flowers

Riding the train with Grammy - but sitting in his own seat

A Day at Zoo Atlanta

2010-11-14T20:53:00.000-05:00

Damien and Lisa : )

"Why did Luke sit on the egg? 'Cause he didn't have a chair!"

"Hi, Mr Gorilla!"

"I touched him!"

Looking at the tiger

Touching the Red Boa (I think)

Yay! A baby elephant

ROAR!

Luke heard me mention the zoo last week, and everyday since, he has said "I want to go the the zoo, Mommy". We started a countdown: we can go the the zoo in 5 days, 4 days, 3 days, 2 days, tomorrow (and yes, Damien is probably sick of hearing me sing "Daddy's taking us to the zoo tomorrow and we can stay all day!")
Luke told us he wanted to see the elephants, monkeys, gorillas, lions and pandas. He was not disappointed. It was loads of fun and we were able to see most of the exhibits pretty well. After looking at each animal for a while, he would ask to touch it. And although I'm sure he thought he'd want to touch the rhino, I'm glad that the only touching option was the snake!

Trick or Treat!

2010-11-05T22:03:00.002-04:00

So excited!

Checking out all the costumes

Talking to Kiki the Clown

Colby and Luke ready to roll

Official first house of Trick or Treating

He immediately recognized Darth Vader, but this was close enough

Luke couldn't stop talking about Princess Leia

Checking out the loot

We went to Kristin and Chad's house for a Halloween cookout. The kids went trick-or-treating afterwards.
Kids these days have it made: they rode in the wagons from house to house, then hopped out to collect their candy. It was a great neighbor for trick-or-treating and Luke really enjoyed it!

Our little engineer

2010-10-29T22:22:00.000-04:00

Luke really enjoys trains, so we thought that the perfect Halloween costume would be a train engineer. We took Luke to the caboose in nearby Acworth for a little photo shoot. He loved it!!

Anna's birthday

2010-10-29T21:21:00.000-04:00

We celebrated Anna's birthday early. It was the first time we saw Anna and Josh since they got back from China. They gave the boys Chinese yo-yos and gave Luke a set of balls for part of his birthday present. The boys had a lot of fun playing with their new toys.

Rachel's Birthday

2010-10-29T18:44:00.000-04:00

We went to Kentucky Dam Lake State Park to celebrate Rachel's 95th birthday. We had a really good time visiting with all the aunts and uncles and cousins and just relaxing. The weather was perfect for cooking out and walking around the park.

Air Show!

2010-10-29T17:59:00.000-04:00

For Part Two of our busy October, I had to work the Wings Over Atlanta Air Show and got to photograph a multitude of aircraft, including the Canadian Royal Air Force Snowbirds and the awesome US Navy Blue Angels. On Sunday, I brought along Luke and Lisa so they could see the planes.

We got to walk through a C-5A Galaxy, one of the largest planes in the world.

Watching the aerobatics!

Yes, I did this to Luke on purpose.  I thought it was cute to give him propeller ears in front of this USAF C-130H Hercules.  

Luke touches a US Coast Guard plane.  

Action shot of me working.  

The USAF Thunderbirds had a demo F-16 Fighting Falcon there too, although they didn't fly.  

Luke was not a fan of the US Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet as it flew by.  

A USAF C-130H

An Old Lockheed L-12

An F-16 

The Royal Canadian Air Force Snowbirds were pretty good too.

"Fat Albert" is a C-130H that supports the Blue Angels.  

The  Blue Angels fly F-18 Hornets.  I got to fly with them for a media  flight in the back of the plane in the foreground back in 2003.  I didn't get sick (came close, but I purposefully didn't eat that morning), but I did black out.  

Fall Festival

2010-10-29T17:57:00.001-04:00

We have had a busy couple weekends this October. We took Luke to our neighborhood's Fall Festival where he got to play in the pumpkin patch, jump on the inflatable jumpy things that kids love, and take a hay ride with his mom.

Swim Class

2010-10-10T20:29:00.000-04:00

Luke just finished swimming class. Let's just say it was an interesting experience. The first 3 weeks, he screamed such that the other parents were asking if it was the first time he had been in a pool. (No, he'd been with us last summer and regularly this summer). In fact, Damien and my mom also tried class with him, thinking he might do better with someone other than his mommy. But by week 4, he was kicking like a pro and actually enjoying himself.

Pizza

2010-10-10T12:09:00.000-04:00

The other day, Luke asked for pizza. So after gymnastics, we headed over to our favorite local pizza spot for take-out. I ordered the barbecue chicken pizza (yum!) decked out with chicken, onion, bacon and barbecue sauce. Not sure if Luke would like the onions, I picked most of them off of his piece. Well, he thought the barbecue sauce was a little too spicy and ate little of the pizza on his plate. I wasn't too concerned since he had eaten a peanut butter sandwich before gymnastics class, so let him leave the table to play. I soon heard a THUNK as Luke pulled the pizza box off the stove and it landed on the floor (pizza unharmed). Imagine my surprise to find that he was picking the onions off and chowing down! Pretty funny.

Amicalola Falls

2010-10-02T20:54:00.000-04:00

Grammy and I took Luke to Amicalola Falls State Park. We skipped the 500+ stairs and took the paved pathway instead to see two views of the falls, then Luke waded at the top and had a great time getting wet! It was a beautiful day.

Time for a Trim

2010-09-29T23:30:00.000-04:00

Here's Luke in the yellow taxicab as his hair is being cut on Monday. But he looks so serious! Maybe he's sad that the crazy curls are gone? Maybe he's disappointed that his stylist wasn't Uncle Josh? Maybe he's worried about being pulled over for drinking and driving? Hmmm.

Bedtime Sweetness

2010-09-28T23:53:00.000-04:00

Sitting with Elephant (and Ba-Ba too)

Such a sweet boy!

This is what he does when prompted to show his "cute look"

Swing Batter Batter

2010-09-28T21:56:00.000-04:00

Luke breaking in his bat, ball and tee set he got for his birthday (with a little help from Daddy)

Look at Me!

2010-09-23T00:04:00.000-04:00

Two Little Monkeys

Jumping on the Bed

Luckily, Neither Fell Off and Bumped His Head!

2 Years Old

2010-09-23T00:03:00.001-04:00

Our baby turned 2 on September 10th. It's so hard to believe that it has been that long, but we have loved every minute! We are so blessed to have such a wonderful, sweet, smart, funny, handsome little boy.

He may still be little, but Luke has this birthday thing down. He had a whole birthday weekend celebration. My parents came up for the occasion, and they took the boys to the playground on Friday while Kristin and I worked on the cake for his party. Since Friday was his actual birthday, we let him open most of the presents from us and gave him a birthday mini-cupcake. Luke's party was on Saturday; he thoroughly enjoyed himself. He is still singing "Happy Birthday to Luke" and talking about the party and his guests.

ABC's

2010-09-22T18:20:00.001-04:00

We are so proud - he can do it! Here is the audio of Luke saying the alphabet. Why isn't Luke's cute little mug in the video? Well, if the camera is on, Luke likes to look at the back of it, not be in front of it! A little like his Daddy, maybe? (This is video from August)

Bath Buddies

2010-09-15T23:18:00.002-04:00

Luke and Cousin Caleb are good buddies.

The other night, they shared a bath and couldn't stop laughing.

They look awfully cute, don't they?

Big Boy Bedroom

2010-09-12T20:23:00.000-04:00

We have an official big boy bedroom! Luke has been sleeping on a twin mattress for a while (on the floor, not a frame), but we decided since he was almost 2 it was time to convert to his new room. Down came the elephants and pastel colors, and up went the trains and bolder shades. It looks pretty good! The best part: Luke loves it!

Luke got stitches :(

2010-09-06T23:11:00.001-04:00

Luke got his first stitches 2 weeks before his birthday. He slipped off the arm of the couch and hit his forehead on the edge of the end table. Lisa suspected he would need stitches, so we took him to the urgent care. Sure enough, Luke needed five stitches in his baby noggin. He was a trooper, and the worst part was when I had to help the nurse restrain him so the doctor could sew him up. Afterward he told the nurses that he was tough and they gave him a popsicle.

Luke did pretty well when they were taken out a few days later, again, the worst was when he had to be restrained. But he is on the road to recovery, and hopefully there will be no more stitches in his future.

Matt and Natasha's wedding

2010-09-06T21:06:00.000-04:00

Our vacation in the Hamptons was capped off with a trip to Boston for Damien's cousin's Matt's wedding to his lovely fiance' Natasha.

The trip from the Hamptons to Boston was interesting as Anne, Brad, Pops, Lisa, Luke and I all took a ferry across Long Island Sound to Groton, CT, the "Submarine Capital of the World." We actually saw one going out to sea.

The wedding was held in Dedham, MA, at the Endicott Estate, a 19th-century mansion that was a really nice setting for a wedding. Natasha was a beautiful bride. Luke was the youngest person there, and was on his best behavior. He especially loved to run back and forth in the giant yard of the mansion. He also flirted with all the young ladies in attendance.

It was really nice seeing many of the Guarnieri family from the east coast.

Holiday in the Hamptons

2010-09-01T22:55:00.000-04:00

Lisa, Luke, and I took a trip to the Hamptons in New York to spend a week with my sister Anne-Marie, her husband Brad, and my dad, also known to Luke as Pops.

We had a great time swimming, laying on the beach, and in general relaxing. We didn't see any celebs, unless you count a puppy who allegedly was in an Estee Lauder commercial.

Luke didn't like to let his feet touch the sand because it was "dirty."

Old man and the sea

Luke loved the little house, especially amusing himself walking up and down the three steps on the back porch.

Luke takes a break from running up and down the steps to actually sit on them.

Luke loved riding on the wooden pig at the house.

"Delicious pasta noooodles."

He also loved the huge playground just down the street.

We took a day trip to the end of Long Island, to Montauk, where we had lobster rolls at "Lunch (Lobster Roll)," a famous road-side eatery.

It was a fun trip that, like all vacations, ended way too soon.

St.Simon's

2010-08-28T16:27:00.000-04:00

We went to St. Simon's Island last weekend with my family. Grammy and Grampa, Anna and Josh, Kristin, Chad, Caleb and Colby, and us! It was nice and relaxing. Unfortunately, Luke had a virus which gave him a fever, so he didn't feel great. Luke really enjoyed flying the kite. Here are some pictures from the weekend.

At the Playground

2010-07-31T16:27:00.002-04:00

Sliding Is Fun

Climbing Up and Down

Waving to Mommy

Peek-A-Boo

I took the camera to the playground today to capture this little monkey in action. Luke's favorite thing to do is climb up and down and up and down and up and down and up and down the stairs. He also likes to slide, but today they were hot so he didn't do very much of that!

2010-07-25T14:51:00.000-04:00

It stormed yesterday afternoon and the thunder woke Luke early from his nap. When he saw that it was raining, he insisted on going outside. And why wear clothes when they are just going to get wet? Look at that smile - Luke sure enjoyed playing in the rain!

Program-Palooza

2010-07-24T20:50:00.001-04:00

Today, Luke and I went to Kennesaw Parks and Recreation Program-Palooza. It was a chance for us to see what other classes Luke might enjoy in addition to his gymnastics. It was very hot, but we visited the different booths and even took a music class. Kristin, Chad, Caleb and Colby were there too. It was loads of fun and we even had some special yummy things to eat!

Luke loves Krispy Kreme (so does Mommy)

Getting ready to play the drums

Hugging Bye


It was really hot - Luke knows to stay hydrated!

Luke didn't want any help - "do it self"

Flip

2010-07-17T19:54:00.001-04:00

Here's a trick Luke learned last week at gymnastics:

What a little acrobat!

Fireworks!!!

2010-07-17T10:58:00.000-04:00

We enjoyed a great fireworks display (which we suspect is the primary use of our homeowners' dues) on Sunday night. Ms Christy, Mr Keith, Lauren and Anna came over to watch them with us. I think Luke may have been a little confused when they were at his house, since he usually goes to theirs!

4th of July

2010-07-17T10:05:00.000-04:00

We were busy this past weekend. First things first, Luke had to be clean-shaven.

Then, Luke and I watched the Marietta 4th of July parade (Luke's 2nd, my first). Luke wanted to join the parade when he saw this car:

This is the 2nd year Damien and Joe Kirby, his co-author of Marietta: Then and Now, have participated. We had a great spot right near the start of the route.

That afternoon, we went to the Knox/Chandler 4th of July picnic. We ate lots of yummy food and enjoyed visiting with everybody.

Luke and Anna raced to the hammock to relax with Lauren after dinner!

Savannah

2010-07-17T09:59:00.004-04:00

Luke and I spent 5 days in Savannah recently. While we did lots of fun things, I predictably forgot my camera for most of them. We went swimming at the YMCA with Grammy and Grampa one morning. On Saturday, Anna and Josh met us at the beach. Luke waded in the ocean and then chilled on his towel under the umbrella. Luke and Grammy also enjoyed singing and playing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star on the piano.

Our last day there we had a picnic brunch at Forsythe Park. Playing in the fountain served as pre-meal entertainment, then Luke and Anna played on the playground afterwards.

Gymnastics Class

2010-06-22T21:58:00.005-04:00

Luke and I have been taking gymnastics classes for 4 weeks. He is very flexible and I was sure that he would do well. He is one of the younger children in the class, but still does fine with most of the activities. This week, Damien came to catch our little gym monkey in action.

We start each week with stretching and warm-ups.

This is one of Luke's favorite things: running on the trampoline.

Luke got his feet up all by himself. After this, he actually hung from the bar alone for a few seconds before he realized I wasn't holding him.

Practicing cartwheels by "donkey-kicking".

He makes walking on the balance beam look easy!
(Those are beanie babies they have to step over)

Since Luke loves climbing, he enjoys climbing into, then out of, this donut.

Each class ends with the parachute - fun!

Sprinkler!

2010-06-19T21:21:00.000-04:00

Obviously, I'm hesitant at first

Maybe I can just sneak in

Wow, that feels pretty good

But it is a little cold

And it tickles

Mommy loves this one, I look so sweet

Daddy tricked me! He turned the water up

What the heck, it's summer!

21 months old

2010-06-19T15:09:00.000-04:00

Where has the time gone!?!

Baby Luke has quickly turned into a big boy who loves going to the neighborhood playground. He enjoys the slide and swings and is a master climber. He runs very well, without the toddler wobble, and is getting fast. Luke is such a sweetheart and so much fun.

Caleb's 2nd birthday party

2010-06-19T14:39:00.000-04:00

"Happy Day Day Caleb!"

Cousin Caleb had a pool party for his second birthday celebration.

It was loads of fun! Luke and Caleb started the party early, jumping right into the pool - in their clothes - before other guests arrived.

We ate pizza.

We laughed.

We relaxed outside.

We ate yummy cake. Kristin made Caleb a special cake in the shape of a UGA football helmet; everyone else ate a football cake.

Caleb opened his presents.

It was a very nice afternoon.

Potty Time!

2010-06-19T09:53:00.000-04:00

Luke knows what the potty is for and we are getting him used to the idea of sitting on it. He will tell us when he needs to go, but usually he just sits for 10-20 minutes reading. It's as soon as he gets off that he does his business!

First pool day of summer

2010-06-18T22:21:00.000-04:00

Luke is enjoying the pool a little bit more this year than last. Here are a couple photos we shot the day our neighborhood pool opened. Hopefully by the end of summer, Luke will be a little tadpole.

Damien's family Part 2

2010-06-14T21:55:00.002-04:00

Damien's mom and grandmother came down Mothers' Day weekend to spend time with us and their "darling" Luke. We had a great time together! I took Mom and Nanny to Jonesboro, Georgia, to see the three Carnes homes there. Carnes is my Nanny's family from Missouri, but before they went out west, they were a very prominent family in Jonesboro, so much so that the town fled to their plantation from Sherman's troops during the sacking of Atlanta, and the Union troops left them alone.
We also ate a wonderful brunch at Henry's Louisiana Grill and enjoyed shopping and antiquing.

Luke had a great time catching up with his Nana and Nanny, but calls them Nina and Nini. He absolutely loves the big choo choo train that his Great Uncle Brian and Aunt Sue got him, but is afraid of it when it goes too fast. He likes to make it go backwards (it's the Guarnieri in him).

Botanical Gardens

2010-05-02T23:19:00.000-04:00

We spent Friday morning at Smith-Gilbert Gardens.

The weather was wonderful and it was the perfect backdrop for a photo shoot!

Damien's family Part 1

2010-05-02T00:35:00.005-04:00

Damien's dad, sister Anne-Marie, and brother-in-law Brad came for a visit a few weeks ago. Luke entertained his "Pops" at dinner as you can see below. Zia and Uncle Brad and family friend Mario (Luke calls him "Reeeo" or "Zeeeo") had fun visiting with Luke also.

We all went to the High Museum of Art to see the art of the automobile exhibit, but the highlight of the trip (aside from seeing their sweet grandson/nephew) was a trip to Kroger - in NYC where A-M and Brad live, there surprisingly isn't a diverse range of junkfood, cereal, and other grocery items.

It was great seeing them and Luke enjoyed seeing his family from up north very much. He especially includes his Pops in his prayers at night, and anytime he sees an older gentleman with white hair, he calls out "Pops!"

Luke Reads

2010-04-30T21:56:00.002-04:00

One of Luke's favorite books is "Hop on Pop" by Dr. Seuss. One night when reading to Luke, I jokingly asked him what some of the words said and to my surprise, and without prompting, he said the word that I pointed to.
When I called Lisa at work, she didn't believe me, that's why I grabbed the video camera and got proof.
See for yourselves!

New Wofford fans

2010-04-30T21:27:00.001-04:00

Uncle Josh is a proud Wofford graduate, and is already recruiting the all three of the boys for the baseball team. Thanks Mrs Iris and Mr Frank for the T-shirts!

Easter Sunday

2010-04-30T21:07:00.000-04:00