Luke is Growing!

Luke is growing so fast. He learned how to walk on his own in October, and by December he was running full speed and saying some words. Now he can understand pretty much everything we say and has about a 30 word vocabulary in English. He's exposed to a lot of Portuguese, so by the time he turns three his Portuguese will be better than mine ever will.

Justin now owns two surf boards and a paddle for the paddle board. I have a new hobby of listening to music while running on the beach. Luke's favorite thing to do is to 'be in the sand'. I think if he had it his way we would swim in the sand instead of the water. He's grown in all of his teeth (yes, even the molars) and his beautiful blond hair sits just below his shoulders. He is such a little joy, and Justin and I are so blessed to have him in our family.

Justin and Luke Walking to the Park

Luke is almost walking on his own. He doesn't quite have the confidence to go without grasping on to one of our fingers. I filmed this last week from our kitchen window on the 2nd floor. Luke loves being around people, but something special usually happens when he is around other children or babies.

Luke turned one on August 18th! We had a small birthday party in Brazil, then flew to Texas and had a small birthday party for friends and family in the good ol' US. We had a blast swimming in the pool, eating great food, and having some good laughs.

Winter 2009 Visitors

In June, our neighbors from Magnolia (Roy and Carrie) came to visit for a week. Being winter here, it was a little chilly but they still got a little beach time! They loved visiting the Rio Christ Statue and the Hippie Fair. Carrie was thrilled to watch Luke "scoot" on the floor for the first time. They loved the Brazilian food and couldn't buy enough Haviana flip flops.

In July, Justin's parents came for almost two weeks. They were thrilled to see Luke crawl for the first time! We had a blast playing with Luke and seeing the many sights of Rio de Janeiro. Ron loved the Samba show, and we could not keep Pam away from the Hippie Fair and the amazing rock store. (Not that I complained in taking her to either!)

Luke and Mommy

When Justin is at work, Luke and I spend our time playing, eating, and taking naps. Sometimes we visit friends and go to the park. Sounds like fun - right? I could not be happier doing what I love most. I look forward to waking up in the morning knowing I get to spend the day with that sweet precious baby.

Daddy Is a Surfer!

Luke's new favorite thing to do is eat sand while he watches Daddy catch some waves. Justin is the proud owner of a new surf board. Even though we're about to approach winter in Rio, surfers are still catching waves rain or shine. Even though I don't have the patients to attempt getting up on a surf board, you might see me body surfing one of these days.

We've Survived Two Months in Brazil!

Here is a small overview of what we've experienced so far in Brazil. We moved to South America on April 1, 2009. I never thought we'd make it through the first two months, but here we are! We are quickly adjusting to the culture, food, and scenery here. Luke is already a Brazilian celebrity. People here are crazy about babies. I think Luke is going to learn the language much quicker than Justin and I will because people are always talking to him!!