2016 Summer Bucket List

I've been busy at work and home and have been neglecting this little blog of mine a little.

I'm still trying to play catch up, but I wanted to link up today with Andrea and Erika.

 

 

Last week Leslie said Noah had requested another

Summer Bucket List like I had made them last year.

 

This is the 2016 List: 

 

For fun - this was their list last year.

Noah is Eight!



I just realized that I never made Noah's birthday post.

He turned Eight at the end of February

I did blog about his 7th birthday last September,

so blogging about his 8th birthday in May doesn't seem as bad. :)

#lowexpectations

 

Well, this was the first year Noah had an all kids birthday party. On Friday night, Leslie let him have his first slumber party and he had a couple friends from school, a family friend, his god brother, and Zay.

Leslie sure had her hands full with SIX BOYS!

 

They had sack races, played a few other games, ate pizza, opened presents, and played.

I'm pretty sure it was the greatest day of Noah's life. 

 

Please note Noah's friend and him wearing shirts that say #bros.

It made Noah's life. They both wear these shirts every Friday.

Sweet friendships.

 

Thursday night the boys had stayed with us and we had given him his present - a popcorn machine.

Look at this cutie!

 

Here is Noah opening his present and trying on a pullover we gave him

(hopefully the XL Leslie requested will fit him next year!)

 

Saturday the boys had their last basketball game of the season.

Birthday boys loves his pockets! :)

 

Sunday was Noah's actual birthday and we had a family dinner at Texas Rollhouse Roadhouse.

We've celebrated Noah's birthday for a few years now.

Here is the sweet birthday boy holding his littlest cousins.

And one final boy picture after dinner.  

 

Noah has changed a lot this past year. He is in second grade and loves

their new home because he is able to play outside all the time.

 

 

*He loves to have stuffed animals

*He in a protective brother

*He loves to be outside

*He is a pogo stick MASTER

*He loves having a smaller bike to do 'tricks' with

*He loves video games and TV

*He FIERCLY loves his friends at school

*He still doesn't eat very well

*His adult teeth finally seem to fit him.

*He loves ALFREDO cheese pizza

*He loves Nickelodeon

*He loves math

*He has struggled to feel adequate in art, but has recently pulled his grade

up and gained some confidence.

*He loves to wake up super early, get ready fast so that he can watch TV before school

*He loves getting up early with Ampa and getting breakfast or running errands as a pair.

*His love language is quality time.

*He is easily annoyed by his brother.

*He still loves to snuggle up on the couch or at a restaurant.

*He is the best skier in the family

*Girls L-O-V-E him

*He loves to make Connor smile.

*He loves playing backgammon with Ampa

*He can have a short temper sometimes

*He loves his family

*He loves to swim

*He has decided to be baptized soon

*He makes friends really easily and is super social

*Everywhere we go he knows someone from school

*He reminds me a lot of his Ampa

*His favorite sport is basketball and he was a star this year

*He was really into watching March Madness this year

*He loves having a playroom at their new house

He still loves a schedule and struggles with change.

*He loves a theme - Friday Family Fun night is special to him.

*He and his best friend wear matching shirts every Friday.

*He hates the last day of school and LOVES the first day of school.

*He is growing up so fast and definitely seems more socially aware lately

*He has the sweetest heart and he will always be my first baby.

Noah's Talk: Five

On Noah's 8th birthday. 

 

He told me,

"This morning, when I remembered it was my birthday, I felt taller."



Noah and a selfie stick

We went to Top Golf the other weekend and Noah asked for my Selfie Stick.

I think he got some hilarious pictures.

This is very "Noah" at his current age.

 

This is Noah's token silly face

 

One of my favorites

 

That eyebrow though.

 

Papparazzi

 

And I tried to make a collage of the most I could



 

Luttrell Grandchildren Picture 2015

My Mom and Dad are pretty difficult to shop for I came up with the genius idea to have pictures made of their 4 grandkids. I say this a lot, but in one years time they went from having one grandchild to having FOUR. Each of their three kids welcomed a child. Zay arrived to Leslie's home in March 2014, Turner showed up (in Peru) on Christmas Eve 2014, and Connor was born in January 2015. I think it was A LOT for Noah to handle, but it has been the best year! Every child brings such joy to the family. I just can't wait to see how many grandkids they end up having.

 

We attempted to do Jen's fall mini session, but Russell and Marie were out of town so I was thrilled when I saw that she was doing a Christmas one. It was $100 for a 30 minute session and 4 downloadable pictures. HELLO???? Sign me up! Can't beat that! We could order more pictures off her site or pay $15 for one we wanted the rights to. This was our favorite:

 

We took it first and it turned out so well. Connor was a little sleepy so he wasn't smiling too big, but Turner is MADE for the camera and Noah and Zay really did well too.

 

Here is the same picture in color.

 

The other group picture that I think turned out well too.

 

Russell and Marie wore the same dress code (black and red) and got a family picture too.

 

This is my second favorite picture of the day. Look how sweet those boys are! Its precious!

 

So I didn't think we would have time for the adults to be in the picture so we wore regular clothes, but then everyone wanted to and my clothes actually worked so Cecil took a jacket from his truck and put it over his yellow shirt for this family picture.

 

Can we go ahead and zoom in on how photogenic my three boys are? Makes me laugh every time.

 

This picture turned out really sweet too.

 

And this one is ridiculous, but Mom ended up really liking it when we showed her. Real life.

And Zay's face could not be cuter.

 

Precious

 

Then we got a couple Christmas themed ones. Connor was not really cooperating. gahhhh

 

Then our professional took over and showed Connor how it is done.

 

I mean look at her! Isn't she so cute. Her full open mouth smile is beautiful AND she will show it too you so easily.

 

Connor made time to give a little sympathy smile while he was playing with the rug.

 

I don't think Turner had one year old pictures taken so I zoomed in and made this one B&W to make it a little less Christmasy. Sweet girl. One year old already!

Here are a few behind the scene pictures. Auntie M love.

You should have seen how ridiculous we all looked trying to make all four kids genuinely smile. It was absurd! There were 6 adults calling their names acting silly.

 

 

Here are a few of the pictures I framed. The one on the left I gave to Leslie, the one on the right I have to Dad for his office.

As always we were really happy with how they turned out. It was the perfect present for Mom and Dad and for once they actually liked our gift.

Tinsel Dude the Elf - Two

Tinsel Dude has been up to his old antics - here is the latest:

 

On the 9th, he made a mess in Leslie's room (She is a NEAT FREAK and was "SO UPSET"). The boys couldn't believe it!! He brought them little pots from the dollar spot at Target.

 On the 10th, he made a snowman out of toilet paper rolls. 

 

Leslie went to Las Vegas for her birthday and Noah and Zay stayed with us Thursday night. Zay had a hard time going to sleep so I went to do the elf once and had to say, "I'm just getting a drink of water......do you want anything?'"

The boys slept in the living room and Tinsel Dude came to the front room (where I have them keep their bags so they are out of the way).

 

My idea was that we would make snowflakes like Tinsel dude out of popsicle sticks and then spray paint them and hang them up like this on our navy wall (I ordered gray, light blue, and medium blue spray paint).

This is how I left him after Zay finally fell asleep. The note reads:

 

Do you want to make snowflakes like me?

Love,

Tinsel Dude

 

 

On the 11the boys helped me get Connor ready and then when it was time for them to get ready I heard Noah yell "ZAY! THE ELF CAME!!!" Then they just stared at him like this all serious. They were kind of sleepy and then Noah slowly just picked up some Q-tips and started to make a snowflake.

 

Noah worked on his snowflake and they were ADAMANT that I not put Connor on the ground because he would touch Tinsel Dude and then he would lose his magic. So Zay came up with the idea that he move Tinsel Dude using the popsicle sticks 'he found' to the table. It was hilarious!!

 

I was in the kitchen and said, "Maybe we are supposed to make snowflakes with the sticks?" They were all "No! Just like him with the Q-tips" hahahahhah

I guess my plan didn't work out. oh well. We will make snowflakes next year..... 

 

It was so cute to casually listen to the boys discuss how he "Always writes a note" when he goes to a new place and wonder what he will do in the mountains. Childhood is the best.

 

Dad came in town to stay with the boys at their house Friday and Saturday night and I have to say I was a little worried if he would play along. I wrote out instructions and gave him supplies, but he just took his own spin on it. Which is perfect and fun.

 

On the 12th, he sent us this text saying: This crazy red elf showed up this morning and the boys will not let me spank it! What are we to do? Love you.

On the 13th, Tinsel Dude was hiding in their tree.  

 

Close up!

Side note: He is sitting on an ornament I gave Zay this year. It is a gold ball with 2014 written on it. The year that he joined our family. Noah has lots of ornaments and Zay didn't have many and I think he really appreciates having a couple special ones of his own on the tree.

 

On the 14th, Leslie was back in town and things got a little more creative again. This time Tinsel Dude wanted the boys to deliver cookies to their neighbors. Leslie said she let them take the cookies on their own and they were so excited as they came back each time to get a new box to take to the next neighbor. I really think they have blessed their new neighborhood with their presence.

 

Yesterday, Ampa took just Noah and Zay to the mountains so we might have some more 'hiding' coming up. hahahah