And the lion shall lie down with the
lamb . . . Happy Fall, everyone! Lydia and I had such a fun time dressing up in our costumes this year! Mom said I should mention that the actual Bible verse from Isaiah 11:6 reads, "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them." I hope we have brought a reminder of Christ's peace to you this season! Isaiah also says that I'll eat straw like an ox -- as you can see behind me, there was plenty of that at McLeod's Pumpkin Farm this year! We went on a hayride to pick pumpkins, played on the tractors, climbed on the hay stacks, and just had a great time! And that was just one of the fun things we got to do . . .

The Wednesday before Halloween, we had our annual Shamrock Baptist Church Fall Festival. There were so many cool activities! My favorite was the fishing station . . . I tossed my fishing line over the wall and when I pulled it back, there was candy on the hook. I like fish, but who would throw back a peanut butter cup? After we went around to everyone's car for trunk-or-treat, we visited our church friends' farm for a hayride through the woods! I held Lydia's hand so that she wouldn't be scared (and Dee-Da held my other hand so that I wouldn't be scared). I'll bet those cows and horses didn't expect to see a ferocious lion prowling around!

The night before Halloween, Dad, Mom, and our grandparents took us to Boo at the Zoo! There were lots of orange lights, candy stations, creatures to pet, kids in costumes, and sleepy zoo animals. There was even a marshmallow-roasting station, but Dee-Da had to help me hold the stick. I rode on the spooky train, the creepy carousel, and of course had my picture taken with the lion statue! Lydia's too small to do all of those big-kid things, so she spent her time watching and just being a cute little lamb. I hope we can go back to Boo at the Zoo again next year!

Our final candy-collecting event for the weekend was trick-or-treating in Grammy & Granddeddy's neighborhood. Granny & Gramps went, too (they all came as undercover lion tamers). Sometimes I let out a big roar when folks came to answer the door! By this time, Lydia & I had enough candy to last us for years to come . . . or at least until Christmas, anyway. Even with all of the fun and excitement, an even more memorable event happened on Sunday morning -- Lydia's baby dedication! I'm handing over the keyboard, so she should have another blog posted soon! (It takes her a little longer to type.)


With love,

Levi


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Milestone of the week: Went to my first movie in the theater, Astro Boy

Surprise! It's me, little sister Lydia! I've been asking Levi for a few weeks now if he felt like I was old enough yet to share a blog entry. Once I passed the bouncy-seat test and graduated into size 2 diapers, he said I was ready. I am so excited to be writing to you (and thrilled about typing on this neat toy with all the letters & numbers)! I have had so many fun and interesting experiences lately. . .

First, on the more "interesting" rather than fun side, I went to the doctor for my four month check-up. I weighed thirteen pounds and had grown almost 25 inches tall! The doctor said that I was a very long baby (I've learned that people say "long" instead of "tall" when you spend your life lying down rather than standing up), but Mom says she just hopes I outgrow her someday. While I was there, I had to get some yucky shots in my little legs, but I was happy with the nurse's choice of pink & yellow flowered band-aids. Levi was upset about my shots, too . . . he almost started crying and told Mom not to let them hurt me. But, Mom calmed him down and then the nurse gave him a sticker, too. Didn't God give me a great big brother?

On the "fun" side, I got to meet my great-aunt Monica for the very first time! She lives all the way across the country in California, so I was very excited that she was able to visit me! Monica is a nurse and works with little babies every day, so she is a really good baby-holder (I've learned that some folks just have the knack for it). Maybe someday soon I can fly on a big airplane to see where she lives and visit my great-uncle Ken. They also have some doggies that I'm sure are looking forward to licking me!

Over the past month, I've also had many wonderful times visiting with my grandparents, great-grandparents, cousins, and friends. Levi & I went to play with our good friend Sterling, and we got to meet her new baby sister. She's even littler than me! I know we will have lots of fun times in the future growing and playing together. I also have another new friend at church, baby Brooke. She's littler than me, too! I am so thankful for all of my baby friends, and big friends, too!

As each day goes by, I'm doing more and more new things. A few weeks ago while Mom was at work, I was lying on the sofa and decided to roll over for Dee-Da. I thought he might like that! It's harder to roll over in front of Mom, because that would mean she couldn't hold me (I really don't like being by myself very much). I can sit up with a little help, play with my toys, use my bouncy seat, and soon Mom's going to let me have my first bite of cereal. It sounds delicious! Watch out fruits and veggies, here I come!
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Love you bunches,
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Lydia
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Milestone of the week: Since I've already mentioned mine, I'll let everyone know that Levi can spell his first name (except the "v" sounds like "b")

Sittin' on the dock of the bay . . . Here I am just bummin' around at the pier on our trip to Garden City! We had a blast, even though God made Lydia's & my skin super-white and we couldn't stay out in the sun for very long. We took cool walks in the evening, watched lots of fireworks, played in the pool, swam in the ocean, and made sand castles! Mom was even brave enough to take me out onto the dark beach at night to light sparklers a few times. Her thumb got sore from clicking the lighter so many times, but I was willing to make the sacrifice. This was Lydia's first trip to the ocean, so I tried to set a few ground rules . . .

1) No eating sand.
2) Close your eyes when Mom puts the sunscreen on your face.
3) Only big boys get to drive the racecars in the arcade.
4) No pee-peeing in the pool.
5) Don't stick your head between the rails on the condo porch.
6) Never let go of Dee-Da's hand, even if you see a fun golf cart to climb into.
7) Nothing spoils a nice day like a diaper full of seashells.

Hopefully I helped to make Lydia's first trip a memorable one! I hope your vacation this year was fun, too. Now, where did I put my sunglasses?


I love you,
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Levi
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Milestone of the week: Started practicing with my first real left-handed golf club

Shamrock, we're
ready for lift-off . . . Vacation Bible School was out of this world! Our theme was
"Operation Space: A Close Encounter with God's Word", the new VBS curriculum from Answers in Genesis (http://www.answersingenesis.org/). We learned all about the authority of the Bible and what it tells us about God's universe! Each day we were in BASIC Training:
B - Book of Books
A - Absolute Authority
S - Salvation Story
I - Incredible Impact
C - Cadet Challenge
We had opening assembly each evening (with a visit from a talking robot, I might add), class time, snacks, crafts, recreation, and singing. I learned a lot of new songs, including "This Little Light of Mine" & "Zacchaeus Was a Wee Little Man", and I enjoyed belting them out during the closing program. Mom led the craft time and we made all sorts of things, like cadet clipboards, glow-in-the-dark cross necklaces, cosmic comets, and shiny robots! One of the Bible verses we practiced during the week was "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" from Psalm 119:105. That means that the Bible will always lead me in the right direction!

Do you know what can float, kick, and squirt a water gun all at the same time? Me! I have been invited to a lot of different friends' swimming pools lately, and I have become a real little fishy! As long as I have my life vest and floaties on, I can make my way through the water like a speedy motorboat. Even Lydia put on her new flowery swimsuit and got her toes wet! Maybe next year I can start taking swimming lessons so that I can dip and dive all by myself!


Love always,
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Levi
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Milestone of the week: Went for my very first sleepover to Kayden & Trapp's house

Showing Baby Lydia the ropes . . . the ropes on the hammock, that is! Teaching Lydia how to swing in the hammock is just one of the important play skills I plan to share with her. When she gets a little older, she can climb on the playset with me, run in the sprinkler, blow bubbles, and dig in the dirt! If she likes swinging the clubs as much as I do, then I can teach her how to play golf, too. It shouldn't be too hard . . . as you can see in the picture, I've already taught her how to wave!

Over the past few weeks, Mom & I have enjoyed hanging out at home taking care of the baby. She really likes to be held a lot, so Mom doesn't have any hands left to do much else! Lydia cries more than I did, but it's because her tummy hurts sometimes (Mom says that mine did, too, but I don't really remember that). I try to make her feel better by singing songs, saying the alphabet, and reading to her. She even smiles at me once in a while! She's really smart.

Even though we haven't been out-and-about as much, Lydia has already had her first trip to lots of fun places -- the public library, the zoo, the park, a baby shower, a wedding, church revival, and some doctor's appointments (well, I guess going to the doctor wasn't fun, but everything else was)! And, she gets to come with me to two birthday parties this weekend. I've really been having fun showing her off to everybody!

There's another big event that's been going on at our house recently . . . potty-training! Mom & Dad took me to pick out my very own big-boy underwear (3 pairs each of Batman & Cars) and I've been trying not to mess them up! It's really hard remembering to tell Mom before it's too late, but I'm working on it. And every time I use the big potty, I get to pick out a sticker. Hopefully I'll get the hang of it soon, so that the only one wearing a diaper is the baby!


Love,
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Levi
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Milestone of the week: Taking care of business, if you know what I mean

Rock-a-bye, baby sissy . . . Mom let me hold baby Lydia for the first time and she loved it! Well, I think so, anyway. I have learned to be very easy and gentle with her, and Mom showed me the soft place on her head that I'm not supposed to touch (because I tried to touch it already). She has teeny tiny toes and fingers -- they are so much smaller than mine! But, she makes messy diapers just like me, and she drinks milk just like me. She even gets baths, too! But, she doesn't have to brush her teeth because she doesn't have any.

All of my grandparents have been visiting with us and helping Mom with stuff around the house. While Granny was here, she helped me start sleeping in my very own big-boy bed! My new room is decorated with puppy dogs, and I have a really cool bedspread with doggies all over it. I guess that's why Meli thinks it's also her bed (Mom shoos her off daily). So for the past two weeks, I have slept all by myself in my very own room. I have to get up once in a while for milk; a kid just gets thirsty sometimes! Mom & Dad have told me how proud they are of me and what a good brother I've been. My next mission: conquering the big potty!


With love,
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Levi
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Milestone of the week: Sleeping in my big bed, but also working on dressing & undressing myself

Welcome, Baby Lydia! My new little sister is here to play with me! She was born on May 10th (Mother's Day) at 4:48 in the afternoon. She weighed 8 pounds, 8 ounces and was 21 inches long! She is really pretty and has a lot of hair. Mom says that I have been an excellent big brother so far . . . I think I'm going to like this new job!

I hope you enjoy the pictures . . . we'll post more in a few days!

Easter
Egg-stravaganza! It's a bird, it's a plane . . . no, it's Superman dying Easter eggs! Mom helped me mix the dye, and I helped her turn the eggs so they would be bright and colorful! Unfortunately, I was unable to use my super powers to clean up the full bowl of dye that I spilled on the kitchen rug. But, at least it was the yellow one.

I had so much fun celebrating Easter this year! We had our yearly Easter children's party at church (where I became a professional egg-and-spoon racer) and our yummy sunrise Easter breakfast on Sunday morning. At our party, we hunted for candy-filled eggs, won prizes, ate a hot dog lunch, and played lots of games with real eggs! I was having so much fun tossing one of my eggs into the air, until I accidentally let it land on my friend, Jessie's head. She was a little upset, but her mom told her it would make her hair shiny. After our breakfast on Sunday, we had a great time in children's church learning about Jesus and doing even more fun Easter activities.

After our church service, we drove all the way to Mimaw's house for a delicious Easter lunch. We had all sorts of good things to eat! I also got to hunt eggs with my cousins, play with my golf clubs, and do whatever else I could to keep Granny on her toes, since she was the one mostly watching after me. Did I mention that I also had a basket filled with Lightning McQueen stuff (I love the Cars movie) from the Easter bunny? Even though we always have a really great time with all the eggs, candy, and bunnies, Mom & Dad make sure that I remember the real reason we celebrate Easter . . . the tomb is empty and Jesus is risen! Yea!

Some of the other fun things I have been a part of lately are: playing on my brand new swing set, partying with Mimaw at her surprise 80th birthday party, our church revival with Dr. Jack (you can hear his sermons on our website at http://www.shamrockbaptistchurch.org/), going to the Columbia Children's Museum with Grammy, picking strawberries at McLeod Farms, making my first visit to the public library, and lots of doctor's appointments with Mom & Lydia. Mom & I have been working so hard to get ready for my baby sister that we've gotten a little behind on posting -- that, and also the fact that Mom has a hard time getting any good pictures of me anymore because I won't stand still -- but we will try to have lots of updates once Lydia is here. Today is Mom's due date, so please pray that very soon I will have a healthy, happy little sister!


Love you lots,
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Levi
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Milestone of the week: Got my very own public library card

Playground pande-
monium! My playset is finally complete! There are just a few finishing touches that Mom has left to do, but I have already been having a terrific time climbing, swinging, sliding, and hanging! I hope that I can have my church friends over soon to play on it with me. Mom and Dad worked really hard constructing my playset, so I'm going to take good care of it and stay extra safe.

I want to give Gee-Gee a special thank-you for buying it for me . . . I will enjoy this playground for years and years to come (and I might let Lydia play on it, too)!

More pictures and another post will be coming just as soon as Mom finishes constructing my new playset!

Hey, hey, we're the Monkeys! Dad calls these events the Levi Olympics -- I love swinging on the monkey bars! This picture was taken at my favorite park in Kershaw, but soon I'll have my very own playset in our yard! The big tractor trailer truck just delivered it, and as soon as we have it all set up, I'll post some more acrobatic shots. Gee-Gee knew just what I needed for Christmas!

For this blog post, Mom thought it would be fun to list some of my current favorite phrases. I usually spend most of the day talking or singing, and sometimes it makes everyone laugh (I'm not sure why). So, we thought we'd share some of "Levi's lingo" . . .

1) "That's amazing!" -- I can't help but notice amazing stuff sometimes!

2) "That was easy!" -- I usually make this comment after hitting a golf ball outside.

3) "I can be like you." -- I'll say this as I'm pulling up a chair to help Mom at the sink.

4) "Mmm . . . it's delicious!" -- Sometimes food is tasty, but sometimes it's delicious!

5) "It's Barack Obama." -- I said this for the first time during the news after the inauguration. Dad & Mom have no idea how I knew the president's name (his picture was on the screen, but his name had not been mentioned). What can I say? Sometimes I just know stuff.

6) "That's not interesting." -- Once in a while, I simply have to tell somebody.

7) "Do you want to play a game?" -- I love playing games! Mom played Hi-Ho, Cherry-O with me the other day & I won!

8) "No, ma'am, Meli!" -- I have to keep the puppy on her best behavior.

9) "I love you, too." -- My family always tells me they love me, so now I tell them back!

10) "Let's read about Jesus." -- My favorite stories to read are still out of my Bible books . . . I can't wait to read some on my own!


I love you,
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Levi
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Milestone of the week: Love to sort things by color . . . alphabet magnets, fruit gummies, etc.

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow . . . Can you believe it? The snow fell on us in Bethune! I'm told that this doesn't usually happen. We had a little bit last year, but it came in the middle of the night and was mostly melted by the time I woke up. But this year, Kershaw County was a winter wonderland! There were big shiny icicles hanging from our roof, snowflakes on the hammock, and my sandbox became a miniature ice skating rink. It was great!

Fortunately in all of this unusual weather, I had my trusty red wagon to pull everyone around in (well, Mom & Dad drove me around in it a time or two, also). We pulled it across the street and took some pictures of our snowy church and fellowship hall. We posted those on our website (http://www.shamrockbaptistchurch.org/), if you want to take a look! After I rode in the wagon and slid down the hill a few times, Mom asked if I wanted to build a snowman but my hands were freezing! So, we decided to come inside and enjoy some hot cream of chicken soup while we thawed out. Overall, it was a super fun day, and I was able to break in my light-up Spiderman snow boots!

By last weekend, the snow was long gone, but that meant it was time to see all of my grandfolks! I visited with Grammy on Friday while Mom was at her graduate class, and guess where we went? I'll give you some clues: it's outdoors, starts with a "z", and sometimes you have to watch where you step. That's right . . . the zoo! I talked with the animals, rode on the merry-go-round, and made "choo-choo" sounds on the train. I love visiting that place! On Saturday, Granny & Gramps came to see me and we played and played and played -- mostly at the park. Gramps helped me go down the big tube slide, climb on the ropes, and spiral down the fireman's pole. I was all tuckered out after that playdate! I'll be counting the days (since I can count to ten now) until they come to visit me again!


Love always,
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Levi
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Milestone of the week: Other than playing in the snow for the first time, I helped Dad & Mom finally decide on my baby sissy's name, Lydia Eden

Watching the ball drop in 2009 . . . the bowling ball, that is! During the week of New Year's, we went to the beach, and I got to go bowling for the very first time! Dad & I had lots of fun, except for when I went running down the lane and he had to chase after me. I didn't know how slippery it was, and we both ended up on our bottoms! Mom was laughing so hard that she couldn't get the camera out fast enough, so we don't have that magical moment captured on film. I didn't get any strikes, but I knocked over lots of pins. I hope we can go back and play again soon, now that my arm's all warmed up!

I had a super time over the holidays this year, and I really enjoyed looking at all of the Christmas lights. Not only because they are bright & shiny, but because they remind me that Jesus is the Light of the world! One tiny Christmas light can be seen from far away . . . I want to be a little light like that so other people can see Jesus in me! One place we went to see some beautiful lights was to the Tanglewood Festival of Lights in Winston. I have never ever seen so many lights! We had to wait in line for a really long time, but it was worth it! There were lights shaped like snowflakes, stars, reindeer, candles, and much more. And best of all, there was a real train all decorated in bright lights -- I wanted to ride so bad I could hardly stand it! But Mom said we had to stay in the car. Maybe if we get to go again next year, you could come with us!

Did you have a wonderful Christmas & a Happy New Year? I hope so! I would love to hear some of your holiday stories if you have time to leave a comment or message! My New Year's resolution is to work really hard to use the big potty so that when my baby sister comes, Mom won't have to change as many diapers. I'm getting to be a big boy now, you know!


Happy New Year,
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Levi
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Milestone of the week: Decided to be helpful & started climbing into the carseat on my own