Happy Birthday, Luke!

Luke turned 13 yesterday (2 teenagers in the house now!), but we have actually been celebrating all weekend! Friday night we brought cookies-and-cream cheesecake squares and cookie dough truffles to Bible study (along with blonde brownies, which Caleb made all by himself, for those who don't care for dairy, LOL). The truffles were really good, although I had trouble dipping them, and they didn't look as neat as in the picture. I slightly overcooked the cheesecake bars. lthough they were good, Luke and I both agreed that we like chocolate cheesecake better!

Sunday afternoon, Rivendell took a field trip to Medieval Times. Bob took the oldest 6 kids, and various members of the other 4 Rivendell families (that actually live here!) also went. Bob said he should have told them to announce Luke's birthday in the middle of the show when such things were announced. Luke was very glad he had not thought of that earlier! Everyone was very happy when Rivendell was announced, though. Definitely a fun thing to do with good friends on a birthday weekend!

Luke went ahead and opened his presents Sunday night after they got back, since Bob is TDY this week. Here he and everyone else (note the medieval attire) are poring over this Sports Illustrated For Kids book of football top 10 lists that I found by browsing Amy's Amazon wish list. It has been a huge hit! Luke was also thrilled to get the Tim Tebow autobiography from Grandma and Grandpa. He and Nathan have been taking turns reading it. Dan and Melinda sent him a book called Boyhood and Beyond: Practical Wisdom on Becoming a Man. I've started reading it out loud to everyone at the dinner table because it has some really great lessons in it. Lots of good books!

Here is a puzzle of Neuschwanstein also from my parents that I'm sure we'll be starting as soon as we figure out a good place for us to work on it! "After Latin is over"--that seems to be my answer to just about everything right now! Bob and I went to this castle on our honeymoon, and I can't wait to put this puzzle on our wall downstairs in the basement!

On Luke's actual birthday yesterday we had his birthday dinner. He picked chicken packets. I made 20 of them (they're pretty large--each one is 2 crescent rolls pressed together), but we only had 3 left over, and after lunch today, those 3 are gone as well. And Bob wasn't even there! I can't make enough food for any sort of left-over meal!

So we had a lovely weekend celebrating Luke! We're so glad he's been in our family for 13 years, and we look forward to seeing how the Lord is going to use the gifts and talents He has given Luke as he grows up!