Yesterday June 26th was my nephew Lucas Tyler's first birthday.  In my family we do the whole shabang.  Your own cake, aunts, uncles, cousins, 2nd cousins, great grandparents, parents best friends from high school...etc.  So far LT can say a few words vaguely like 'mom' 'dad' and 'cow'..  well last night when he was eating and Evan (my brother) would walk away to get more food or a napkin or something, LT would literally cry because HE was not done eating yet.lol  So when Evan got up and snuck over and gave him some more of what was on my plate, as I normally do.  It's not out of the ordinary for me to spoil him.  When LT was born I wouldn't hold him.  I had never held him until he was about 8 or 9 months.  I was so scared.  Well to continue, he was opening presents and he got to the one I got him.  Before Ali (his mother, my sister-n-law) could tell him who it was from he yelled out really loud "HIM!" and pointed at me.  I was sitting behind my brother Logan at the time.  Log lives like 6 blocks from them and sees him a lot more than i get to so I just assumed he was pointing at him.  Log continued to say things like 'Hi Lukey!' and little tid-bits like such, but LT wanted nothing to do with him this time.  LT screamed really loud what resembled "No! caca!"  ..and he wouldn't stop yelling until I went up there.  Out of nowhere he started spitting out words like 'pull' because he wanted me to pull the wrapping paper, and 'pwease', and when he saw what it was he yelled in the highest pitch yet 'spidaman!'.  It wasn't until about an hour later when I had sat down with Evan and we were talking about it that Evan had informed me that he never talks that much or with those many words.  LT can get a good 3 or 4 steps in a row now trying to walk.  I was sitting there with Evan when I felt this tug on my shorts from my back side.  LT had walked about 10-15 steps from my neice Emma's playhouse where everyone else was playing.  Everybody was so excited for him.  The next thing you know LT is looking up at me saying 'up up'. so I picked him up and he buried his head in my chest staring at Evan. I kissed Luke on the top of the head and his response was 'i wuv u'.  I started tearin up pretty good about then...

I've been through a bit of a rough patch recently and I apologize to the people i've hurt if I have.  Family hasn't always been my strong point and things like last night show me what GOD made family for.  To lift us up when we're feeling down.  I'm typically really good about masking my feelings and emotions when I really want to.  But not to this one year old little boy who made me day, my week, and so far i'd say my year.  My Baby LT is my inspiration to believe and to proceed.  Don't underestimate the power of love guys.  GOD Bless         -Whit (<3)