Lucas John

My baby boy turned 17 this week. I can't believe he will be starting his senior year of school. Let me tell you a little bit about my son. There were so many signs (even before his birth) of what kind of boy he would be. While I was pregnant with him, the doctors told me that he was a twin. Sadly, I miscarried one of them. Luke's reason for this is that he was so hungry, he ate the twin!!

We also knew that he would be extremely devoted to baseball. Luke's due date was July 11. Joey was a bit panicked because the All Star game was scheduled for July 13 that year. We made it through the due date with no signs of his arrival. I had a doctor's appointment on the 13th and he told me he was pretty sure I would deliver that evening. All Star game would just have to be missed that year. But, being the baseball lover he is, I made it all the way through the game thinking the doctor had been mistaken. The game had been over MAYBE 10 minutes, and I went into labor. I kid you not!! He was definitely Joey Hicks' son!!





Luke was born in 1993, the year of the unbelivable floods!! Of course, it began to storm when we reached the hospital. The electricity went out and the generators kicked in. It seemed like that storm was ushering in my own little storm. After a few medical problems, Luke arrived at 4:47 a.m. on July 14th. 8 lbs and 6 oz ~~ 22" long. Pretty big boy for a mom who was 5'2".

Mallory was mad at me for about 3 weeks after I brought her brother home. This disgust showed up every now and then for their 15 years together!!

Luke was lucky enough to be born after my dad retired. My mom kept Luke until he was two years old. This created an unbreakable bond between Luke and my parents, especially my dad. He followed him everywhere. I was afraid if Dad stopped walking quickly, Luke would end up crammed up a certain orafice of Dad's. He learned farming, hunting, repairs, (really anything you name) from my Dad. I honestly feel the loss of Dad in 2009 devasted Luke almost more than the loss of his sister. Dad was his hero. He patterned his life from Dad's. All of his teachers told me all Luke talked about was his grandpa. And I see a lot of Dad coming out in Luke.






Luke started going to school at North County. He made tons of good friends and did well in school (as long as he applied himself!!) He felt the real reasons to go to school were the socialization and sports. He could talk non-stop and still hear every word the teacher said. It drove them crazy!! After his freshman year, I got a teaching position at Central, and for a few pretty good reasons, Luke decided to go to Central with me. It was a decision that has worked out amazingly well. He has a group of tight-knit friends that are incredibly loyal and just really good boys!!




Luke has so much love and devotion to his family. He is very fortunate to have a bunch of cousins!! There are 6 boys and 2 girls and he is close to all of them. He has always had so much admiration for his older cousin, Andrew. This past June, Luke was a groomsman in Andrew's wedding. Luke was so honored to be asked. And an even greater benefit was escorting his oldest cousin, Staci. They were adorable together!!






Luke has always loved sports. When he was just a little over a year old, he got a baseball glove for Christmas. It was the first present he opened, and then refused to open any more. He walked around with his glove the rest of the morning. Mallory got to open the rest of his presents for him. He plays football, basketball, and baseball. I would say baseball is his favorite, but it usually changes, depending on what he's playing at the time.




I am very happy to say that Luke has always had a strong belief in God. He was saved when he was only 6 or 7 years old. I remember crying as he and I walked down to the alter at church. I was so proud and relieved that both of my kids had made this decision. After the loss of Mal and Dad, his faith has grown even more. He knows he'll be with both of them again. I'm also happy to say he has a girlfriend who is just as faithful in her Christian walk. Briley has been so much fun to have around. She is a great girl and she makes Luke happy!!



For his 17th birthday, he had quite the crew to the house to swim and just hang out. I loved having them fill the backyard. There were so many different things going on, it was impossible to keep up with.

Today, he had some of his senior pictures taken. It was bittersweet. The pictures are amazing. (I've included the link below if you want to see them!!) But I can't help but worry that he'll make it through his senior year. Joey always assures me that I don't have a curse on me that my children won't ever graduate. I just remember doing all of these thing with Mal and I guess I took them for granted. With Luke, it seems like I savor every moment. Every minute I have with him is so precious. I understand, now, why God gave him this crazy and adorable personality. God knew that I would need a son exactly like him to help me when Mal was taken to heaven. Luke keeps me going and gives me a reason to look forward to my future. As his Gram puts it, "Luke fills up a room when he comes in." And it's true. I don't know that he really understands how important he is to me. Sure, he can make me want to pull my hair out, and his, but I would honestly be lost without him.

There's no promise that any of us have tomorrow. Believe me, I know this. I just pray that God will let Luke have a long, happy, adult life. And I can't wait to see what kind of grandkids he'll give us!!








Senior pictures taken by Dustin Jenkerson. www.mjphotography.smugmug.com