Andrew:  I like Joshua because he is always caring for Meri.

Katey:  I love him because he plays with me.

Josh:  I do.

Caleb:  Um, I love Meri.

Daddy:  We’ll do Meri a different night.

Caleb:  Big, big horse.  (reading)

Daddy:  Why do you love Joshua?

Caleb:  Josh loves horseys.  Look at these orange ones!

Josh:  Remember the time our neighbor got picked up from scouts at the church by his brother on a horse?  I got to ride it that day – he even let me be on the front.

(What I remember is the horse dropping a whole load right by the front steps of the church.  The encore for scouts that day was learning how to clean horse apples off of cement.)

Daddy:  Josh always has a big hug if you need it.

Jacob:  And sometimes if you don’t need one.

*hug fest happening*  – except for Autumn who is roller skating through the living room – headed to putting them away after being told to do so.

Mommy:  Josh has a huge smile and likes to make others smile too.  Why just today at scouts we had chocolate cupcakes.  After the boys were done eating they all had messy mugs and Tana thought it would be great to get a photo of them.  We grouped them all up and Josh took an extra cupcake he was given and smashed it all over his face.  Well, not all over – just from the base of his eyes to his chin.  He got lots of smiles with that one.

Josh:  Okay, who needs a hug?

Andrew:  I do!

*another hug fest*

Jacob:  Joshua has a loud, strong laugh.

Andrew:  Do the belly worm Josh.

Autumn:  I like Josh because he likes entertainment and because he’s good at doing entertainment.  He also has a super huge smile.

We love our Josh.  He seriously has multiple funny bones, loves a good laugh and to make others smile too.  He reads lots, loves running around outside playing imaginary games and eats like a horse.  He also enjoys riding them.

Josh:  Free hugs for everyone…

Joshua:  What I like about Jacob is that he’s always there to give me Harry Potter trivia.  It’s helpful when I’m frustrated.

Autumn:  He’s always willing to help and he’s really good at babysitting.

Katey Belle:  Jacob watches me while you guys are gone.  He puts me to bed and gives me milk.  That’s it.  That’s all I’ve got.

Caleb:  Milk.  Me too!  And watch a movie, mama.  We watch a movie.  And turn off the light when we go to bed.  I think I love Jacob.

Mommy:  Jacob is a fast learner.  He is growing up so fast and gets more capable by the day.  He learned how to cook bacon on a camp-out last month and cooked some up for dinner tonight.  He rocked it.  It was the best bacon I have ever had.

Andrew:  Jacob is a cook.  He cooked the best bacon in my life.  He’s a cook like Mommy and Tana (our neighbor that caters weddings and sends over leftovers – we love her.)

Meri:  Burp  *umph* uuuhh  (she’s got gas, sweet thing)

Daddy:  I like Jacob’s sense of humor.  It’s on the dry side.

Jacob:  What does that mean?

Joshua:  It means you don’t have very much of a sense of humor.  Otherwise it would be juicy.

Daddy:  No.  It’s a little bit dry and a little bit sarcastic and a lot funny.  You have to think for just a second and then *heh heh* I get it.  That’s funny.

Jacob:  Does that mean I’m slow witted?

Daddy:  No – it means you’re quick witted.  And you’re not one to laugh loudly at your own jokes.

We love Jacob.  He’s a sweetheart and fun lovin’.  He’s always willing to help and is always asking what I need.  He is loved lots by his siblings and a voracious reader.  Crazy voracious.

Bacon?