Katey: I love Joshua because he lets me sleep during his spotlight. (Sounded suspiciously like Jacob’s voice.)

Jacob: I love Josh because…

Daddy: Because he lets me sleep through his spotlight…

Jacob: No! I love Josh because he has a very smart mind and disgusting, realistic sound effects.

Daddy: *singing* (serenading Meri and describing her actions.) I closed my eyes, drew back the curtain, ah-a-ah, and found a binky. Even though it’s not mine. Then I stomped on my sleeping sister to see if I could wake her… for my brother’s spotlight.

You can call me the lyrical gangsta.

(I promise – none of this is made up. 😉 )

Caleb: I love Joshua because he does the spotlight at nighttime. And I love Josh because he makes cookies.

Josh: I roll over him like a rolling pin and tickle him like I’m putting sprinkles on.

Caleb: And then he puts me in an oven and eats me! …and he makes burritos.

Me: What’s a burrito? (thinking it’s something like making cookies…)

Caleb: You know… things on a tortilla.

Andrew: I love Josh because he trades Legos with me.

Autumn: I have mine! And no one’s taken it!!! He reads stories to the girls when Mom and Dad are gone. Sometimes he makes up stories too.

Jacob: Tell them the height of your story-telling career.

Joshua: Foo-Foo the Bunny Rabbit with his magical death lazer. The good guy in the story is Professor Fluffernut and his invisibility cloak of epicness.

Daddy: I love Josh because he is one of the few people that is brave enough to tickle me back and it gives me a great reason to tickle him mercilessly.

Mommy: Joshua is so sweet to his little brothers and sisters. As his big brother is getting older and more involved in activities Joshua has stepped up to help with babysitting, a few extra chores and is my food sampler in the kitchen. Practically helpful in every way.

Meri affectionately calls him J.J., Joshua is such a good friend, has a big heart and a head full of ideas. Fun ones. So thankful to have this fun-lovin’ young man in our family!!

Lesson: Jacob’s award-winning essay and discussion
Treat: Surprise!
(in other words – thinking on whether we should bust out the ice cream or dig into the emergency stash of Dove chocolate)

Jacob:  I hope it hasn’t been too hard for you to think about something good about me…

Andrew: I want to go first.

Daddy: Andrew is prepared with the opening salvo.

Daddy: Caleb! Stop throwing it in the air. Put in on the floor please. (purple frisbee dot thing)

Drewby: I like Jacob because he lets us play with his Legos.

Jacob: My private collection is awesome – with many specific pieces.

Caleb: I kinda broke my castle.

Daddy: Can you build it again? Jacob, are you reading over there?

Autumn: He is also a really great babysitter. And he’s very responsible. Responsible enough to stay up.

Josh: I like Jacob because he plays Pokemon cards. Pokemon cards rule!

Daddy: Joshua, close the book please.

Jacob: I like me because I am one with myself. I forgot the word that means multiple personalities… schizzlefriznick??

Daddy:  Schizzle reminds me of Scrubs. Fo’schizzle!

Jacob: Whenever I hear schizzle I think of bacon, because it sounds like sizzle.

Mommy: I love that Jacob is such a good learner. And he remembers things.  Last night he told us all about the fireside he went to. There were sound effects, and actions, and scripture stories… He even remembered the Stake President’s jokes and all the treat toppings.

Jacob: Well, that’s obvious. Even a kid with a bad memory would remember treat toppings.

Mommy: And Jacob shared all the information with us. I loved it.  He also applies the lessons he learns and that might be the best part of all. Such a wonderful young man.

Daddy: I love Jacob because he has brown hair. And I love Jacob’s finely tuned sense of humor and sarcasm.

Mommy: Josh put away the book. (a different one…)

Daddy: There is such a thing as too much reading!

Josh: No, there’s not.

Daddy: You’re right. There is a time when it’s inappropriate to read. This is one of those times.

Caleb: I love Jacob because he helps me make Lego things. Heh Heh. And he makes toys for meeeeee! and Katey too.

Katey: I’m trying to decide.  All I can think of is Legos.

Daddy: What does Jacob do that you like?

Katey: He plays with me. He plays for me too.

Jacob: With my clarinet.

Katey: Yep!!

We love our super handsome young man that is full of fun and so considerate of all of us. He has a special relationship with Meri. When he gets home from school each day she goes running to him squealing and saying “Jaaa-cob!” It was one of her first words and she adores him. We all do.

Lesson: Testimony Glove

Treat: Spring Popcorn

Daddy:  Who would like to start?

*All hands raised* – They know how to make a girl feel loved.

Daddy:  Now remember the rules – you need to stand on your head, plug your nose and tell Mom why you love her.

Josh:  *while standing on his head & plugging his nose* I love Mom because she does these spotlights and if she didn’t do it, our Family Home Evening spotlights would never exist. Or her blog.

Jacob: So, we’re going to actually go through with this? Okay… (also standing on head and plugging nose) You cook all our food and make our lives such a wonderful thing. I also love you for all the love you give us. And you have lots of patience.

Drewby: Mom, can I sit by you until Dad returns? (Dad’s taking a photo upon my request.)

Autumn: I like Mom because she makes really good treats. She bakes really good tasty things. She is always taking pictures and is creative.

Drewby: Ummmmm… I love you for all the stuff you do for us.

Caleb: Now it’s my turn! I love Mom because she makes the best food. Heee hee hah hee. And the best day is my medicine. (He has antibiotics he’s taking right now and the last few days he has rocked them.  A beautiful, welcome contrast to the first few days.)

Daddy: I love you Becky because you are the shoulder I can cry on, you’re the grave I want to die on… just kidding. It’s a good thing I have edit powers on your blog.

Caleb: What animal makes two sounds?

Daddy: Rawwrr and Oink Oink (thinking Caleb asked him to make two animal sounds…)

Caleb: A humpback whale. There are lots of humpback whales in real life. They are big. This big. And they live in lots of water. Now this is really tricky – what says woockcht woockcht woockcht?

Daddy: A pig?

Caleb: You got it!! (Not sure how he got that one…) What says mooooo?

Daddy: Cow?

Caleb: Yes! And what says shine shine shine?

Daddy: ???

Caleb: The Sun!

Daddy:  Alright Katey – it’s your turn. What do you love about Mommy the most?

Katey: What??!? I thought we were doing scriptures.

Daddy: Go ahead. Mommy’s waiting.

Katey: I can’t think of anything… Oh, Daddy I’m ready. I love Mommy because she makes food. If we didn’t have Mom she couldn’t make the food. Only you could Dad!

Daddy: That would be tragic.

Drewby: If we didn’t have Mom, we wouldn’t even be born. (The deep thinker…)

Daddy: Everyone listen up! This is going to be epic.

Katey:  Wait. wait. I want to do another one. I wasn’t finished.

Daddy: *sigh* go ahead.

Katey: I also love mom… because yeah. I’ve got to think of something… Well, *lip smacks*, …um… uh… *pant* *pant* what I like about mom is that… uh… what does she do? I’ve got to think of something… But I don’t know one. Awww… I’m not finished.

Daddy: Katey, you don’t have one…

Katey: Yes I do. I love mom because she gives us hugs and kisses. (Good one.)

Daddy: I love mommy because when she has very little time to do things that she would like to do she gives up that time to do things for us. She doesn’t get to read as much as she wants, or ride her bike as much as she likes because she gives up her time to do things for you. She does the same thing for me too.

Autumn: Is that it?

Daddy: No. If this is the longest spotlight ever I need to think of something else to say. And mom always makes birthdays epic. Good thing mine’s tomorrow… nudge, nudge. (no pressure)

Autumn: I’m pretty sure you’re done – right dad?

Daddy: I’m just getting started…

The end.

Dessert: Apple Pie Cake

Daddy:  I love me because… oh, okay – Mommy can start.

Mommy:  Daddy rocks the treats for Family Home Evening.  Tonight it was all about the yummy theater popcorn.  He even acquired the popcorn maker this evening.  He has big plans to grow Glass Gem Corn for popping.  Beautiful!  Also, for a few days now Jim Bob has been playing Letterpress with the kiddos.  They all love playing together – and I’ve heard him comment that he loves having smart children that play well together. {And in true geeky form – I have no less than 4 links for this man of ours we love!}

Jacob:  I love that Dad takes time to play with his kids. Whether digital or physical.

Josh:  I like Dad’s ideas. The bright ones and the not-so-bright ones. One bright one was having me steer the car today while Dad pushed.  The other one is to put up a railing in the loft in the treehouse so we don’t fall off.

Autumn:  I like Dad because he’s always smiling and he likes to wear hats a lot. And I like about Dad because he always likes to make us laugh and I like that part about him a lot.

Andrew:  Dad is so nice. He shares his stuff with us.

Josh:  Like power tools!

Jacob:  And belly button lint!

Andrew:  No – hahahhaa *giggle* – his popcorn and things he buys.

Katey:  I love Dad because he cooks food for me.  For the family.

{Dad makes breakfast almost every single morning.  It’s wondrous! He “magically transforms oats into oatmeal” – his words.  He also magically transforms bread into toast.}

Caleb:  My best part of Daddy is doing Pledge of Allegiance with us. And my other favorite part is Meri drooling on a car outside. {??}

Katey:  I’m not done. Well, um…

Caleb:  Rock faster Daddy.

Katey:  And I like Daddy because he paid for this house.  Because if he didn’t buy the house we would just be outside.

Caleb:  In the treehouse. And we’d get rained on.

So thankful for our house-buying, popcorn-providing, game-playing, laugh-inducing, breakfast-making man! What a catch for us all!  🙂