Andrew: I love grandma because she lets us come over to her house every Sunday.

Josh: I love it when grandma lets us come over to her house when mom and dad go on a trip or have a baby.

Autumn: I like grandma because she likes to bring dinners to us and she’s really super-upper-duper nice.

Jacob: I love grandma because of all the many times she has helped, like babysitting.

Caleb: I like to say prayer with grandma.

Katelyn: Well, I love her because we have lunch at her house.

Becky: I love that grandma helps teach our kids, especially right after church when they are telling her about all their primary lessons and she simply bears testimony and gives them lots of attention.  She helps teach them… and us!

Jim Bob: I love my mom because she has buckets of love for all of us, not just a little for each one.

Obviously – we’re throughly spoiled by Grandma and thankful she lives nearby.  You never know what life might bring – so she says she wants to take advantage now.  We’re grateful.  We also love that she came to visit for Family Home Evening and was our guest spotlight.  It was a few weeks ago and I remembered this draft today.  Why?  Because our home is quiet – it’s Sunday afternoon and the little ones are at Grandma’s.  😉

Here she is – with her daughter Mary Elizabeth (Liz to most 🙂 ) and Meri.  Three Mary (Meri’s) all together… love.

p.s.  She really is super-uper-duper nice.  🙂

Daddy:  I love Meri Jane’s absolutely contagious smiles, her adorable talking and her adoring eyes.

Joshua:  Dad, you took mine.

Caleb:  I like Meri Jane. (all musical-like)

Andrew:  I like Meri Jane because she was loving me tonight.  She was like this:  *big happy open mouth and blink eyes*.  Then she opened her mouth a couple times and then closed it and then a like a couple seconds later she opened and closed it again.

Autumn:  She is sooo cute and drools.  Yeah.  I don’t know why it’s so cute.

Joshua:  She took mine…  again!

Jacob:  I love Meri’s playful, happy attitude.  And the sense of wonder that she has.

Joshua:  Meri has cute pajamas.  And also I like Meri’s little purple binky.

Caleb:  Some monkeys!  Some monkeys on Meri!!  Monkeys on her jammies.

Mommy:  Meri has charmed us all… and continues to do so.  She coos so sweetly and has a sweet, loving disposition.  She kicks her legs when she’s excited and moves her arms in circles – it’s really cute.

(Katey is napping.  She would say “Meri is so cute.  She is the perfect sister for me.”  Better than any doll.)

Katey (just came out to join us for FHE):  Meri always tells me cute little jokes.

Daddy:  Caleb, I love you because you are such a good talker.  You talk really, really good and say cute things.  You are fun to listen to.

Who wants to go next?  Caleb:  ME!!!

Andrew:  I like Caleb because he is so cute.

Caleb:  I kiss Jacob.  I want to kiss you.

Joshua:  He is so creative with drawing.  I remember once coming home and seeing one of Caleb’s paintings.  It had a line of green and a squiggle of yellow and a blotch of blue – it was so creative.

Jacob:  I love Caleb because he is so playful.

Caleb:  I burped!  (I think he likes being the center of attention.)

Katey:  I love him because he is always drawing and playing with me and Andrew.  That’s all I love about him.

Caleb:  Everyone loves me.  It’s good.  And Autumn.

Autumn:  Caleb is so cute and has sparkly eyes.

Caleb:  I have eyes.  I have two eyes.  Katey has two eyes.  And Duke!  Duke has eyes.

Mommy:  Caleb is so sweet and a good explorer.  He loves Meri and calls her “Meri Jane”.  He even corrects people when they don’t.  He is also very good at giving high fives (Big Fives he calls them and they have to be dead on or they must be done again) and knuckles and booms.

Meri:  Uh, Uh, Uh  (fuss, fuss – “my tummy doesn’t feel right”)  *yawn* (“I’m tired.”)

Caleb:  I’m awake!  I not go to sleep.

Daddy:  I love that Katey is always dancing – flitting around on her tippy toes, leaping around and twirling… she is our little ballerina princess.

Mommy:  Katey adores her little sister Meri.  She is always watching out for her and making sure she is happy.  Katey shares her special pink blankie and favorite doll with Meri all the time.  She even leaves them with her overnight.

Jacob:  What I love about Katey is that she is so playful – running around and being active.  She is always trying to have a lot of fun.

Joshua:  Katey is always willing to let me read her bedtime stories when Jacob is babysitting.

Katey:  It’s your turn Autumn… what do you like about mmeeeee?

Autumn:  I love that Katey is always smiling.  She shows her bright shiny teeth.

Andrew:  I love Andrew.  oh… *head shake*.   I love Katey because she always plays games with me.

Caleb:  I LOOOVE Katey!

Daddy:  Why do you love Katey?

(*Katey whispering in Caleb’s ear.* – Later we found out she was telling him that he loves her – no specifics sadly.)

Daddy:  I’m sure Meri loves you because you share with her… and someday you will teach her all about being a girl.

*moving on*

Katey:  Daddy!!  I didn’t tell mine.

Daddy:  okay…

Katey:  What I love about Meri is that she kicks my hands with her feet.

Katey:  I like when Andrew says “good-bye” to me when he goes to work.  He was pretending and I was pretending to make lunch for him.  I like when he plays with me.

Autumn:  I like when Andrew is willing to help – when he comes along with me to sell cookies and cookie dough (school fundraiser time).  {They are a very cute sales couple.}

Joshua:  I like that whenever Nathan comes over, the three of us always want to play pirates.  Magician pirates, ghost pirates, skeleton pirates, any kind of pirates… even spy pirates.

Jacob:  Andrew likes pretend gun fights.  Nobody gets hit because we have bad aims.  Andrew used to always call bananas, banana boomers.  I’m glad that he is always willing to play if I need to play with someone.

Mommy:  Drewby-do is an excellent reader.  His comprehension is amazing too.  When we do reading lessons he can tell me all about the story before I even start asking the questions.  He also rocks the dishes.  Daddy:  I love how throughly entertaining Andrew is – all the things he says and does and the funny faces he makes.  His quips and quick wit.

Andrew:  I love how fast I run.  (He says as he demonstrates and then proceeds to suck on his big toe – ??)

We love our multi-talented, fun-lovin’ boy – and my best twitter material at the moment.  😉

Daddy: Autumn Michelle – I love you because when you offer to help someone you are so good to do it quickly and cheerfully. When you decide to help someone you do it with all your heart.

Jacob: I love Autumn because she has so much energy and enthusiasm.

Autumn: Do you want to see how fast I can run?

Daddy: Um, no. I want you to sit nicely and take in all the good things being said.

Andrew: Because she trades candy a lot. (The fair parade was last Saturday.)

Caleb: Sister, seeeeester! (He loves his sister and loves to say sister too. When he says his nighttime prayer, he always gets distracted when he starts talking about his sisters.). *big squeeze hugs and a huge mmmmmuah!!*

Autumn: I am very talented! I can do back bends and cartwheels!!

Josh: I love Autumn because she trades candy with me.

Mommy: I too am thankful for Autumn’s help around the house. One day she cleaned the table three times for me. She’s good at cheering up her brother and sister. She was a huge help at the fair booth. She would pass out stickers and talk about the books and was such a big help. I love Autumn. She’s my oldest girlie!