Jacob:  I love him because he goes to work and gets what we need for us and he is CUTE.

{laughter ensues from all the children}

Daddy:  heh heh heh, Okay?!??

Katey:  I love Daddy Cakes.  Birthday cakes for my birthday.  Cakes for my party.  You get me milk?

Joshua:  I like that daddy takes out the mouses.  {We have caught 15 in the last 2 weeks.  Yikes!  Daddy is the softy that bought a dozen live traps and releases them in the back field.  After much experimentation the mice seem to prefer croutons although we even caught one in an empty trap that had been washed and left out on the counter.}

Andrew:  I love daddy because he took us fishing on Saturday.  I want to get a big one.

Autumn:  I love Dad because he gives me hugs at night and tells me he loves me and I like that he gives me hold yous.  And I like that he gives me kisses.  I love him forever.

Mommy:  Our daddy is obviously a silly one.  He’s also a loving, caring, sweetheart-of-a-man.  Listening to the comments just proves he knows how to take care of all of us.  Not an easy feat with a large family.  Tickles for some, reading a book to another, high-tolerance for silly jokes, hand-held walking and shoulder rides for a little one, drawing request after request, snuggles for our cuddly tiny one, late night discussions over a concern at school, a bottle of Simply Lemonade showing up in the fridge, a listening ear and a whole lot of love.  I love that he’s always willing to make our lives a little happier.  And he does.

From the archives.  🙂  This was back in March, but I realized I hadn’t posted it yet.  We went to visit Grandma Wilson for a Family Home Evening.  She is so sweet and gracious.  We asked her if we could come, teach a lesson and bring treats.  She insisted on making us dinner.  While there we spotlighted her.

Autumn:  I love when she makes dinner for us.  (Tonight we had a yummy corn dog, pickle, olives, and Sun Chips.  yuuuummmm!)

Andrew:  She gives me papers to draw on.

Jacob:  I love that she has a lot of fun stuff for us to do:  stamps, Lincoln Logs, drawing…

Joshua:  She has Nickolodeon.  We watched it a lot while you were gone.  (Daddy:  Believe me, I used to watch it when I was about your age at Grandma’s)

Katey:  I love you.

Mommy:  I love that Grandma tells me all the time that she thinks our children are so smart and handsome/beautiful.  I love that.  And she tells wonderful stories.

Daddy:  I love Grandma’s witty wisdom. When you live 92 years you have a lot of experience under your belt. When you can share the good things and laugh about the rough parts, that’s a great perspective on life.

We love our sweet, faith-filled, spunky, kind, dark chocolate-loving (and sharing!), sweetheart of a Grandma.

Our four-year-old little man has so many fun nicknames. Definitely the most of anyone in our family. My favorites that have stuck are Drewby and Andy-roo.

Joshua – Andrew likes to play Tronthon with me. (2 weeks later and going strong!)

Autumn – I like that Andrew likes to help other people. He helps Caleb when he fusses.

(Andrew interjects that he gives Caleb his binky and that it works well.)

Katey Belle – On the chair. Andrew is on the chair. And Daddy is on a chair too.

Caleb – Andrew makes me laugh and smile. (as translated by Autumn)

Daddy – I love Andrew’s copious vocabulary and the funny way he uses words.

Mommy – I love how thoughtful and imaginative Andrew is. He is always making me smile or giggle. Come to think of it, he is always smiling or giggling too.

Jacob – He is the cutest little fire-ball of energy ever.

If Drewby could do anything for one day it would to clean his bedroom. (Daddy: really? Anything? You could go to the moon and you want to clean your bedroom? Andrew: Yup!) Today he cleaned his room and was a “gopher”. Jacob had him slide under the bed and pull everything out. Obviously they had fun. 😉 Andy-roo’s favorite dessert is lemon cake with lemon frosting. “And on top, . . . . a cherry on top. A frosting cherry! A big fat cherry!!”

*coming to you from the treehouse*  sweet!

Katey Belle:  I love Joshua.  Yes!

Daddy:  Daddy loves Joshua because he is so funny.  Whenever I turn around he is upside down.  On his bed, against the wall, anywhere . . .   in a handstand.  He is also always willing to say a prayer or to do little chores that need to be done – let the dog in or whatever.

Autumn:  I love about Josh that he likes to help others.  He gives me piggy backs and I love that he gives me hugs and kisses.

Jacob:  I love Josh because he likes to wrestle me a lot and he always has a big smile on his face when I say that.  I wonder why he does that?

Andrew:  I love Joshua because he plays games with me.  Two games!  Ninja and Tronthan (made up by Josh).

Mommy:  Josh is super sweet to everyone and shares all the time.  He shares food and ideas and his time with his brothers and sisters.  He is also a good reader.

If Josh was a flavor of ice cream he would be cookies and cream, because it is his favorite.  One of his favorite primary songs is “Scripture Power”  and his favorite other song is the Diego theme song.

p.s.  “Tronthan is really simple.  It’s super easy.  You pretend you’re like weird creatures.  You have to find pencils to unlock the creatures to turn into.  You have to go to Tron-land to get certain things for the creatures.”

Mommy:  I adore Caleb’s smile.  When he is just waking up and sleepy.  Then he recognizes me and bursts into a huge smile.  Even his eyes smile.  Love that.

Jacob:  I like it when he stares at me and plays little hand games with me.

Andrew:  I love about Caleb when he wakes up from his nap and giggles when I tickle him.

Joshua:  I love Caleb because he moves around his little arms and legs.

Autumn:  Yeah.  That’s the baby happy dance!  Caleb has a cute smile and he is very cute when he does the ba-by hap-py dance.  He’s soooo cute!

Katey Belle:  I love Caleb, Mom.  I love him.  Laughing.  (complete with sign language)  My baby brother.  *hugs and snuggles*  My baby brother.  *kisses*  Now kiss Dad.  Mom, kiss you.  Kiss Autumn . . .

Daddy:  I love how kissable his cheeks are.  And I love his reaction when I do my Donald Duck voice.  And I love his big, beautiful eyes just like his mommy’s.

Talent tonight was a whole menagerie.  Joshua did a handstand by the door.  Jacob ran and blew bubbles at the same time.  Daddy changed Katey’s bum.  And Autumn’s talent was taking photos of it all, well, except for the diaper change.

Daddy:  Let’s start with the biggest first.  *huge cheshire grin*  I love, love, love, love, love, love the way your mommy looks at you late at night when you are all asleep,  and she leans over and softly gives you a kiss on your cheek.  You don’t even know it, but she loves you so much that she has to check on you one more time to make sure you’re alright.  And if she can’t, she sends your daddy.

Jacob:  I like that mommy makes all our meals, and hugs and kisses us and helps when we’re sad.  She also plays with us when she has time.

Joshua:  I like mom because she feeds Caleb.

Autumn:  I love mommy because she snuggles us, and loooves us, and helps us and tells us what to do.

Drewby:  I love when mommy gives me cough drops (poor little guy is sick right now).

Katey Belle:  Park … my mommy.  My popsicle is cold.  T… I… Y!  Silly, silly Katey.  (got to love speaking in third person!)

I think Caleb loves that I feed him too. Tonight it was yummy smushed green beans from our last year’s garden.  mmmm.

Joshua:  I love Jacob because he’s a great wrestler.

Jacob:  Yep!  Including Kung Foo.

Daddy:  Kung Foo isn’t wrestling.

Jacob:  Kung Foo and wrestling mixed with karate.

Autumn:  Well, I like that Jacob gives me piggy backs.  And don’t forget horsey rides.

Andrew:  I love that Jacob plays the Wii with me.  Mario Kart and sometimes I fall down holes and when something wiggles it means holes are coming.  And your balloons pop.

Katey Belle:  Jaaa-cob!!  Fun-ny and silly.  (This comment leads to silly, funny faces from the two of them.  Katey calls them “monkey faces”.)

Mommy:  Jacob has very nice hair.  And he is very good when I cut it.  He’s a patient guy.

Jacob:  Yeah.  Just don’t cut it too short.  I don’t want to be close to bald.  Or even close to close to bald.  Just cut it to a good length.  Okay Dad, your turn.

Daddy:  I love Jacob because he is such a good helper around the house.  Any job I have to do, he does without asking any questions and is cheerful about it.  He loves to help!

Jacob loves soccer, pizza, pokemon cards, the Wii and the treehouse.  His favorite dessert is cherry cobbler.  He is very good at math, spelling (he gets 100% almost every time), and reading.  He says he’s “extremely good at reading” and he’s right.  We love our smart, handsome, sweetheart of a boy.

Daddy:  I love Autumn because she is the embodiment of the word exuberant.

ex·u·ber·ant [ig-zoo-ber-uhnt]     –adjective

Andrew:  I love Autumn to keep our house and temple clean.  (Can you kinda tell what our Family Home Evening lesson was about?)

Joshua:  I love that Autumn makes up great songs.  When she goes to the potty she sings and makes up beautiful songs.  My favorite is “Sunlight Over the Water”.

Autumn:  (*singing*)”I love my Heavenly Father…”

Daddy:  She does sing lots.  “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”, “Jesus Once Was a Little Child”, “Beautiful Savior” and “I Love to See the Temple” are ones I hear lots.  (Those are her very favorites right now.)

Jacob:  I love that Autumn loves to have little parties and mini-campouts in her room.

Daddy:  That’s true.  There have been some good tents in her bedroom lately.

Andrew:  Sometimes I make tents for Autumn.

Mommy:  Autumn is my big helper.  She is always willing to grab a diaper or a kleenex or a drink of water for someone.  She is my biggest kiddo when the boys are gone to school and she really helps out.  I also like that Autumn tells and shows me what she’s learning in dance class.  She tells me all about her beautiful purple costume with white umbrella and I’m very excited she has a recital coming up.

We love our beautiful, silly, often loud, smiling, happy, dramatic, wonder of a little angel.

Daddy:  Duke is so loving and gentle with all of us.  He would never hurt any of us on purpose.  Katey is just the right height though and sometimes he knocks her down or hits her when he wags his tail.

Jacob:  Duke follows me where ever we go.  One time I went to a friends house and Duke followed.  He barked loud at my friends mom because he probably thought they were trying to take me.

Joshua:  He is a great guard dog.  And he goes with me on my chore to feed the chickens.

Autumn:  Duke is so fast.  I run with him outside a lot.  Like by the house and by the flowers that are by the house and …

Andrew:  I like when he’s outside with Autumn and me.

Mommy:  I love that Duke has a sheep dog instinct and herds all the children.  It comes in handy when they are wandering too close to the edge of our property.  I also love how he puts his paw up on my lap when I stop scratching behind his ears.  He is just sure I should not be done yet.

Katey:  (in bed again – but tonight when she was saying her prayer she blessed “Dukey” quite loudly)

One little funny fact:  Duke must have his food and water in the dining room near where we eat.  We tried the laundry room – no luck, the sun room and then the corner of the kitchen – nope on those.  He refused to eat until we moved it back to the dining room.  Silly pup.

We sure love our black lab and something mix of a sweet dog.  He is so patient and just a little bit quirky.  Perfect!

8 February 2010

Jacob:  Daddy and I both love electronics.  Taking apart things and making something out of them.

Autumn:  I like when Daddy reads me stories.  Like when he tucks me in bed – so snuggly warm.

Andrew:  Me too!

Joshua:  Daddy is a very great cook.  He makes german pancakes and french toast and grilled cheese and pb&j and hamburgers and cheeseburgers.  And when he makes cheeseburgers he puts in TWO pieces of cheese and when he cooks he even puts in a little love.

Andrew:  Me too!  Even I love cheese grilled sandwiches.

Joshua:  and Daddy is a genius!!

Katelyn’s turn, but she was sleeping already.  She loves when Daddy does “piggies” on her toes and she’s loves that he always does both feet.

Mommy:  Daddy is a great provider.  He takes care of us financially and he also provides us with lots of love.  Lots of hugs and kisses…

Daddy:  And don’t forget tickles!

and Caleb loves all the snuggles and that Daddy is very good at burping him.

Daddy:  You know, Katey also loves when I rock the Donald Duck talk.

Mommy:  That’s true.  You make us laugh lots – all of us.

Joshua:  Daddy – sing “Jingle Bells” like Donald Duck.  Now, “Silver Bells” …

Can you feel the love?