Braedon Turns Eight!

Braedon's Favorite:
-color is green
-food is candy (or hot dogs and pizza)
-subject is art
-pastimes are Legos and making sculptures and art projects out of everything including stuff I throw away and he digs back out. We encourage him of course and he has his own art project area but sometimes his projects get out of hand...a box full of yarn fuzz comes to mind. I wouldn't let him save and add to it for a sculpture, mean mommy! (hey, you get tired of vacuuming it up all the time)

-Has been to the emergency room more than once just days before Christmas either for stitches or staples.

-Would play video games all day if I let him.

-Is rather smitten by bald eagles and Harry Potter.

-Loves holding and helping me with the babies.

-Says some pretty crazy things at the most random times "Ahoy Butt Naked!" or "Chicken Nuggets!" (click for those posts)

-Is an early riser every day...genetics from Kris, not me.

-Wants to be a forensic scientist or ICE special agent like his dad when he grows up.

-He had his first acting debut as baby Jesus during the 2001 Seven Hills Ward Christmas party in Colorado. Kris and I were Joseph and Mary, Weston was a lamb who 'grazed' around the stage throughout the program. He really didn't add to the reverence but he was sweet when he'd crawl over to Braedon and lay down next to the manger. Braedon slept through the whole thing, I wish I could find the pictures.

He was baptized this past Sunday by his daddy. I have yet to meet an LDS 8 year old who doesn't choose to be baptized and accept that covenant but Braedon was more serious about it than I expected. His usual reaction would be to joke around and make light of things but that wasn't the case as he prepared for it and met with the Bishop. That alone proved to me that he had an understanding of the meaning of baptism and was ready to enter into a covenant with God to take upon himself the name of Jesus Christ, keep His commandments, and serve Him to the end (see Mosiah 18:8–10; D&C 20:37):

Braedon up until now:

This is my all time favorite picture of him because it captures him 100% then and now. It is framed and makes me smile every time I pass it on the shelf:









With Birdie, one of our rats:



Always one to pose for the camera:



When his hamster Stinky died, Weston, Kris and he made a nice little wood box to bury Stinky in. They buried him across the creek in our backyard in a little flat area. (By the way, Stinky wasn't stinky because I made sure of it)



Shooting pumpkins in our backyard: (no it's not a BB gun, those were the days when we could shoot in our yard, I'm tempted daily to take it up again, our terrace would work nicely).



Tempting the Emergency Room Gods:



Cuddling with Jamison:



And with Bronwyn:



One of my favorite memories of Braedon took place when he was 5 years old. I took him to the store to pick out a pack-n-play for Jamison to use once he was born. While there we were startled by a woman in hysterics yelling for her little girl who had wandered off. Braedon was scared at first by the woman's yelling but when I told him what was going on he just said matter of factly "Oh, I know where she is" and he showed us where the little girl (about 2) was hiding.

I could write several pages about Braedon and I often do in my 'Kids' journal. I love the dynamic he adds to the family.