Updates Coming Soon

I swear I am going to write. You know those times where nothing comes to mind when you sit down with the intent to write? Well I don't have that problem, my problem is that nothing NICE comes to mind when I sit down to write. Gotta get over it before I update since the thought of venting right now seems awfully petty. I'll post some pictures of the kids in the meantime.

-gert

Weston is 10!!!

First of all, what the heck happened to November and what do you mean Christmas is this week?

Weston's birthday was at the beginning of November and I'm just getting to his birthday post not to mention the start of several "catch up" posts.

Let me tell you a bit about my first born.

Favorites

Color- Sometimes red but right now it's green

Food- Probably easier to say what he doesn't like. He does not like spaghetti or lasagna and will not eat tuna fish sandwiches or cantaloupe. Everything else has a good chance of being eaten.

School Subject- If they taught Science it would be his favorite subject but he has to get his science fill from projects I set up or the discovery channel. He also loves learning about outer space. In school he enjoys math but unfortunately, his teacher this year has taken quite a bit of fun out of it for him.

His favorite websites are Nasa.com and Lego.com

He spends a lot of time reading books, building Lego masterpieces, and when we let him, he's playing video games.

He loves playing with magnifying lenses. Learned the hard way that he can burn a hole in his pants with it. Also loves playing with magnets. He has a box full of magnets and odds and ends that he experiments with.

He's a tall kid, at 58 inches he is in the 95th percentile for his age and has more than once been booted out of play areas because "the authorities" have mistaken him for an older kid.

He loves building with Legos and I often find him reading "The Unofficial Lego Builder's Guide" as if it were a novel.

He wants to be a scientist or astronomer when he grows up.

Weston LOVES Brazilian black beans and rice (feijoada) but this wasn't always the case. When he was almost 3 years old I made it for dinner. He was absolutely not going to eat it no matter what, wouldn't even taste it or touch the bowl. As is the rule, we left his bowl on the table and told him he didn't have to eat it but there would be no other food to eat so he was going to go to bed hungry. He moped around the house, cried, and tried to break us. He went to bed only to come down a little while later, took his bowl off the table and climbed into Kris' lap and proceeded to eat the entire bowl. From that moment on there were no complaints about feijoada, in fact, we have to limit how many servings he can have because he'll overdo it and end up with a stomach ache.

Weston, the past 10 years:

Weston was born in Aurora, Colorado on Veteran's Day 1999.



He watched this movie so many times we had to buy a new one.



Talking to Daddy who was in Thailand and Vietnam at the time. The delay on the phone was driving Weston crazy and he was having a hard time when he didn't think Kris was answering him fast enough.




During one of our family camp-outs we drove by this sign in Colorado. Of course we had to stop and take a picture.



Weston's favorite place to visit at this age was the Zoo. We went to the Denver Zoo quite a bit because of it.



Stylin' in Grandpa's cool car.



At Grandpa and Grandma's home in Kansas, they set up the slip-n-slide down their hill. It was the perfect set up for the kids.



The best sledding hills are when you have them in your own backyard. Weston got really brave on this one and made it into the creek a few times.





At Jamestown, VA.








Holding his baby sister, Bronwyn, the day after she was born. Notice he was more interested in what was on TV.



Weston is a hard worker, willing to help with chores, help with projects around the house and yard. He thinks he's too big for me to hold but every once in a while I catch him off guard and manage to sweep him onto my lap for a few milliseconds of cuddle before he freaks. I have to settle for a back-pat-hug and high fives. I'm grateful he still gives me good-bye and good night kisses on the cheek, but he doesn't have a choice. Oh, and I love his freckles....but don't tell him I said so.

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.