My Calling.

My love has been in Florida this week

and i miss him.

but i'd much rather be at home doing what i do

cuz he's sitting in conference all day long.

which brings me to this picture. some texts from yesterday.

go ahead. enjoy the craziness.

 that's my everyday.

envy the poop in the tub

or the adorable girl with the chopped bangs.

all of which resulted in me sanitizing the bath toys, the tub,

and vacuuming up hair that didn't need to be. 

that precious white hair.

(and yes, I'm aware hair grows back. I have it. lots of it.)

NONE of that was on the TO-DO list for the day!

BUT that's my every day. 

Always things to do...places to go...people to call and serve. The list goes on. 

AND ON.

BUT I have a calling far greater than any of that right now.

And that's to

the little ones that are in my home.

I turn a lot of social opportunities down because of this.
Don't get me wrong...I do stuff! Plenty.
 AND I also provide my kids with plenty social opportunities,
BUT if i schedule too much or try to make it to every little thing that comes my way...
that special time is taken away!
 My time to sit down and really pray with my kids,
to share scripture stories,
and to show them pictures of Jesus
and tell them about how much He loves them
IS GONE.
AND forget about sitting down with them to pretend play with princesses
 or to really look into their beautiful eyes
and study their soul (which I LOVE to do);
IT'S ALL TAKEN AWAY.
All because I'm rushing around trying to find socks and lost shoes
to get us out the door by such and such time to get to ________ (you fill in the blank).
I honestly and truly love being at home.
These days will soon be gone. And it's starting to sink-in.

THIS is one of my favorite quotes right now.

Perfectly stated.

I know you want to PIN it on PINTEREST.

So here's the link.

OR

You can read the talk that it came from...

CHILDREN by Neil L. Anderson

I am grateful for tender mercies that come when needed.

The other night was a special one for me.

It had been a LONG day--Evan's first day away.

But I felt strength beyond my own while taking care of my littles.

I fed them dinner early and we took our time getting ready for bed.

We read stories for an HOUR.

Needless to say...I was tired. I had given my all and much more to my kids.

When it came time to actually going to bed, Brampton started to get emotional and rubbing his eyes. He rubs his eyes a lot when he gets sad.

ANYWAYS

He went to get a drink of water from downstairs and

when he returned, he had tears running down his cheeks.

He asked me to say a prayer that he might not be sad that his dad was gone
and that he would be able to sleep.

And he wanted me to pray immediately!

I was touched. My little boy, who's about to be baptized, KNOWS that he can pray to his Heavenly Father at anytime and his prayer will be heard AND answered. 

As a mother, THAT was truly priceless. 

He understands what we have been teaching.

Not only that, but he's acting in FAITH.

As he and I knelt in prayer by his bed, I will never forget the sobs I heard coming from Brampton. 

And then as I finished praying, the huge tears coming down his cheeks. 

I wanted to take all his pain away.
BUT
that's the point of this mortal life, to be tried and tested.
WHICH
makes me all the more grateful for the gift of prayer.

I am grateful to have a loving Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ.
And because of The Atonement, Brampton's heartache could be taken away.

AND that night, our prayer was answered immediately! 

All his sadness was replaced by the Spirit ...and laughter as noted in the picture above.
And that was just what this mom needed, tho I did not know it at the time.
Tender mercies are real.
AND
Miracles happen every day.
(No worries Brampton, you have already given me my Mother's Day gift!)

The TWINS are THREE.

THREE. Can it really be...? My chunky babies are now three!! They are no longer referred to as "the girlies". They each have their own little personality and opinions and have moved on to much more fitting names,

Paypay & Deedee

Nicknames are pretty common in the Payzant family. It's just what we do. I suppose we just like to get creative with the ones we love. And it makes perfect sense that my own children now do it with one another. My nickname as a child was Lala. My dad still calls me lala at the age of 31. And I LOVE IT. It's a way of expressing our love and unites us.

Anyways...paypay. That was started by me...somehow, one day. It actually started as Pay and went to PeiWei but that was weird to me. So then I doubled it up...PAYPAY. It seemed to be perfect for her. Deedee was started by Paypay. She came up with that on her own. Obviously Brooklynn is too hard for a little girl with a speech delay to pronounce. So, Deedee it is! And it goes perfectly with Paypay. And they have both stuck! We no longer call them Payton and Brooklynn really, unless they do something really, really NAUGHTY.

 Their birthday was pretty low-key. As are most holidays and birthdays around our house. We have learned to be flexible and accommodating with dad's doctor schedule. We always celebrate as a family (sometime), but usually days later when dad is home and well rested.

Which brings me back to THEIR birthday. It was low-key because well I'm a single parent most of the time (at least when Evan is on his trauma rotation) and when you're a single mom, doing everything, going none stop for days...weeks...months...and even years at a time...you just can't do it all.
That being said, I tried to make it different from the norm in little ways.

The girls woke-up to balloons tied to their beds! The boys and I actually tip-toed into their room early so that we could witness their reaction. Priceless, I tell you!

 Pure joy and happiness written all over those sweet, sleepy faces!

We sang happy birthday to them A LOT that day. Their reaction: lots and lots of giggling.

The girls being goofs. Monkey see, monkey do. Always.

Enjoying their favorite breakfast on their special day: maple pancakes with syrup and whipped cream on top.

Opening presents in pajamas. Sounds good to me!

To make them feel special and loved, I pampered them by painting all 20 toenails and 20 fingernails! Which is something that doesn't happen as often as they would like, because it is NO easy task. But fingernail polish we did. And we fancied them up with the curling iron. Throw on a ballerina shirt and skirt...and these two little girls were in their own personal birthday heaven.

And because of all the fancy-ing, we had to take some 3 year old pictures to document.

Trying to take pictures of these two together is a joke! 

Happy 3rd birthday to my little princesses!!

I LOVE YOU GIRLS. ALWAYS HAVE...EVEN BEFORE I MET YOU HERE ON THIS EARTH. THANK YOU FOR BLESSING MY EVERY DAY.

.....

Look at that good-looking bunch! They are my loves and my greatest treasures on this earth. The awesome thing is...I get to take them all to Heaven with me! What we've got...money can't buy! 

Days that have since passed

It's amazing what a picture can do to your memory and senses.

I look at this and immediately have fond memories. But I can also smell the spit-up that covered my shirt. Believe it or not, I sometimes wish I could go back to this time of our family's life...just to hold my babies a bit longer, to kiss their cheeks and to smell the tops of their heads. I do love babies! Looking at this picture, I remember this night very well... Evan had come home from school, ate a quick dinner and rushed out the door to Mutual. He was Young Men's President at the time. Nights were always difficult then. Everyone was always fussy and needed to be loved. Such a task is difficult for one person to fill especially after doing it all day long. BUT like it or not, that night I was left to tend to everyone's needs on my own. There was no normal routine that night. As one can imagine. Cardston fell asleep on the floor under my legs while I fed the girls. Brampton was almost there. And the girls were finally drunk on milk and ready for a few hours of sleep. I remember stepping back to document this crazy time and thinking ...I did it! I can do this all by myself! It wasn't perfect. But that's ok. We're all alive and well.
Every day was a new challenge and each passing day was an accomplishment.

BUT I also feel the anxiety that came with that season of my life...

Days of four little kids all under 5.

With little/no sleep.

Days where the boys were so patient with me as I nursed pretty much ALL.DAY.LONG.

Days where my boys watched lots of shows b/c I only had two arms...and those were full.

Days of loving two babies.

Days and nights of nursing two babies at once.

Days of two crying babies by myself with two rowdy boys.

Days of wearing big t-shirts and smelling like spit-up.

Days of no showers.

Days of a messy house.

Days of LOADS and LOADS of laundry.

Days of soda in my fridge and lots of breast milk in my freezer.

Days of a few tears shed here and there by me.

Since days are gone. They have left scars on parts of my body and my heart.

I know that in the next life, I will visit these days often. Because they were my favorite!

These were GREAT days.

They were never easy.

BUT I was doing what I love most and that made it all worth it.

One thing is for sure...I know that there were unseen angels that were by my side daily. I felt their presence. And I know that one of them was my grandmother-Ellen Peterson. I have felt her near me many times since her passing in 2009. I am ever so grateful for those who minister to us during times of need from the other side. 

I want my family to know that I am thankful for the opportunity to be a mother...though some days would suggest otherwise. I AM. It's all I can think about most days.

In life all must choose at times. Sometimes,

two possibilities are good; neither is evil.

Usually, however, one is of greater import than

the other. When in doubt, each must choose

that which concerns the good of others--the

greater law--rather than that which chiefly

benefits ourselves--the lesser law. The greater

must be chosen whether it be law or thing. -John A. Widtsoe

As a mother, I am striving to choose the greater law--my family.

I am thankful for the family Evan and I have been blessed with.

I am grateful for blessing it is to hold them, to see them, to smell them and to hear what they say.

They are my greatest treasures.

And always will be.

These were and are the best days!!

Great days...that continue TO BE every day that I am with them!

What she loves...

Oh Payton. I love you.

I love your sweet personality.

I love your quirkiness.

I love your attitude.

I love the sound of your voice.
I love the things you say.

 I love watching you.
I love how you pretend and always have something going on in your head.

You are one creative girl and it shows!

I however, really don't like how you change 30 times a day!

You have me cleaning more messes and doing more laundry than I need to. 

But since I'm your mom and I love you, I'll continue to have a messy house and do more laundry.

mugga mugga sweet girl!

His Super Duper Big Problem

My first baby is growing up. Big time! He's about to turn 8.

This boy has taught me so much about being a mom!

  He's no longer the cute "little dude" fascinated in Barry the Bee and Disney's Cars

He's now a handsome 2nd grader! And full of so much life...he can hardly contain himself! Which brings me to the point of this blog entry...HIS super duper big problem.

I'm obviously not the only one that thinks this boy is handsome. 

Brampton came running out of school the other day. I could tell he was anxious about something. He said he has a super duper big problem (all out of breath)! After I loaded everyone into the car, he began to fill me in on the problem. Supposedly, there's this girl in his class that is smitten by his toothless grin. She wrote in her journal that she wants to marry Brampton and have babies with him. 

When he told me this I thought...WHAT?? ON?? EARTH?? She's in flippin' 2nd grade. She's thinking about babies already?? Poor Brampton is sickened by the fact that she likes him. She chases him and tries to kiss him...which has him all nervous. He doesn't like girls in that way. He doesn't want to kiss anyone. And well...he's just innocent. He's pure...obedient...always seeking to do what's right. He has a spirit of a saint! He sees things as they are. Everything is black and white to him. He reads the Book of Mormon all on his own doing because he wants to. Talk about an awesome example! She-sh!

I wrote THIS ENTRY years ago. And I've found myself reading it...and re-reading it as of late. I've been pondering on the fact that THE moment has finally come. And it's for his own good. As a mother...THIS IS IMPORTANT to me!

Finding Joy in My Everyday Mom Moments.

Let me start off by saying...that I may have broken a law by snapping this picture in the carpool lane...? But let's hope not!

THIS right here is a favorite of mine! ...watching my boys walk into school. I love taking the boys to school and dropping them off for the day. I am so thankful that I am able to be a stay-at-home mom and to treasure these little moments!!

I LOVE...

*waking the boys up

*hearing them ask me what day it is and if they have to go to school

*watching them walk downstairs with their favorite animals under their arms

*seeing them sit at the table not quite awake but patiently waiting for their breakfast

*fixing them breakfast

*Cardston asking me not to watch him eat

*packing their snacks

*telling them they need to be done eating and to start getting dressed

*putting the toothpaste on their toothbrushes

*getting their clothes ready and laid out for them to put on

*telling them over and over to hurry up

*telling Cardston again and again to get dressed

*telling Cardston to brush his teeth

*telling Cardston to get his shoes on

*telling Cardston to get his backpack on

*praying with them 

*loading into the car in a hurry

*sharing scriptures on the 5 minute drive to school (they're currently being quizzed on "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God..." James 1:5)

*Cardston saying Mom and then showing me the sign for "I love you" as he exits the car. It's our "thing".

*watching Brampton wait for Cardston to get out of the car

*watching them walk into the school...together. I often wonder what cute little conversations they have as they walk in. 

*how some days Brampton will race down the sidewalk as I drive off...the smile on his face is priceless!! It always fills my heart with joy.

Now, yes...sometimes it is tedious work. Let's be honest...it's the same thing every single day. And it's tiring. The reminding gets old. The rushing to get out the door is both nerve-racking and exhausting. But when I start thinking or feeling this way (ungrateful)...I realize I have become blinded again. I have to remind myself that not every mom is able to do what I do. These moments ARE my mom moments. And I am truly blessed. I love being a mom to Brampton, Cardston, Payton, and Brooklynn. If  I were to die, who would take my place? Who would love and care for my children as I do? If I were to lose any one of my children...I would long with all my heart for these simple moments. To be with them. To take care of them. To be their mom. And with that...I'm working on finding joy in the small everyday moments. 

......

AND ON A SIDE NOTE 

These boys truly are best friends! I love it. I am so thankful that Brampton and Cardston were both sent to our family when they were. I know that they will find strength in one another as they get older and make their own choices. These boys are truly going to "move mountains". I see it in them every day. 

I love you Brampton.

AND

I love you Cardston.

Handmade Valentine Swap 2014

SO...I'm participating in a Valentine card swap! My cousin has been doing this for a few years and I decided to finally join in on the fun this year! Checkout the details...who knows...maybe you'll want to join in on the fun too!

Realizing I Can Do Hard Things. The Hard Way.

Wow! Its been forever. My poor neglected blog.

I have thought about blogging a lot during my 2 year hiatus. But there just was never enough time or energy at the end of the day.

And...well...I was suffering inside. And I didn't want anyone to know it.

The past two years have been some of the hardest days of my life. That is no joke. I feel like I have been in survival mode trying to make it through each hour for 730 days. With Evan being in residency, I have had to learn how to be a mom that does everything. My husband was just not home and when he was, he was tired, stressed and all he wanted to do was sleep. Because well doctors never sleep when at work...even when they pull a 32 hour shift.

For these past 2 years, I've struggled. I've fought depression. I've felt lonely. I've been angry. Honestly, all my reserves were empty. I was running on fumes. No one knew what I was dealing with and the pain I felt inside. It makes my heart ache just reflecting on it. I often thought...no one could possibly understand because they have never done this. They don't know what it's like to have a husband in residency, to be in medical debt and have four kids (two of which are twins). With all of this came a tremendous burden...a stress I have never experienced or could have imagined. I struggled with my weight and self-image during this time. And eventually I turned bitter.

I missed my husband. I just wanted him home and well rested. I wanted a normal family life and an 8-5 job. I had many offer to help...but really the help I wanted was just him. I longed for the comfort and strength he brings me when we're together. And I do believe that this was something I had to learn...and boy, was it HARD. I couldn't lean on him. It just wasn't possible with all he was having to deal with. I had to learn to lean on the Lord and the help He would send me. I had to find comfort through my Heavenly Father and from reading the scriptures. And by doing so, I could be a better wife. A better supporter. A stronger mother. A nurturing mom. A better person. It was then that I realized...this is our life! It's not normal. We have chosen this. It's far from easy. And I have to move past all these stumbling blocks and make the most out of it...for the happiness of myself, my husband, and my sweet children. I am a wife and a mother. I'm the ONE and the ONLY one that is going to keep our family going and together. This is the only way we are not going to crumble. I have to be strong! The realization part was easy, but putting it into action was my hardest battle.

And 730 days later, I believe that I am finally finding my way out of this darkness. I did a lot of soul searching. Pondering. Praying. Crying. And continue to do all those things. It is only because I have chosen to go about it the right way...the ONLY WAY...that I have made it through it all. With the help and strength of my Savior, Jesus Christ.

And so with that said...I have a new year. A new start. And while my husband begins a difficult rotation (trauma...the one that just about broke me last year), I feel like this is a second chance...I CAN do this! BUT only through the help of a loving Savior.

......

I know it's not going to be easy. It never is. I still struggle...everyday actually. I have found strength and comfort in the tender mercy I was given today. I know that Heavenly Father is very much aware of me, my worries, my hopes and desires. As He is with all of us. While talking on the phone to my sister, Heavenly Father spoke to me through her. I'm sure she has no idea the impact her tender words had on me. But I felt an overwhelming amount of love. I felt peace and it brought me much comfort. And that was all I needed to get through another day. This FIRST day of a truly trying time.

Tomorrow is a new one...full of so much opportunity to do good.

Here's to much more blogging in 2014!

a love note.

honestly, it doesn't get any better than this!

my first little love note from brampton. and look at the cute little heart he included. he's the sweetest.

have i mentioned lately, that i love him??

or that i love being a mom?

i do.

it's hard. very hard. and i struggle with it every day.

BUT...i wouldn't want to be doing anything else.

I love being a stay at home mom.

and i'm so grateful that i am able to do so.

to you.

yes, you! we love you.

happy LOVE day to you, our blog reader!

(and don't be afraid to comment...even if we don't know you. we love comments) 

valentine preps.

let me start out by saying...i'm so ready for valentine's to be over! seriously. i've been planning and preparing for this day for a month now. in fact the other day ev asked me if "we" (meaning ME) could take a break from crafts for a little while! ha! i agreed. b/c my kitchen has turned into my craft room! i crafted all through christmas...new years...the girls' birthday...and now valentine's. i think the hubby is a little tired of my crazy messes...hint hint...all over the house (as am i).

 we made lots of heart-felt valentine's for our loved ones.

we made our first ever valentine box with brampton. this was so NOT my idea. found here, on pinterest of course. i've had my eye on this monster box for years now...and we were finally able to create it this year.

and i'm sure you'll recognize these. those cute little mailboxes! love them. and love me the dollar section at target! i see them there every year around this time. i've justified buying them many times, but haven't...that is until this year. ev told me that he was pretty sure the mailboxes were having babies b/c every time he looked at my craft mess area...there were more and more mailboxes! i chuckled...and still am! i made about TWELVE of these adorable things. yeah, now you know why i'm so done crafting valentines.

now lets get on with it...

Happy Valentine's Day!!

 (as my computer now says that it's officially 12:00 am)

what fun traditions does your family do for V-day b/c i really want to start some and need ideas??

so over these.

can i tell you how happy i am to be DONE with bottles and formula. ah, so so SO happy. i am tired of having formula ALL OVER the countertops...bottles ALL OVER the countertops...and bottles leaking ALL OVER the place. BUT no more! the girls have graduated to sippy cups and REAL milk. happy, happy day.

i love girly accessories.

several years ago i bought this frame from hobby lobby (love that place) on clearance for like 7.99. when i came home with it, ev questioned my purchase. i told him it was for something...i just didn't know yet. but i had to take advantage of the deal!! you know those, right?? well i finally put it to good use. these things are flooding pinterest and blogs. i spray painted the frame brown b/c it matches their room. i considered doing a fun spunky color, but my crazy mind wouldn't let me. so brown it is. which is fine b/c all the clips give it plenty of color. i'm finding with two girls, i just don't have enough room for all the bows and such...even on that...i'm gonna have to start selling them. anyone interested???

and just b/c i'm so proud...i made over 3/4 of those. these girls are turning me into a craft-nut!

you get what you get and you don't throw a fit.

something we say often in this house. speaking of which...this was all i could get in during the girls' nap time and an episode of curious george this afternoon. ha...and for those of you who don't know...that's like working off a thing of yogurt! i'll take what i can get though. yep. that's what we do around here. i'm all about being flexible. because everyone here KNOWS that THIS mama can only do so much at one time...someone has to wait their turn (usually...it's me.)

they add lots of color to my life.

i often wonder if i'll ever miss these days...??

lots and lots of bottles

and a dishwasher full of colorful dishes

looky, looky, i got del taco!

del taco is coming!! ev and i just discovered this today...and it made me so happy. i can't even tell you how happy i am (i'm pathetic). pepper jack quesadillas...mmm...i can taste you already. mom, lacey and jum...don't be jealous! this just means you HAVE to come and visit at least once a month! another reason why i LOVE texas.

a shout out to teachers

I have a new appreciation for teachers. for reals. do you know how much time they spend JUST making copies?? LOTS. And that is just copies. I was not aware of this until B started school and I volunteered to help his teacher out. I have offered to go and make copies once a week for the awesome Mr. Wells (b's teacher). The only way in which I am able to do this is because of my wonderful mother-in-law who lives just minutes away from us. She kindly watches my littles while I go to B's school for an hour or so on Friday mornings. I feel like I've become a pro at working copy machines. This morning, I made all of the copies above. Crazy huh? It's actually pretty fun and I thoroughly enjoy being so involved in B's class. So if any of you readers are looking for something to do...I would suggest going to a nearby school and volunteering. They NEED you.

Christmas in our OWN home

Christmas this year was a very memorable one! Granted we did spend the holidays with Ev's family...I felt like we had a good balance of our own time and extended family time. So...we pretty much stayed home this year. No traveling for us. Yeah right...can you imagine having to pack-up Christmas now that we have FOUR kids? That's a little overwhelming..well...more like SUPER overwhelming and stressful. Since Ev and I have been married, we have spent the holidays with our families, either in Kansas or Texas. I love being with the ones I love and sharing lasting memories. But....BUT now that we have kids...lots of them...I feel like I'm ready to start our own Christmas traditions. I knew this time would come....and I'm totally ok with it. And this year was the year that kicked it off. It was lovely...we were in our new home...we were able to decorate three trees...we watched many Christmas shows...ate lots of goodies...and I finally put one of my craft bookmarks to use (speaking of which I need to PIN it)! We talked about Christ every night before bed for most of the month. We read different verses from the Bible, Book of Mormon and articles from the Friend with the boys. As always, Christmas music was played non-stop and I felt as though the Spirit of Christmas was with us and in our home. 

For all of this and much more I am grateful for.

 Recognize these stockings?? You may have seen them...good ole Target.

I added the frames with sweet pictures of my CUTE littles (thank you dollar tree...spray painted and embellished with glitter) to the mantle hooks with a little bit of hot glue   

This little guy made an appearance shortly after we moved into our home. We read his book and the boys decided to name him JAM. Not sure what that's all about?? Maybe a twist on JUM?? Yep that's it. We love you Jum.

 And then this tradition....I can't take any credit. I totally copied this idea from my Nato friends. Isn't it so cool though?? I decided that we must do it every year!! I can hardly wait to have tons of these on our mantle. 

And then this was our "fancy" tree as Brampton called it. Red is his favorite color so I figured he would love it. And I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out...probably our best decorated tree yet. 

oh bloggity blog blog!

I hate to say it...but summer is officially over...and it ended on my birthday with the beginning of Fall. Although, here in Texas you'd still think it was July with the temperatures we're having! School has started and my first born has entered Kindergarten. Sigh. No more lazy days for this mom....and it's kicking my [big] tushy! Payton's picture depicts how I feel perfectly. Oh well...life goes on and I've decided that it's about time I started posting on this lil' blog of ours. Has it really been 4 months since I last blogged?? Man, that went by way too fast! Hopefully I haven't lost all of our readers. Now that I have one less child during the day...I should have some time to blog....at least I'm hoping. We'll see how long I last. I've come to realize that life for us is just crazy...all the time and well...I JUST CAN'T DO EVERYTHING. For now....I'm sacrificing my time for my children. And I'm completely ok with that (most days). Now...get ready for the BIGGEST stout family catch-up ever! Ready...set....GO!!

Brampton

Also known as Button. Not for that cute button-nose of his, but because that's what Cardston would call him before he could fully pronounce Brampton. And it stuck. Button he is. Our little button.

I can't imagine my life without him. In fact, I feel like I have known him my whole life. This little boy, who has only been on this earth for 5 years, has taught me SO much in such a short amount of time. He is unique. His own little person and someone I look up to...not down. He is so full of light and laughter. He has this giggle that is beyond contagious. He LOVES to learn. Boy that's an understatement. He's always curious and asks why, what and how ALL the time. Although sometimes this can be bothersome, I LOVE it. And as his mother, I find great joy in answering all his questions. Just yesterday he asked me (while driving in the car...shortly after a bird pooped on the window), "mom, do birds call cars their potties?". And not too long ago Brampton asked Evan, "what's in our hearts, dad?" Evan's answer...blood of course; with a puzzled look Brampton replied, "oh I thought it was LOVE".

His favorite things right now:

*playing the Wii. especially with his dad. He loves Lego Star Wars and Madagascar

*anything red and gold. his eyes are drawn to all things red and gold and has to have them.

*mr. elephant. and b still rubs mr. e's eyes while falling asleep. something he has done since he was a wee little one.

*tools. not just any tool...shiny silver ones. We went to Home Depot and B asked Evan and I for a $20 pack of wrenches. He said he needed them because he loves shiny things.

*playing at the park. we've been going to the park almost every day the past few weeks.

*music. he loves to dance and is a pretty good dancer.

*his little cpo. aka c-3po. I think he loves it b/c it's little and gold.

*his dad. b loves his dad. it's cute. the other night Brampton said, "dad, are we best friends?".

*song...Popcorn Popping

*scripture story...Samuel the Lamanite

*string cheese, cocoa puffs, chocolate shakes, and McDs' chicken nuggets

*last but not least, his imaginary friend....the WIND GUY. Yes, those two have many adventures together.

I love watching my little boy be so helpful with the girls. He is always so willing to get me diapers and wipes and then throw them away. My favorite is when I ask him to get one of the girls their binkies when crying. He's always so sweet to them. He'll talk to them to calm them down. And lately he enjoys getting them to laugh. That's just as adorable. The girls love B!

Brampton, you are a sweet heart. You are so caring and loving. You are a perfect example of charity. You are so Christ-like. And you make me want to be a better person and mother each and every day.