I'm going to be posting a WHOLE lot of pictures soon, because I am VERY behind. Technology is constantly changing and I have a hard time keeping up. Jon Mark is very patient with me as it seems to come easier to him (and, well, to Joshua). First, I need to post some updates.
Things I want to remember:
Jon Mark: He has made all of my dreams come true. He is my Bravestone (I don't really call him that, but Hannah says that is his Native American name) and I am his Beautiful Angel, his Pumpkin. He makes my life so pleasant and happy. Loving him comes easy, and creating this life alongside of him has been a fun ride. Lately, he has been having the kids clean for me when I am away so that I come home to a clean house. He knows the way to my heart!
Joshua: Joshua has been babysitting for us when we go on dates! This is a tremendously awesome milestone that we have reached. It helps that Nick and Bethany are next door (although we have tried going out with them and leaving Luke in charge of Jaz and Mer in charge of Lily, Bethany was home though). It also helps that my parents live in the neighborhood. He gets paid $1 an hour with a bonus dollar if he cleans and gets a good report from the other kids. He calls himself the Overlord. Joshua recently had two dollars stolen at school by a boy in his class. He asked for it back but the boy refused. Jon Mark encouraged him to solve the problem on his own but Joshua didn't want to involve the teacher and get the boy in trouble. Finally, he made a plan and it worked! He went to school and asked the boy for his phone number. The boy asked why he wanted it and Joshua said, "so that my dad can talk to your dad about how you took my money out of my desk." The boy brought the money back. Joshua recently was looking at a book with Cubby. Cub wanted to know who the characters were in the pictures (it was a Star Wars book). He didn't take the real names as real, so Joshua started to make up names. Cub would say, "who is that?" Joshua would say, "that is Mr. Stinkbottom". Cub would say, "oh! That is Mr. Stinkbottom!". It went on for about 15 minutes and some of the names Joshua said were pretty hilarious. It was fun to listen to such wonderful brother bonding. Joshua does a lot to help me. He brings in the groceries and takes out the trash when I ask him to. He plays with Cub all the time, and he's very easy-going. The other day I tried forever to change the ink cartridge and couldn't get it in the right way. Joshua took one look, figured out the problem and put in correctly for me. Joshua also told Luke the other night that mom kisses dad in the gross way when Luke was saying how he kisses me on the lips like I kiss dad.
Mercedes: The other day, Mer said to me, "Mom, sometimes I feel like someone is watching me but I turn around and no one is there. It happens all the time." I said, "well, maybe it is your guardian angels." In all honesty, she said, "but, probably it is the Ghost of George Washington because I burp in doors all of the time!". Come to find out, Joshua had told her earlier that the ghost of George Washington will come and haunt those who burp indoors. I said that if she was going to be haunted by someone, George Washington is a most likely a nice ghost. :) lol. Mercedes is good about playing with her younger girl cousins and Hannah. She teaches them dance classes and writing classes. The other night she had practiced dancing with the little girls and convinced them to put on a little show for the adults. She came downstairs and told me to play the Greatest Showman soundtrack. I asked which song and she said, all of them. I told her that we would watch them dance to two songs. She said very innocently, "there's only 11 songs". She's a sweet girl who is a very responsible student. I never have to get on her about her homework because she just does it every night in her bed, all by herself. She's a nurturer naturally, although she does have a temper. She's working on that right now. The other night, I did her make-up and hair before we went as a family to eat at Red Robin. She felt so pretty and grown up. It was good bonding time. She held my hand and wanted to sit by me at dinner. She usually picks Jon Mark. It was cute to watch her light up like that. She is such a pretty girl.
Luke: Luke is growing up. He likes to protect me. The other night, Jon Mark was playing with the Nerf guns and he was shooting me. Luke (without a shirt on) saw Jon Mark pointing the dart gun my direction and said, "not mommy!" as he jumped to shield me with his shirtless body. Jon Mark shot him repeatedly too, and he didn't budge. Hannah had a bloody nose and came to me with blood dripping down her face. Luke said, "Mom, I know how you don't like blood. Don't look, I've got this!". He took Hannah and held her nose until it stopped bleeding and then cleaned up all of her blood off of her face and the floor with a wet wipe. Luke likes helping others. Mercedes was in trouble with Jon Mark because she wasted food and had to pay him a dollar (which he later gave back). Luke wanted to pay her debt for her. But, Mercedes said, "no, I've got to learn my lesson, Luke, it's not your punishment, it's mine". He also wanted to give his money away at Costco to little girls who looked like they'd smile. And, he did. He and Mercedes and Joshua each spent their own money on their own accord to buy Hannah a birthday present. He's a sweetie with a big heart. I went on one of his field trips and another mom came up to me and said, "are you Luke's mom?" I said yes. She said, "I'm so glad I got to meet you to tell you that I love Luke! He's always so kind and loving. Everyone needs a Luke!" That's always nice to hear. This conversation happened the other day as we were driving in the car. Jon Mark was reviewing when it was okay for the kids to have girlfriends and boyfriends, because Luke had said he couldn't wait to get his hands on Cora, a little girl in his class that we said he could have a crush on (like a crush that any little 1st grader could have). He said, after the mission for the boys when they're ready to find a wife. Then, he said that when they're 16 they can hold hands and kiss a girl but nothing serious. I shot him a look, Luke got excited, that scared Jon Mark so he decided to show him what he meant by kiss and leaned over and kissed me on the lips like a small little peck. Luke exclaimed, "I get to kiss a girl on the lips?!" He had the biggest smile, so Jon Mark said, "scratch that! No kissing or holding hands until after your mission." Luke said, "but I hold hands with girls all of the time already." And then, he rattled off six names of girls he held hands with. One more thing I want to remember is how Luke screamed his head off as we were watching Lost in Space together (edited even, but he still thought it was suspenseful).
Hannah: Hannah dances everywhere! All the time, and everywhere! She's actually quite good at it and if ballet training wasn't so expensive, we'd put her in it. Right now I tell her she's doing gymnastics, but she asks for dance all the time. For her birthday, Luke and Mercedes helped me pick out a tutu for her. Apparently he told her about it, although he doesn't admit it. One day while he was at school she let it slip that she knew she was getting a tutu. Immediately, she regretted telling me and was not going to give Luke up because she didn't want him to get into trouble. It was so cute seeing her look so guilty and trying to cover up the fact that he told her. The other day, Bethany overheard Hannah, Evelyn, and Jazmine talking. Apparently, Jaz had something that Hannah wanted and Evelyn was whispering to Hannah that Hannah ought to say something to Jaz like, "you're not invited to my party" as a means of manipulating Jaz into getting what she wanted. So, Hannah said, "Do you even want to come to my party?!" Then, her tone changed to being completely sincere, "I mean do you? Really? Because you're invited." She also saw Bethany chastising Jazmine about something and she asked Bethany, "do you even love Jaz?" Hannah says I look pretty when I wear long dresses. She really likes to dress up in her Sunday dresses. She is a joy! She loves living life and dancing and singing her way through it. She likes to be reassured that she is special. Any time I give someone a compliment, she yells at me, "you love ME mom!"
Cub Master Caleb: Cub likes to announce to people that they are his best friend now. It changes from person to person, usually someone who is giving him a lot of attention. Mercedes got offended because she wasn't his best friend that day. Joshua consoled her by telling her that Caleb's mind is like a Rubix Cube, it's always changing. Cub likes to be the one to say the prayer and we do not say it until he is completely ready or he gets very upset. He always says the same prayer, "Heavenly Father, thank you for the day. Bless Mommy serve Jesus, bless Jesus to serve Daddy..." it's always a variation of that. He also practices bearing his testimony after FHE. He starts by saying, "I'd like to bury my testimony". He got babysat by my friend the other day. Her husband was trying to figure out what Jon Mark does for a living. Cub had a perplexed look on his face and said, "umm, Dad is the money". He is a cute little guy and is very demanding. He wants to be carried everywhere and doesn't understand that he's getting heavy. He brings so much joy to my life.
Ralae: I'm still the same. I like to work with my hands and build things. I like to paint and run. I like writing songs and recently wrote one for Jm, but I need someone to help me write an accompaniment. I am trying to do it on my own. It's about Saturday mornings when Jon Mark and I take our time getting out of bed and cuddle. Yeah, mushy, I know. Here are the words:
Catch me in a daydream in the first morning light. In our world of tangled sheets, wrapped in your arms tight.
Lying with you here, the fall and rise of your chest, I can hear your beating heart, a sound that means I'm blessed.
It's chasing after rainbows, it's the smell of summer rain. It's all the joy of Christmastime and the taste of candy canes.
Catch me in a day dream and let's stay awhile, kiss my messy hair and kiss my sideways smile.
It's Arizona sunsets, it's swinging on a swing, it's all the joy of dancing, your in the songs I sing.
It's hiking up a mountain, it's the thrill of a race, it's all the luck of clover and the awe of outerspace.
So, catch me in a day dream, and just hold me here,
let the world spin on, I don't mind as long as you are near.
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