Location Scouting

The boys went camping last night so Chandra and I went location scouting.  Isn't it funny that after a two hour walk, my favorite pictures were taken about 30 seconds away from our house? Chandra thought the crab apples were fun to play with, and the dandelions were fun to blow, but that neither of them tasted very good.

Bracken's Journal

I try to help Bracken "write" in his journal every once in a while.  It's just a fun time for me to ask him a random question, or about what he's been doing, and he'll just talk to me. A lot of the time he gets super excited and talks much faster than I write, but we get the main points in there.

Sometimes he likes to draw pictures too.  He's been learning to write a few letters (His favorite is "B"). He's started drawing potato head/alien people too, and I LOVE them.  Who would think a mom would get so proud of these adorable little squiggly lines?  In case you can't read the journal entry, Bracken told me that was a picture of him and Chandra walking to church together holding hands.  He's such a good little boy and such a protective, kind big brother!

I love you Bracken, and I love our "journal  story time" together.

Dressing Up

Chandra loves dressing up and feeling beautiful.  She'll put every necklace she can find on, then come to Brian or me and bounce on her tip toes waiting for us to tell her how beautiful she looks.  She is such a girl, and we love it!  

She also loves dancing.  Whenever she hears music (a cell phone starts ringing, a car drives by, or during a movie) she starts bouncing and dancing.  She loves when I give her my cell phone to hold and dance to while it plays "B-I-N-G-O." It's so cute.  

She also thinks its so fun to pull all the dirty laundry out and get dressed in it.  I haven't taken a picture of that because she usually ends up with several pairs of our underwear on her arms and over her head before I find her.  Memo to me: I need to find a new spot for our laundry. Yesterday she found this hat and it's her newest accessory.  

What I've Been up to: Photo Editing Class

Bracken and Chandra spent a lot of time at my parents in Richfield this last month so they could be loved and cared for while Brian was working and my collarbone was healing.  I appreciate my parents and siblings so much for taking care of our kiddos!  I was in Richfield some of the time too, but I had a lot more "down time" on my hands than normal.  I took an awesome online class on Lightroom (image editing software), and learned a lot about what to look for and how to edit my pictures.  I feel like I have so much more control over my editing now! Anyway, just sharing a little of what I've been up to. (SOOC is straight out of camera, without any editing.)

Puddles

They love rainstorms, puddles, and just being together.  I'm so glad our kiddos are friends.

My Superhero

"Bracken, you need to get your pajamas on and brush your teeth before your babysitter gets here."

He ran off to get ready for the night.  After a while I realized it was very quiet in the bathroom.  I went to investigate and found a Superhero in sunglasses and cape, who smelled like his dad's cologne, styling his hair with a generous amount of gel.  "Whoo-hoo-hoo! I look cool, huh mom?! I'm gonna protect you and Chandra from the bad guys."

Totally made my night!

Her Typical Expression

The Hard Questions

Bracken had two blankets that he got when he was a baby that he became very attached to.  He would hold the silky tags up to his nose or lips to fall asleep. When he was two they fell apart and I gave him similar blankets to replace them, but he cried during the night for his tags, so I ripped the tags off the old blankets and sewed them onto the new Light Blue and Dark Blue.  They've gone pretty much everywhere with him.

Excerpt from Bracken't Journal:

May 21, 2012 -- "I like my blanket 'Light Blue' a lot...I lost Light Blue one day and I cried a lot.  I said a prayer we'd find it. My Daddy came home and looked for it in the darkness at SUU. I was so glad he found it.  It was cold when he found it."

The morning after Brian found 'Light Blue' Bracken told me, "Look Mom! I asked Heavenly Father to help me find Light Blue and He did! He answered my prayer!"  It was a pretty special day.

Fast forward.  Bracken lost Light Blue again...but it's been over a month and we haven't found it.  Last night he was especially sad and had big tears.  "Mom, I'm just thinking about Light Blue.  Let's say a prayer that Daddy will find it." He asked Heavenly Father to help him find his blankets, then I helped him ask for comfort and understanding too. A few minutes later after I finished singing to him he said, "Heavenly Father put a light on in my heart."

I thought things were all better, but this afternoon Bracken was sad about something and he cried to Brian, "I'm feeling sad, why didn't Heavenly Father find Light Blue for me when I asked him?" I don't remember exactly what Brian said, but he reminded Bracken that Heavenly Father helped him feel better after his prayer, and that maybe Heavenly Father gave Aunt Linsy the idea to make him a new special blanket, the one he has now, to help him feel better. That Heavenly Father loves him, but He doesn't always say "yes" when we ask for things, just like Brian and I don't always say "yes" when Bracken asks for things.

I think it's the first time I felt a little bit of panic at one of Bracken's questions.  How to answer to strengthen his testimony, not hurt it.  To comfort but strengthen him.  I'm glad Brian was around.  He's a pretty awesome Dad!  I'm sure we'll have many more hard questions come up as time goes on.

When I grow up...

Bracken a year ago:  "When I grow up I'm going to take hard classes and drive an ambulance like Dad."

A few months ago: "When I grow up I'm going to be a cashier."

Last month:  "When I grow up I'm going to build houses with Grandpa Rob...and build roads."

Another day: "I'm a photographer."

A conversation from last week:

Brian: "Bracken, are you going to be a gentleman when you grow up?" 

Bracken:  "No, I'm going to be a farmer."

Then today he said, "Mom, I'm going to be a farmer AND a gentleman when I grow up."

Know that whatever you decide to be, we'll be proud of you.

Hobos but happy...

It's 6 or 7'o'clock. Chandra is in the same thing she wore to sleep in the night before.  Bracken chose to wear pants that are a little too small. :)  Instead of dinner we had popcorn.  They're playing in mud right by the road. We never got our hair done that day. At least you can't see me in the picture! I'll be a better mom tomorrow.