The unconditional love of a sibling

As we were leaving the church the other night after a Relief Society dinner, Hayden was enjoying that looong hall of the church and running down it. Of course, his running adventure took him right past the door I was trying to exit. I had a diaper bag in one hand and baby in the other, so I wasn't in a position to do much chasing. A sweet gal I had invited to attend with me was walking out with me and was kind enough to take the baby from my arms so I could chase Hayden down. I retrieved Hayden and all of us proceeded out the door. Hayden looked up to notice that Lexi was in the arms of my friend Sandra and basically came unglued. He wasn't about to let his little sister be escorted out the door by anyone besides his mother.

I found it so sweet that first of all he wasn't jumping for joy at the thought of someone else taking his baby sister home with them instead. Bless little Hayden's heart. He's shown very few signs of jealousy since Lexi was born. The only time you know he's been feeling the change is for example if I give the baby to Neil and then take Hayden in my arms and snuggle him while wathching TV or because its bed time. He will lean right into you and doesn't want to leave.

I'm so thankful for the way each of my children have always been so thrilled to welcome their new sibling into our family. I can't imagine a single one of them not being here.

With that being said, it is interesting how we all do miss Jeremy on occation. When we first moved here, it was the absolute hardest on Porter. On days he was feeling the very loneliest, he'd ask me why Jeremy couldn't be here. I'd ask him why he wanted him here so badly and he'd say, "So I'd have someone to talk to." It's a never ending question of Abi's as to when her brother is finally going to come back.

Thank goodness we know this life is just a tiny peice of eternity.

My love for cereal run-eth over

Have I mentioned Hayden as a love for cereal. I mean deep, passionate love for cereal. He would eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. He eats is out the the bag like its a snack or potato chips. He loves to carry around a bag and find a little hiding spot and sit and eat it. He's not taken to opening the pantry, getting a chair and climbing the shelves to get it.

He'll put in a bowl now and then, but sometimes his passion over-flows.

Two heavenly experiences with two angels

I wanted to celebrate both Lexi's blessing and Abi being baptized this year, so we had their pictures taken together. They turned out amazing. I just love this moment in time.

Hayden's 3rd Birthday

Hayden has such simple pleasures. I think it is the funniest thing that he has a passion or retractable pens. He sometimes carries as many as 8 at a time. He constantly takes them apart, so sometimes they don't "click" for long because the springs and small peices end up missing. So we bought him some really colorful pens just because we knew he'd like them. It was too funny to watch his face light up over "pens." You would think I'd have to worry about him writing on everything with them, but that isn't what he does with pens. What does he do with them you ask, pretends they are; airplanes, rockets, guns, swords, and my favorite, the beams that catch and trap ghosts off of "Ghostbusters." It's so fun when we can figure out what's going on in his head.

He loves to fish, well, he loves to "cast." Quite frankly, he can cast pretty much better than any of us. It's so funny. He kept stealing Abi's princess fishing pole which of course wasn't going over well with her. So Hayden got a "Cars" fishing pole. He figured out that he could run up stairs and cast it over the half wall from the loft.

I loved the new quilt grandma Anderson made me. I slept great after my big day!!!

I wanted to have a just a little friends party, but because Hayden doesn't talk much and his true passion is "pens," I wasn't sure what to do. I got brainstorming with my dear friend Donde. She asked what his favorite food was, I said "cereal." She ran with it. I decided to have a "breakfast party. We got the cute little boxes of cereal, let them make cereal necklaces out of fruit loops and licorice and instead of cupcakes, we had muffins. We just let the kids play with balloons and they thought it was great.

If nothing else, Hayden truly helps us to appreciate the simple pleasures in life. I'm so glad you were born my sweet boy!!!!