Start of something great

We had dear Seattle friends come visit us last weekend.  It's the beginning of our winter full of weekend visitors.  For the next 5 weeks we are so lucky to have family and friends come play!

The Anderton's are first and they are awesome.  They are doers, thinkers and talkers.  Great people to hang out with.

Cher gave me a tutorial on Instagram. Just one more way to keep in touch and tell people about the minutia of of our lives.

Satruday we ate lunch at a food cart pod on N. Mississippi.  We had never ventured out them before and it was SO worth it.  We had gourmet burgers, tofu rice bowls, kimchi burittos, & roasted pork sandwiches. All divine.

Love the colors of this cart.

We also took the OHSU tram up the mountain.  Few of the kids were unsure of the height but we all survived.  The other passengers put up with all the squealing and cowering quite patiently.

Two of my favorite boys.

Jonah has always really loved John. They wrestle, they play and they enjoy each other.

The weekend was way too short but we LOVED it!  

Thanks for coming dear friends!

You're my hero

Jonah is a crack up and I love this stage of life.  Everything is fun and exciting and joyful.  He qualified for Sunbeams by 2 days so he is literally the youngest kid in the Primary.  We preemptively apologized to his teachers and could only imagine the craziness that must ensue each week.  I almost cried leaving our baby sitting in a grown up chair with all the big kids that first Sunday.  But he actually has done pretty well and LOVES Primary.   I so wish I could be in there to watch him and his antics. 

He also LOVES Bionicles.  (weird, robot alien figures you snap together) Anyway, Lucas got back into them so of course Jonah had to love them as well.  We ended up buying him one, basically to stop the fighting over Lucas'.  Well, little did we know what an obsession it would become.  JB not only played with him day in and day out, he had to sleep with the thing.  And the figure had to assume the position. Toes pointed, head up, left hand on waist, right hand pointed to the sky.  The position was everything.  Plus he wanted to sleep with the box it came in.  AND the brochure.  It was a nightly ritual to get all these things gathered for bed.  At Christmas we bought him another one.  So we began to have TWO figures posed just so, TWO boxes and TWO paper brochures to find and sleep with every night.  A little obsessive, are we?   We quickly curtailed that parentally-frustrating habit and he's back to just his stuffed animals.

Random story: We drive past the temple to get to my sister's house and the other day we were dropping him off so we could attend our ward session.  He wildly exclaimed, "Look!  It's the temple!  Issa house 'a God.  (something, something) feel the Holy Spi-wit.  Yep, the Holy Ghost." 

He still is not eating much. I still can't believe he doesn't have scurvy by now.  Bacon, chocolate chips, pepperoni pizza and Doritos are still the winners. And my sister's mega-pancakes that have everything in them but the kitchen sink.  He eats those and I know he at least getting protein and some good things.   I've decided not fight it.  I offer him a variety of food every day and pray for the best.

He loves art projects.  Aunt Marlene sent him money for his birthday and he picked out this wooden alligator that he could paint and play with.  It's been terrorizing the neighborhood ever since.

Life is lived in costume these days.   From a tender shepherd watching his flocks by night...

To a stressed out fireman battling fires all over the house.

But his passion is "being a he-woe!" He lo-oves to dress up with his cousins and fight the bad guys.  Especially the "Super-gyser" from Mars Needs Moms.  His "fave-whitt" villian.

l.o.v.e the Bennet "I'm gonna eviscerate you" face

Genet and I babysit swap every week and the kids fought in costume all day.  This Batman mask, cap and (not pictured) utility belt are the disguise of choice these days.

Sweet Paxton smile

And he is not one to run from battle.  Anyone comes up to tickle or wrestle or pretend scare him, and he does not run away screaming.  He turns and attacks.  Full on.  Nothing held back.  But if he senses you're scared of him, he is quick to remove his mask to reassure.  "It's just me!"

My view everyday as a mother of boys

Jonah, definitely my hero.

"Lukey Update"

I used to write these every month or so when starting when Lucas was a newborn.  An update to the grandparents and a few lucky family members on everything Lucas.  Random thoughts and random pictures on a kid I adore.

Being oh-so-patient with a little brother who wants to "help" with everything

School is going so much better.  He started off with straight A's in the fall and then seemed to struggle getting his homework done and actually turned in. His grades really slipped and he felt really overwhelmed.  But since we returned from break, he has a renewed commitment and things are looking up.  It's been so nice because we've been dealing with a lot of pre-teen angst and it's wonderful to have our Lucas back.

With a few of the cousins going to see The Nutcracker in Phoenix

I know one thing that has helped school is that he made some really great friends at school and church. Isn't it amazing what good friends can do? They help you find your place and know you aren't alone. Looks like we haven't ruined his life by moving after all.

Lucas' Christmas 2011 masterpiece

Patiently receiving orders from Queen Katherine, an adorable yet authoritative cousin

Luke also spends a lot of time with his cousin Jack. They have always been close. Friday night Aaron and I went on a double date and we invited Jack over to hang out with Lucas and help babysit Jonah. (Life has taken on new meaning now that we have our own babysitter! :) When we got home, Jonah was asleep (Lucas had even changed a stinky diaper! That's huge.) and the boys had spent their time watching a documentary on medieval war tactics, meticulously drawing up their own weapons and armies, and then playing it out on the stairs with Legos. Love it. 

Helping Jonah find the power to blast this year's Christmas pinata

Showing off his mad ping pong skills at the Jackson family talent show

Lucas is very thoughtful. He always puts on the seat warmer in the car for me just because he knows I love it.  He (a lot of the time) lets Jonah play with his Legos or Bionicles even when he doesn't want to, knowing he will probably just destroy all his hard work.  He still loves to cuddle with his momma and I enjoy every second he'll let me hold him.  We'll get out our books or watch a movie and he loves to sit right up close.  Then of course Jonah has to squeeze in and it all becomes one cozy dog pile.  Love it!

Just hanging out together as Luke plays a game on the computer

His favorite place on the couch to read, play on my phone or watch TV

We're getting ready for Lucas to receive the priesthood next month.  Just writing that sentence is freakin' me out!   And to think he starts YM?!?!  Who thought we'd ever get to be this old?!  I still remember when our good friend, Aaron McCall, became a deacon and the first time he was passing the sacrament Lucas, age 4, leaned over to me and stated, "When I grow up, I want to be a deacon."

All of our FHE's have been focused on preparing for this great responsibility and Lucas has been very honest and open about his testimony and the places he wants to strengthen his knowledge and faith.  We have had some thoughtful discussion and I love how he actually ponders on his beliefs.  My parents challenged him to read the Book of Mormon on his own by his 12th birthday and he has diligently read almost everyday this past year.  He'll be done just in time for his birthday and I am so proud of his determination when reading comes slowly to him.

This kid loves to talk and shares all that goes on in his head.  It's a Williams trait and I love it.  If I can just keep him talking through these next years, we may survive.

I sure love my not-so-baby boy.