The little things.....

Sitting back tonight remembering yesterday and today.....times spent with two of the loves of my life.

Haley and Hayden came to stay the night with us last night - Chase was working late and Angie was running a 1/2 marathon with Moe this morning......so just a sweet time to have my babies come and stay.  I must say, they are so very special.

Haley is growing up so fast.  I still remember the very first time i met her - and oh my goodness, how the time has flown.  She is just beautiful inside and out.  I am so very proud of her.  We found out yesterday that she has been invited to attend Leadership Camp for Sky Ranch next summer.  It's quite an honor - there will be only 50 there in Colorado next June/July.  Haley is growing so much in her relationship with the Lord and i am just so very proud of the young woman she's becoming.  I couldn't love this little girl one bit more if she had my blood running through her veins.  She's mine.....totally and i love her so very much.  Haley and i had fun watching all the reality shows - The X Factor.....Shark Tank.......i love to hear her laugh and when she does, those blue eyes flash......she's such a sweetheart.  I know most times she would much rather be with her friends.....but she's so sweet to come and stay with us.  I love spending time with her - she makes me laugh.

Oh my goodness.....and then there's that sweet little blue-eyed boy.....

Oh my goodness, be still my heart!  Here he is with Allie - or as he calls her "aya" - I was so surprised at how much he's talking now!  My fear was he would tell me things and i wouldn't be able to understand him....but Angie said not to worry.....just tell him what you think he's staying and he will tell you if you are right or wrong.  Luckily only a couple of times did i have trouble - and Haley was a big help - in face she said "i am really being a good interpreter for Hayden"!

So many funny things happened during their stay.  There's a rule i have at Mimi and Papa's - one is what happens at Mimi and Papa's stays at Mimi and Papa's.....and another rule is - we MUST stay up late!  Too much fun to have to go to bed early.  That usually hasn't applied for Hayden, but last night it did.  I kept staying "I think it's time for you to be nite nite boy" - and his quick reply was "no nite nite"...he was so good and just played with his Truck Trucks, his Bye Bye's and an elmo bus.  He spend the evening putting blocks in the bus and then driving them around - then taking them all out.....only to put them back in again.  If he sees an iPhone or an iPad his first words are "I see?" - and if he gets close enough it's "i do!"  And boy can that little one work an iphone or ipad.  It's amazing!  Last night as he played with his toys, a storm was brewing outside......and soon it started hailing and hitting the dining room window- the thunder and lightening boomed and lit up the sky - i watched Hayden.....he stopped what he was doing and stared at the window at the top of our front door......he stared for just about a minute and then he got up so quickly and came running to me.....he had such a scared look on his face.  For the rest of the night - even tho the storm came and went, he kept his eye on that front door.....and he didn't leave my lap!  I hate for him to be scared.....but oh my, how sweet to hold my baby boy.  I kept telling him it was okay.....that we were safe.....i told him it was just thunder and i said "thunder, you go away!" - the rest of the night if even a little rumble came, he would arch those eyebrows and look at me and say "funder go way!  He stayed up with us until about 10:30.....when it was truly time to be nite nite boy, he was so precious......he didn't fuss one bit!  We went upstairs and read a book - it was a dora dora scavenger hunt book and he amazed me at all the things he knew......my goodness, he's so smart!  He saw a number "2" written and he said "there's a 2" - well yes sir little man......you are right!  We got to the end and he said "again" - but i told him it was very late and we need to say our prayers and be nite nite boy.  He held me tight as i prayed......just prayed and prayed for that sweet boy....and then he hugged but big and as i put him into his bed i told him to get a good night sleepers and we would wake up in the morning and play - he just laid down his sweet head, grabbed his sippy cup and put a hand on his firetruck and said "tay" - which is his way of saying "okay" - my heart just about melted!

The next morning, he didn't wake up until 9:15!!!!  And that's unheard of!  I woke up before he did and i went into his room and just sat and watched him sleep.....Haley was sleeping in too so i thought i would just take that time and say some prayers and wait for him to wake up.  Pretty soon his eyes opened and he looked around kind of like "oh yeah.....i'm at mimi and papa's" - but when he saw me, he got the biggest grin on his face and he's up for the day!

One of the first things he wants when he gets up is "choc moo moo" - this little boy LOVES chocolate milk!  He's not a really good eater, so when he says to me "Mimi, choc moo moo pease?" I told him we would have to wait until after breakfast.....and then offered to let him help me make the eggs.....i already had cinnamon rolls in the oven -

He was such a good helper.  I got him the little stool i have used for Addy and Avery and set him at the counter.....first i had to crack the eggs into the bowl.....he watched me do the first one and he said "me do?" - so i handed him and egg and helped him tap it on the counter.....but i couldn't catch him before he put it over the bowl and squeezed.....egg and eggshell goes everywhere - luckily all into the bowl but he looks at me with this awful look on his face and goes "EWWWWWWW!" oh my - he didn't like that egg on his hands!  Needless to say he didn't say "me do" for that part anymore!  Once we got the egg shell out of the bowl we dumped them into the pan.  He loved stirring the eggs and being mimi's helper.  I had sausage cooking in another pan on the stove and he kept pointing and saying "mimi....no"i am guessing he doesn't like sausage - so i ask him if i could fix him bacon - no.....and he points to the cinnamon rolls.....quite a few times he pointed to the cinnamon rolls!  Once i got his breakfast on the table, he was quick to crawl up in his chair - i told him we needed to say the prayer and right away he bowed his little head and put his hands up under his chin.....he's SO serious during the paryer......he always keeps his eyes closed tight and he doesn't budge until someone says "amen" - then he says "AMEN!" - I just pray dear Lord that you take that precious little life and do GREAT things with him as he grows......i pray that he loves You Lord so very much....early in his life and that many will come to know You because of him.....you know....since he was just a TINY thing - he's always just seemed to KNOW when the prayer is being said.  It's like nobody every had to tell him to bow his head and be serious and quite.....he just did it.  To my surprise, the first bite he takes is the eggs.....maybe he wanted to taste of what he cooked =)  But he had trouble getting all the bites on the fork.....so i reached over and helped him get some on his fork....."tan tu" he would tell me.  "more pease" and so the pattern was set....i would get a bite on his fork and he would ALWAYS tell me "tan tu".  Angie told me she wasn't having to prompt him with his manners anymore.....he even says "tuse me" if he needs to get by in a tight squeeze!  He ate an awesome breakfast.

Shortly after he got down and started playing he asked me "mimi, choc moo moo pease?".  Angie dilutes his chocolate milk and i was doing the same.  The night before i put about 1/2 and 1/2 but this morning i put even less chocolate milk and mostly regular milk....i handed him his sippy cup.....he tucked it under his arm as he usually does and off he goes.  Shortly he comes back to me and says "Mimi?  Bad Choc moo moo!"  Guess i didn't get the mix right =)

This little boy just melts my heart......He's SO very sweet.  I love that everything he says is a double....Dora Dora, truck truck, bye byes - i wish i could take the last 24 hours and bottle them up and open them over and over......just blessings in my life.....when they say Mimi.....my heart just overflows with a love like no other......

My heart is full.