Alma 17: 7

I read scriptures to Ruger at night while I'm trying to get him to go to sleep.  Until a few weeks ago, I thought he wasn't listening.  

I was reading out loud in Alma, chapter 17 when it came to a verse (7) where it talks about the few things that the sons of Mosiah took with them (to help feed themselves) while journeying to preach the gospel.  It says they took their, "... swords, and their spears, and their bows, and their arrows, and their slings..." and then I hear this swooshing sound close to my body with the words coming out of Rugers mouth, "...and their pickaxes!"  He had picked up Hyrum's Minecraft pickaxe when he heard me talking about all these weapons.  

He is listening!

And then he fell asleep like this!

Brigham is 16!

Brigham has been wanting to go to a shooting range for a little bit.  Since David wouldn't be here on Brigham's actual birthday, David took the older boys to a range.  Just as I suspected, Brigham loved it.  With the boys not in Boys Scouts anymore, they really aren't around a lot of opportunities to use guns anymore.  But I think David and Brigham will be at the range again soon.

  Do you see the little "creeper" in between Brigham and the table?

Brigham wanted to go to Lagoon with some of his old friends.  Clayson lives about an hour and half away from us and Zoey has moved to Washington state (but was here visiting her Dad for the summer).  I love that after all these years, these 3 still get together whenever Zoey comes in.

Not to long ago, I confessed to Brigham how difficult of a toddler he was.  I told him that when he was little I used to cry and wish that he would just grow up!  I told him this because Ruger had been getting on his nerves with how loud and hyper he was.  I wanted Brigham to know, and honestly remind myself, that one day Ruger wouldn't be this hyper ball of energy.  He would change.  I told Brigham that now he is as close to a perfect teenager than I ever could have imagined.  To know Brigham as a toddler and young child and then to know him now is a night and day difference.  My most prized attribute about Brigham, that I hold very dear, is how protective he is of me.  I think I hold it so close to my heart because I used to say that even as a little baby, he didn't like me.  He was a man's man from infancy!  But as he has gotten older he has shown a protective nature of me!  He showed characteristics of watching out for others as a young child, though.  I remember when Brigham was probably around 4 or 5, Grandma Helen called him "Brigham the Defender."  Even she noticed that at his young age, he was different.  Now he is 16 and when Ruger talks back to me, Brigham won't have it!  He is firm on this every time.

I love Brigham so very much.

The Thug Life

Grandma Helen wasn't comfortable with coming with us to the mountains to watch fireworks on the 4th of July (because of Covid-19) but she did have some sparklers that she wanted the boys to enjoy.  So David took them over to her apartment the day after.  She had bandannas that she wanted to give to us as face coverings but David had a different plan!  And he even got Grandma Helen to get in on it!

Canoeing on Provo River

July 3rd was Grandma's birthday.  She would have been 79.  I knew it could possibly be a hard day so I really wanted to stay busy.  David and I decided to rent some canoes and go down Provo River with the boys.  I'm so glad we did!  Provo River doesn't have the cleanest water (which is something I am normally really picky about) but I knew David would enjoy it since he practically grew up on that river!  And for me, it made me think of my teenage years growing up in the Grove Branch and all the youth (LDS Young Women and Young Men programs) canoeing trips we went on almost every summer.

 David really wanted to find this rope swing before we went home.  Probably 30 minutes before we had to turn in the canoes, we found it!  I didn't even try to attempt it but everyone else did.  Yes, even Ruger.  That kid is fearless!

The whole day turned out to be just what I needed.  We even lost power for a few hours which turned into some makeshift adventures.  Most of all, I was so glad David was home for this bittersweet day.

Summit Trailhead

A few weekends ago we went around Alpine Loop and hiked Summit Trailhead.  David knows how much I love the Aspen trees plus its so much cooler, temperature wise, up there.

Father's/Harassment Day 2020

 I put this picture on Facebook on Father's Day and wrote this: 

"Levi has been growing out his hair so that he could put it up in a man bun just to see what David's reaction would be. When Levi first told me what he was doing I told him that I wasn't sure if David would be super proud or super disappointed! 😆 David is jealous of all of Levi's hair (it reminds him of a haircut he had growing up) but I also know how he feels about man buns so...and then Hyrum got in on it!

Today was the day for Levi to harass his Dad. Happy Father's Day to you, David!"