Seven years old!

My oldest child is SEVEN years old!  When did that happen?!  We've had quite the day to celebrate our Dillon.  It started with balloons all over his bedroom and I let him open one present so he could wear a cool new shark shirt to school.

 As soon as he got on the bus, Wesley and I hopped in the car to head to the school to help with birthday books -- which just happened to be on his actual birthday.  He was so excited when Wesley and I walked into his classroom.  He was completely surprised.  Fun!  And he only had a half day of school, so he was home in time for lunch, which we enjoyed outside since the weather was so beautiful.  Dillon had already started reading the birthday book he'd picked out at school.

 We made a trip to the public library and then hurried home for naps.  Then off to the park for a casual little birthday party.  The kids got to decorate their own cupcakes.  And I'm proud to the say the homemade frosting turned out!

 Birthday Boy!

 We had a hard time with the candle, thanks to a beautiful breeze, so please excuse the overload of ME in this picture. :)

Caleb seemed to enjoy the cupcakes, actually more than he did his own cake on his birthday

 I worried when the ice cream truck pulled into the parking lot.  I always tell the boys, "No treats from the ice cream truck unless it's your birthday."  And here we were, on his birthday, after eating cupcakes, and low and behold, there's the ice cream truck.  So, I caved and let him get something.  All the other kids were really good sports.  The blue Sonic ice cream will help you understand the blue mouth in the rest of the pictures...

 His friends were kind enough to bring a couple gifts.

 And then we headed home for more.

 This boy loves all things sharks!

 Then off to All Aboard Diner for dinner.

 Dillon shared his free dessert because he was "pretty stuffed."  Um, maybe the cupcakes AND ice cream AND pizza AND french fries AND chocolate milk were enough!

 Great Grandma sent some money and we asked Dillon if he wanted to use it to get a Betta fish (we had a coupon he'd been eyeing for weeks).  So we got our first pet EVER. 

 Dillon was delighted to pick out and name Reddie Freddie and bring him to his new home.  He was grinning from ear to ear the whole ride home.  He also informed us that his birthday wish had come true -- he'd wished to get a pet!

So we've had quite the day!  Dillon was in heaven and was actually really really sweet and grateful for everything!

I love Dillon.  It may sound simple, but he continues to be a great sleeper and eater, and I'm realizing more and more what a blessing it is that Dillon has never fought us on those issues.  Dillon is awesome on his bike.  He can go forever, uphill, downhill, fast, slow -- this boy is in control when he bikes.  He is a great reader. He especially likes reading anything about animals.  Dillon LOVES animals, especially ocean animals, his favorite being the blue shark. He can tell you all kinds of crazy facts about different species and habitats.  It's fun to see him get excited about things he loves.

I love this boy's icy blue eyes and when he stops to thank me for simple things.  Happy Birthday to our Dillon!

Elder Oaks

The organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is patterned after the church in Christ's time, with prophets and apostles. These men are called of God and it is a privilege if you ever get to cross paths with one of them. It's almost like meeting a spiritual celebrity! 

On Thursday evening, Dallin H. Oaks, one of the 12 apostles, was awarded the 2012 Lee Leiberman Otis Award for distinguished service by the Federalist Society at The University of Chicago Law School.  Aaron and I decided it would be a neat opportunity to see a Church leader recognized for service outside the Church. So we grabbed our friends -- a fellow lawyer and his wife -- and made it a double date. 

It was really neat to hear stories from Elder Oaks's life and realize all he has done for the legal world. What an impact he has had. The presentation was held in a small auditorium with maybe 50-75 people. It's rare to meet with an apostle in that small a setting. At the beginning of his remarks, Elder Oaks clarified that he was not speaking for the Church and he didn't want his words published on the internet. These leaders have to be so careful, don't they? He also mentioned that he had not prepared a formal address as that would have fallen outside the scope of his responsibilities as a general authority for the Church. Isn't that amazing? His calling as an apostle is so important that he really shouldn't take much time doing anything else. Wow! Pretty awesome. I was just really grateful to have the opportunity to hear him speak for a moment and to feel of the spirit he brought with him, particularly when he spoke about service.

I felt like a star struck fan afterward when we approached him and asked for a picture. Aaron made sure to mention that we are from Twin Falls, Idaho. Elder Oaks told us that he went to first and second grade at "the Washington School" on Blue Lakes Boulevard (the school isn't there any more), and that he might still live in Twin Falls if his father had not died at an early age. Cool, eh?! It was fun to have a little connection to make with him. 

I'm grateful for wonderful men like Elder Oaks to help guide us through this crazy world we live in, and so grateful we were able to meet him in person. Thanks for coming with us, Foxes!

More sentences

I wanted to record a few more first grade sentences.  Dillon just has a way with words!

• I am kiwi! It is easy being green.  I am a sweet fruit.  I am a healthy fruit to eat.  When I am dried I taste a little better.  I can be sliced up.  It is easy being green!  However, I'm not eaten very often.
• Did you know my favoret kind of shark is the blue shark? One of my favoret animals is the shark.  Sharks are very agresive. 
• I found a ring in my closet.  It was an inch wide and three cm tall.  It was golden.  My wish was if I could work at the Shed Acwareeum.  I grew up and it came true.
• Reading is magical becouse it can tell you new things.  I love to read.  I read a 10 chapter book in two days twice.  It was called snowy.
• I am 47 inches tall.  The color of my eyes is blue.  These are some words that describe me: smart, lazy, fun, nice, happy, strong.  My favorite color is blue.  My favorite toy is a new ras car Lamdergeeny.  My best school subject is werk.  This is what I like to do most: play whith new toys.
• I am lucky.  To begin with, I am lucky because  I love dolphins and I have a stuffed animal dolphin.  I have the book Dolphin Take in my desk.  My favorite animal is the dolphin.  Next, I am lucky because I like to read and I have lots of books.  I read a lot.  My hobby is reading.  Finally, I am lucky because I have toys to play with.  I play a lot.  I like to play.  I am lucky!  I wish I could be so lucky that I had six leopard sharks!
• Here are five great things about me! I care about the earth. I love animals and my whole family including me. I love to eat. I love to read.
  
   


 While we're talking about Dillon, he lost two teeth this last Saturday.  They were both dangling so Aaron and I gave him a little incentive if he'd let us pull them out. He had spotted a shark pee-wee pillow pet at the store that morning.  We'd pay for 1/2 if he used his money for the other 1/2 -- IF we pulled both teeth out that day. Aaron pulled one and Dillon pulled the other himself!


So, he's got two new holes in his head, one on top of the other.


We love our Dillon!