FIVE REASONS TO BE GRATEFUL TODAY

1. We are having a wonderful family Halloween party tomorrow night, and the kids are so excited.
2. The Autumn weather is here and it is beautiful.
3. Neil is doing a little better.
4. Megan got 3 A's and a B plus on her finals.
5. The Skousens might be here for Christmas and I can kiss their little faces.

MY MAN---ATTICUS

Sometimes there comes along a kid who is just amazing--not even trying to be such. This is Atticus. If you could think of all the attributes you would want in a grandson, it would be Atticus (or Cus). He is a very great kid. Not only is he the handsomest 5 year old ever, he is also the best. He loves his mama and little sister. He still gives kisses and loves without being asked. He is kind and loving and always coming up with questions. He is bright and funny and hears every word that is said (whether he should or not.) He loves playing basketball, transformers, and drawing. He does portraits of all of us, including our belly buttons!

The other night in bed after singing him at least 20 songs and tickling his back for a LONG time, he asked me if I thought Heavenly Father made the roads in Heaven chocolate. That was a question I didn't dare answer. Every morning he gets up early and gets into Scout's crib with her. He asks her questions and tells her about himself. Example: I spell my name ATTICUS, how should we spell yours? He tries to count her teeth, but she bites him, and he laughs.

Today he went to the dentist and had NO cavities. He was sure proud! He said, "I was brave but Scout was afraid to be brave." I think one of my favorite things about him is his loving spirit. If you are sleeping with him and he wakes up in the night, he looks for you, smiles, and gives you a kiss before going back to sleep. He is full of trust and love. What a great example for his sister and all of us. Megan, Grandpa and I are blessed to have him in our lives.

CHARACTER

LET US RESOLVE TO BE MASTERS, NOT THE VICTIMS, OF OUR HISTORY, CONTROLLING OUR OWN DESTINY WITHOUT GIVING WAY TO BLIND SUSPICIONS AND EMOTIONS.

MY LITTLE NAMESAKE- LILA RISHA WHITE

Not many of us can have such a beautiful little namesake. Mine happens to be Lila Risha White. I believe that the meaning of the name Lila is "full of life." At least in this case, since she is a tiny wisp of a three year old girl, with a big shiny smile, bright twinkly eyes, and wavy blonde hair. She speaks as well as an eight year old, sings in a booming voice, (Taylor Swift, Hannah Montana, and primary songs.) She dances for anyone who asks. All you have to do is say "Take a Bow" and she's off. She loves the books her mama reads her at night, and has them all memorized (that's my girl), and she never forgets! Never! She remembers incidents that happened months ago along with names and places. Everyone wants to be her best friend. She wants to work at the sparkly store when she grows up, she loves sparkles (perfect word to describe this pretty little sprite.) Her face brightens when she first sees you, and that is worth a thousand words. She is a blessing to all who know and love her.

MY HANDSOME BOY, ROMAN

I want to spotlight my handsome grandson, Roman, Aaron and Ericka's fine son. What a wonderful boy. He is a prodigy of Star Wars, every single movie, and you can't stump this little guy on one point in the movies. Talk about bright, I can't remember which movie is which. He loves his brothers, Titan and Mason. He is in first grade, and is doing so well. He can tell stories with such gusto that you are mesmerized. And his brown eyes are beautiful......not that I like brown eyes! His playful personality reminds me of his dad, and his imagination is what we all wish for, for each of our children. I love this boy who calls us and tells us he loves us. He is super!

SPOTLIGHT ON BRYTON

A friend of mine spotlights people important to him in his life. I think I shall do the same. Each day I hear or see something wonderful in the beautiful souls in my life. So maybe I will start to tell you about some of them, and why they are special to me. I would like to start with Bryton Bethany. Her mother called me this evening and told me a special story about her. It was not a surprising story, because she is such a special spirit since the day she was born. But it was a typical situation in which Bryton found herself, and, as usual, was the best friend you could hope for. She was at work with Bethany and Maria brought her grandson, who is mentally handicapped to work. Bryton took right over, helped him learn new words, colored with him and made him feel special. The grandma was pleased to tears because he had never had someone treat him kindly before. This is one of the attributes of Bryton. She is innocent, kind, helpful and loving. She sees the beauty in EVERYONE, even when others don't. I love this little girl with all of my heart. She is my ANGEL FOREVER.

FEMUR TROUBLE AGAIN

Well, no pictures today, just news. Tuesday, right before I got on the plane to return from Tempe, I got a call from Bethany that Neil had fallen again and been taken to the Hospital. He broke his femur, again, and had surgery Wednesday evening to place a rod in the bone from the hip to the knee. We are home now, and he is recovering. This is going to be a longer recovery from last time. He is quite uncomfortable, but is resting and trying to be a good patient. I will post again in a few days and put some happy pictures on the blog. Love all your little faces. xoxomom