Friday favorites

* Carter loves public speaking.  He loves when it's his turn in primary to do the scripture, talk or article of faith. And luckily for him, he can memorize things really easily.  He'll tell you a scripture or article of faith he's memorized if you ask him.  He just loves standing at the pulpit at church and speaking.  So, every fast and testimony meeting he is dying to bear his testimony.  I do mean, dying.  He will constantly ask and ask and ask the whole meeting long.  At first Tom and I just told him no.  He was so little and would definitely need help.  But after a month or so of distracting him we had to let him go.  It's not a bad thing to bear your testimony right?  But  I really didn't want to help him since we're not really supposed to do that.  Tom and I have both helped him do it for a few months now.  Last Sunday he was insistent again about bearing his testimony so I told him that he would have to do it by himself if he wanted to do it.  I asked him what he wanted to say and we put together a little testimony he could bear (and easily memorize to say by himself).  He was dying to go up to the pulpit and he ran up there.  He stood at the pulpit and hesitated for a few moments.  I got nervous that he forgot what he memorized.  So, I started to stand up to go help him.  Then he said, "I...." and paused again.  So I sat down.  And then he finally remembered and said, "I love Jesus. I love Heavenly Father. I love to read the scriptures. I know we have a prophet. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen."  He was pleased as punch at himself and he made me cry.  And then after that mature performance he came back to the pew, laid on the floor and fought with Gavin.

* A favorite I forgot from last week is that Tom has started framing our basement!  I think it will be my favorite thing of the year if I mean when we finish it.  Our family of six desperately needs more space.

* We spent Monday visiting Tom's parents.  It was a Christmas visit since when we were going to visit for Christmas they were sick and we were sick so we didn't go.  The kids loved visiting with their grandparents and playing with their cousins when they came for dinner.  We definitely missed the snow since they have a great yard for sledding.

*Tom took the 3 oldest kids to a movie since they were still off track this week.  They went to Puss in Boots at the dollar theatre.  Yet, it's not quite a dollar movie when it's 3D.  More like the 3 dollar and something theatre.

*The kids and I went to one of Carter's favorite place in the world on Thursday-- Planet Play.  Although Carter usually calls it Incredible Pizza since that's what it used to be called.  Carter loves it because.... (if you know Carter I'll give you one guess why)... it has bowling!  Miniature bowling that is so Carter can easily throw the ball.  Gavin discovered a basketball arcade game just his size.  Zac discovered you could spend all your money on your card in very little time by playing the arcade game that gives you lots of tickets.  Then he discovered that he has a nice sister that chose to play games that he could participate in.  This is our first time ever leaving Planet Play without Carter crying.  That was because he bought a miniature bowling set with the tickets he earned.  We may buy one every time we go there (not very often).