Bradshaw Top Ten from . . . Whenever

Jumping right back in to our Top Tens.  If only I hadn't been neglectful of writing down the little gems.  Ah well.  I can only start where I am, right.  So . . . without further ado, I'm back in the saddle and read to roll.

10) Mom-: Eli, what do you want for your birthday?
E: A box of donuts, Cookie Crisp, and an iPod. 

We followed through on 1 of the 3.  And then we prepared ourselves to have one sad, sad little boy on his birthday.  Meh.  He survived.

9) Eli: What did Isaac say?
M: Why don't you ask him?
Eli: (while making honking noises) Nah, I don't want to know.
M: Why not?  He's sitting right here.
Eli: Because he's a PUNK!!

Whatever.

8)  Another spring birthday season . . . we survived!  Yay!!  Laser tag for Isaac's 10th bday party, a last minute Chuggington 4th bday party for Eli, a swimming party for Kye's 12th bday at the Provo Rec, and perhaps the easiest--calling Zach to wish him a happy 41st on his fishing trip to Mexico. 

7)  Eli: Ugh!  My stomach !! (Clutching it)
M: What's wrong with your stomach?
E: Ugh!  That song is stuck in my stomach.
Z: You have a song stuck in our stomach?  Which song?  Itsy Bitsy spider?  Did you swallow a spider?!?!?!

6) We went from this . . .

 to this . . .

 in like 10 seconds.  CanNOT believe Kye is old enough to pass the sacrament.  And props to our Bishop, who allowed us to sustain Kye the Sunday before his birthday so that he could be ordained on his birthday and go to the temple the next day.  And the next week again at the Gilbert temple, and the next week back in Provo with Justin and Mal.  Love that he was so excited to go perform service in the temple.

 On his birthday.  Opening gifts and after being ordained to the office of a Deacon.

Provo temple:

 Gilbert temple:

5)  M: Eli!! How was your first day of Primary?
E: Ehhh.  It wasn't very exciting.  I didn't sing any songs except snowman.
M: What did you do in class?
E: Drank caprisuns.  Read books.  Colored.  And I got a smartie.

I know it's gone up from there, but bless his teachers' hearts.  And that's all I'munna say about that.

4) Successful discectomy performed!  A few weeks of numbness/weakness/residual nerve pain while healing later, and viola!   No more sciatic pain.  It's a beautiful thing.  And it was especially awesome to have my mom here helping the week after surgery and knowing that everything was taken care of and that I didn't have to worry about anything but healing.  Thank goodness for moms!  (Or as Eli put it when he was saying our family prayer, "Thanks that my lovely grandma could come visit me.")

3)  Lucy (on the way home from the library): You know that the boys must be engrossed (rhyming it with bossed) in a book when they don't complain that we're listening to Shake It Off on the radio.
M: Lu, it's pronounced engrooooossed.
L: It IS?!?!?!?!  Well, my whole life is a lie.

2)  Zach: Eli!!!  How many times are you going to ask me that?!?
Eli (shrugging): I don't know.  Probably several.

1) Another successful AZ spring break trip.  Like last Thanksgiving, I flew down (this time with Eli) while Zach drove the other kiddos in 9 hours and 45 minutes.  Pretty sure that's record setting time traveling with 4 kids.  Lucy loves sitting in front, the boys love playing on iPads while listening to books on CD, and I love flying.  Win-win-win.  And then tons of good weather, swimming, good food, and family time while in AZ.  Win-win-win-win. 

Watching Cinderella at my favorite theater ever:

 Swimming:

My Family by Adam

I love my dad.  My dad is good at sleeping in.  I like my dad becaus he plays on his iPhone.  I love my mom.  My mom likes to exrsising.  I like my mom becaus she is helpful.  I love Lucy.  I like Lucy becaus she played annie.  Lucy is good at piano.  I love Isaac.  I like Isaac becaus he plays with Eli.  Isaac is good at martial arts.  I love Kye.  Kye is good at reading.  I like Kye becaus he is full of ideas.  I love Eli.  Eli likes to be loud.  I like Eli becaus he is playful.  I love my family.  I am good at acting out animals.  I like to play pokemon.

Happy Moomer's Day to this Lady

My exceptionally good looking mama:

 

Happy Mother's Day.  I love you.

Love One Another Box 2104

As per our Easter week tradition, we filled out Love One Another cards:

I love Dad because:

• he likes to wrestle with the boys (Lucy)
• he works hard and plays with our kids (Mom)
• he helps us on video games (Kye)
• he plays football and basketball (Kye)
• he plays video games with me (Isaac)
• I love Isaac and daddy and my eggs (Eli)
• he wrestles with me (Kye)
• he is wrestleable (Isaac)
• he does puzzles with me (Adam)

I love Mom because:

• she cooks for us (Kye)
• she helps me when I'm sick (Adam)
• she helps me with my homework (Lucy)
• she is the best mom and wife in the world (Dad)
• she makes dinner for me (Isaac)
• takes us on family adventures (Isaac)
• she listens to me (Lucy)
• she loves us so much and does things for us (Kye)
• she cleans up after Eli (Isaac)

I love Lucy because:

• she plays soccer with us (Isaac)
• I love that she talks to me and that we are friends (Mom)
• she is nice to me and plays games (Kye)
• she is a great help watching the other kids and is always thoughtful of others (Dad)
• she talks to me when I want to (Kye)
• she plays soccer with me (Adam)
• she helps me (Isaac)

I love Kye because:

• he plays wii with me (Adam)
• he almost always has a smile on his face (Isaac)
• he helps me with my homework (Isaac)
• of his crazy/goofy grin and the glint in his eye (Mom)
• he helps me with video games (Kye)
• he is so smart! (Lucy)
• he likes to play basketball with me (Dad)

I love Isaac because:

• he plays with me (Adam)
• he is compassionate when others are sick or injured (Mom)
• he tells funny stories (Kye)
• he likes to play football with me (Dad)
• he will always play b-ball with me even when he doesn't want to (Kye)
• he plays marbles with me (Eli)
• he plays wii with me (Kye)
• he is always wanting to play with me (Kye)
• he is optimistic (Lucy)

I love Adam because:

• he loves reading (Lucy)
• he says the most random and funny things (Lucy)
• he is (almost) always happy
• he likes to do puzzles with me (Dad)
• he is goofy (Kye)
• of his smile (Isaac)
• he has an awesome smile (Mom)
• he plays with me (like this [rolls on floor])
• he can always make me laugh (Lucy)
• he has a cute smile and an awesome laugh that makes me want to laugh (Mom)
• he always wants to play video games (Isaac)

I love Eli (shmeeli) because:

• he is excited to play (Kye)
• he is fun to play with (Dad)
• he is full of energy (Isaac)
• his smile helps me feel better (Kye)
• when he is happy, he is so much fun! (Mom)
• he is so sweet! (most of the time)  (Lucy)
• he likes to sing "Hope of A-merry-ca!"
• he makes a mess we have to clean up (Isaac)
• he calls me Lulu or Lu and it's adorable! (Lucy)
• he is happy (Isaac)
• he is a great dancer (Kye)

I love Jesus because:

• because of him, I can be with Dad, Lucy, Kye, Isaac, Adam and Eli FOREVER! (Mom)
• He atoned for us (Kye)
• He died for us (Kye)
• He atoned for my sins (Lucy)
• He came to earth to help us (Isaac)
• He is always there for us (Kye)
• He loved me enough to die for me (Mom)
• He was resurrected for me (Isaac)
• I will be resurrected, too (Adam)

Kye=11

Kye and Eli (2011)

He was a little sad the letter from Hogwarts didn't show up, as are most muggle Harry Potter fans.  When we went to AZ, everyone shared their thoughts about Kye.

Kye is: smart, a great leader and so interested in learning, smart (again), smart (I notice a pattern) and considerate to others, Wii!, playful, friendly . . . I love you!, nice, cool and fun, plays with Porter and Cade and Cooper and Garrett, fun, really kind, awesome, "I love you play games with you," funny, good at chess, good at Wii, loves to play chess, smart, funny, good at games, adorable and good at math and games, my favorite cuz.

I would add considerate and thoughtful, loves basketball and chess and Harry Potter and reading, can be goofy and silly, and loves TWIX!

Happy birthday, Kye!

Zach: 40 things in 40 years

YOU . . .

1)      Made it from heaven to earth successfully

2)      Survived tuberculosis

3)      Burned off your eyebrows and eyelashes

4)      Played with 38 nieces and nephews

5)      Cut out countless pieces of wood for various projects

6)      Ate thousands of slices of pizza

7)      Celebrated 14 Father’s Days

8)      Rode roller coasters in Florida, California, and Texas

9)      Traveled to Tahiti, Korea, Japan, China, Russia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada & Vietnam

10)  Healed from a broken leg, a broken hand, a broken arm, a broken ankle, and a separated shoulder

11)  Remembered Sarah’s birthday (finally!)

12)  Dipped your toes in the Atlantic and Pacific

13)  Wrestled, played sand volleyball, baseball, basketball, golfed, played badminton, soccer, and bowling

14)  Helped create 5 children

15)  Visited 45 states

16)  Earned a presidential scholarship to BYU and kept it

17)  Served an honorable full time mission in New Jersey

18)  Married for eternity in the Mesa temple

19)  Honeymooned at Disneyland

20)  Solved 1000 piece puzzles in record time at the cabin

21)  Cruised the Caribbean

22)  Moved 14 times, bought 4 homes, and sold 2

23)  Served in the Church, in whatever way you have been asked

24)  Swam with stingrays

25)  Helped create a business from almost the ground up

26)  Graduated from the nations #1 “Hottest and Brainiest” school (BYU) with a business degree

27)  Dove off cliffs in Jamaica

28)  Helped millions of kids learn to speak English and read

29)  Tasted octopus, seaweed, shark, squid, coagulated duck’s blood, chicken feet and other unmentionables

30)  Visited Kirtland, Multnomah Falls, the White House, and an Alaskan Bear Reserve

31)  Annoyed the heck out of every family member by beating them at games

32)  Gave countless priesthood blessings

33)  Chased a rolling truck down the street . . . and then left a note when it hit an unoccupied car

34)  Hula-ed on Oahu and whale-watched on the Big Island

35)  Viewed Plymouth Rock, climbed the Statue of Liberty, and scrambled up Independence Rock in the Wyoming wind

36)  Influenced hundreds by your quiet example of following Christ

37)  Paved a driveway, helped remodel and house and other projects

38)  Snorkeled Turtle Bay

39)  Survived falling out of a moving car, rolling an ATV down a mountain, countless concussions, flipping a bike down a mountain, and 40 awesome years on this planet

40)  ARE LOVED BY A FAMILY LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE YOU!

HAPPY 40^TH BIRTHDAY!

Words used to describe you from our Bradshaw family: best uncle, nice, a great uncle, good at basketball, good uncle, "your quiet leadership is so important to our family," loves to wrestle, funny and fun, "I like your house," smart, caring, calming, amazing, one of the most giving people I know, a great dad, smart, BYU, fun and funny, Zach is the awesomeness, smart, cheats at games!  (I wonder who that was from . . . (ahem) Lindsey), knowledgeable, wise, Zach is a good cousin, smart, AWESOME!

Top Ten from . . . whenever.

10) Adam: What if it was Del Broccoli instead of Del Taco?  Then everything would have broccoli in it.  Like broccoli and cheese and broccoli soup, broccoli salad . . .

(Incidentally, the more I spell broccoli, the more it feels like I'm spelling it wrong.)

9) Eli: Swugbug, what color?  Gween!  Bwue!  Yewow!  Wed!  Nooooooo , . . it's gowd. 

8) Whenever Kye has a twinkie (yellow school bus) sighting, he inevitably cries out, "TWINKIE!  HahaHA!"  Vindictive.

7) M: But don't you want to have roses bloom beneath your feet?
Isaac: Actually, mom, that would really hurt.  Unless they didn't have thorns.

I never did understand that line. . .

6)  M: Is that your sister and brothers?
Eli: Yeah.
M: You're so lucky.
Eli: I AM lucky!

Awwww . . . sibling love.

5)  Eli: I wan go saths cluv.  Please, canwe pllllleeeeeeeeeease?
M: You want to go to Sam's Club?  Why?!?!?
Eli: Because I loooooove it!

Curse you, tempting lunchtime samples!

4)  Eli: Mom, I need to go da bed.
M: Okay.  Are you ready for your nap?
Eli: Yeah.
Adam: No!  Stay up with me.
Eli: No.  I need da nap
Adam: You LIKE to nap!?!?
Eli: It's so bad.  I LUTH it!
M: You love naps?
Eli: Yeah.  I'n tired.

3) Lucy (sitting down to dinner):  Mmmmmmmmmm.  Something smells really good.  What is it?
Adam: It's probably me.

2) Heard after anything is discussed that Eli doesn't agree with:  Dat's DISDUSTING!

1) Isaac (saying dinner prayer after some major pre-dinner complaining by all): Please bless the food that it will be better than anyone thinks.

And there you have it.  A conglomeration of months' worth of Top Ten notes that I actually remembered to record.  Yay me.