8 is great!

Today is a special birthday for our Colby. I can't believe he's 8 years old already. I feel like he should still be age 4. It seems like every year goes by faster but each year gets better and better! Colby is all boy. He burps and wrestles with his brothers. But I also see him trying to have good manners. He always tells me thank you when I make dinner or give him something. He helps with chores around the house and takes turns mowing the lawn. Colby also has a tender heart. I have watched him with Grahm, and he explains things to him, and will often hug and kiss him. He makes sure he's safe when they are playing and is protective of him. I love our piano lesson days. Colby has real potential and I see him improve each week. He likes to make things and tries his best. He likes to play baseball, soccer and be outside. I've said this so many times, but Colby has the sweetest face and warmest smile. He is fun and just an incredible boy. We love Colby so much!

8 things I love about Colby Mark Williams!

He has a cute sense of humor.

He is kind.

He is a good sport.

He is a great friend.

He is curious.

He is determined.

He is confidant and fearless!

He is strong.

Happy 8th Birthday Colby

Happy 8th Birthday Colby!

Bugs and Butterflies Birthday Date...

Thursday I took Cash on a birthday date to the Butterfly Biosphere. It's at Thanksgiving Point’s Water Tower Plaza. It's bigger than I expected, about 40,000 square feet and over a thousand butterflies from all over the world. There are also tarantulas, beetles as big as your fist, ants, and lots more creepy crawlies! Cash loved it and he knew just about as much as the staff about all the bugs. Our favorites were the ant exhibit and the butterfly exhibit. The butterfly exhibit was like being in a tropical rainforest. 

Cash took most of these pictures, he's good! 

 Tarantula! 

Leaf cutters, there were several feet of tubes you could see the ants crawling through and carry leaves. It was very cool.

Glowing scorpion

Stick bug, can you see it?

I love this picture. The butterflies liked Cash!

I got Cash his favorite sushi and we had fun the rest of night playing games, and watching a show. He slept over and I enjoyed having some extra time with our oldest grandson. Cash is so wonderful and we love him.

Grahm!

A whole decade...

Zero to 10... just like that Cash is 10 years old! A darling little baby to a amazing young man in the blink of an eye. For the past ten years we have been simply loving him and enjoying the daylights out of every moment spent with Cash Harrison Williams! 

We had a fun celebration on Sunday for Cash. 

We love him so much!

I inadvertently put "you are polite" twice, but Cash is so polite and much more!

 

Happy Birthday Cash, I hope you have a splendid year! 

Double Digits...

Dear Cash,

You came into this world the evening of September 14, 2010. I was so excited to meet you and hold you. I loved before you were born. My heart melted the first time I saw you. I could not hold back the tears when I saw what a beautiful baby you were. You are such an incredible blessing to us. I wanted to be the best grandmother possible, but I knew I would make some mistakes. I had the most wonderful grandma and I thought if I were even half as good as she was, it would be enough.

One of the things I am most thankful for is that I have been able to spend a lot of time with you. There have only been a few weeks in the last ten years that I didn’t get to see you. Grandma Days almost every week have been such a joy for me.

I pray for you everyday. I pray for your health and happiness. I pray that you will come to know the plan Heavenly Father has for your life, and that you pray to Him and ask for direction. My Dad always told me that God had a plan for my life, and I know He has one for your life as well. One of my favorite scriptures in the Bible is in Proverbs 3:5,6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.

There is another scripture that matches this one in Alma 37:36

 Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.

The Lord has not left us to walk through this journey alone. We don’t have to figure everything out by ourselves. As we recognize Him, cry unto Him for support, (cry means to pray), and trust Him, then He will direct our paths, and wherever we go, it will be in the Lord. It is a beautiful promise. It is the best way to travel through life.Trust in the Lord… and He will direct your path. I look forward to watching that plan unfold. I have already been praying that you find the right wife for you, even though that’s years down the road. I pray that you come to know for yourself that the gospel is true and that you feel the grace that comes by having faith in Jesus Christ. 

You have been given an incredible mom and dad. It’s not easy being parents, it’s hard work. It’s a huge responsibility, but I know they love you so much. They will make mistakes too, but they only want the best for you. I hope no matter what, you respect them and try to always have a good relationship with them. I will always be supportive of your parents and you.

I promise to always be there for you. When you get old enough to have a cell phone, your calls will always be a priority. I hope you call me sometimes! The years go by too rapidly, so I want to spend as much time as possible with you.

I am one of your biggest fans and cheerleaders! I don’t know what path you will pursue, but I will be there to encourage you. I have said this before, but I think you might be an engineer or a scientist. You are smart and clever. You are also a good artist!

It has been such an incredible privilege and pleasure to watch you grow, and develop your own unique personality. I look forward to the years ahead.

You are our first grandchild; you were a dream come true. I love you so very much Cash. You may not fully know the breadth and depth of my love until you have your own children and grandchildren. But please know that I love you, I will tell you that often.

I realize that life is brief, and I won’t always be with you. But I pray that I will leave you a legacy of love and happiness. I want you know that I was committed to living with faith, and following the example of the Savior.

Double digits, a decade old, and almost as tall as me! 

Happy 10th Birthday Cashee boy!