Caden Turns 8

Holy Moly! Caden turned 8. I was really worried about the boys turning 8, and then being held accountable for everything, but it was nothing compared to the worries with him! For his birthday he just wanted $100. He thoroughly wears out a bike every year and needed a new one, so we bought him a bike and taped the $100 bill on the handlebars. I was thinking I got away easy. Oh no! The spending of that money has about drove me crazy! I was soooooo happy when it was finally all spent! He is still living happily in Caden-Land! He is still super sweet and loving to Chet and I all the time. He cannot fully consider dinner done until he has come over, made Chet scoot his chair out, and sit on his lap. It is so funny, like clock work, every.single.night! He loves to snuggle. He loves his art still! And he LOVES to play with friends. His whole world revolves around playing with friends. He loves to ride his bike, play football, play cops and robbers, shoot his bow, OH MY GOODNESS shoot his bow, and eat! Chet has a bag in the backyard for shooting at, and Caden and the neighbor boy Conner (who is very experienced with a bow) shoot almost every night in the backyard. They love it, and Caden will do almost anything for me for bow time. He is getting very good! He hopes DESPERATLY to go hunting with Chet this year. Chet told him no because he couldn't sit still. Caden asked for how long and Chet told him 20 min. Caden sat on the lawn right then and there for over 20 min until Chet told him he could come in for dinner. He still just sat perfectly still until Chet told him he had passed the test. Then he ran inside. However, they are playing club soccer and that takes all his Saturdays for a while. Soccer. What a fun thing. They are close enough in age to be on the same team. All three boys. Caden might be the star of the 3 boys. He is the best for game one for sure. He is aggressive and skilled and passionate and fun. Then later in the day after many hours in the heat sprinting his butt off, he turns into lazy boy. When Caden makes his mind up about something, like that his legs hurt, that he is tired, or anything like that, it is MADE UP! He loses all rationality. We tease that his middle name should be Lynn after my Grandpa Lynn Smuin. He acts so much like him it is kinda scary. Everyone that knows my grandpa would know why I was scared! Caden has no fear at the amusement park. He rode every ride there. He loved all the slides at Water World too. Put a dog or cat in his path and he might just lose his mind, and all bodily function, but he loves adrenaline. He loves to dance. Tonight while at Wal-Mart he took my change from the machine and was standing far enough away from me in the self check area that I couldn't grab him and was doing this na-na-na thing while doing this hillarious pelvic shake. The employees were dying laughing, and so was he just keeping the money out of my reach. He is really into girls. He loves to chase them, write them letters, draw them pictures, etc. Luckily they all like him back so it works out good for him. He is NOT on a shortage of friends! He has a lot of friends. He loves to eat! And eat! And eat! Here's some favorites of his at this time:

Breakfast: Waffles. He eats about 2-1/2 homemade waffles. 10 squares as he calls it.

Lunch: School lunch because it's with all his friends!

Dinner: Pizza

Dessert: Ice cream and ANY other dessert known to man. We call him junk gut!

Color: every color. Every color reminds him of something or "inspires" him to do something, so whichever color is right in front of him he would claim as his favorite.

Movie: Kickin It. He likes to watch boys break dancing and riding dirt bikes!

Subject: All of them as long as he gets to do it with friends. He EXCELS at Math. And loves art. And P.E.

Over Labor Day weekend we had his baptism. He had a TON of support, both from family and friends. He invited EVERYONE! Including all the nonmember neighbors. He asked them if they knew what baptism was and if they wanted to come watch his. He is a GREAT missionary, although he still says that he cannot be away from Chet and I that long so he cannot serve as a full time missionary (Lynn I tell ya!) He loves primary! He asked his cousin Taylor to baptize him. At first I was bothered that Chet didn't mind. But we left all the decisions up to him, and it turned out amazing. He couldn't have been more proud to have Taylor doing it, and having Chet confirm him. It was a very special day, and he was very happy at all the people that were able to make it and support him. 

Cade-A-Babe, as we call him, is so special! He has some of the best qualities! I love how much he loves me and expresses that to me everyday. He is so fun and funny! I love to be around him! He makes my heart happy, and I hope that he lives an entire life full of the Holy Ghost. The night before his baptism as we kneeled down for family prayers, he said he was sooooooooooo excited to get the Holy Ghost. I hope he is always that excited about life in general, and especially the Gospel.