Just when you think you have passed terrible 2s, you get to experience treacherous 3s! Where to begin where to begin, Kan was a delightful 2 year old; he has proven to be a very taxing 3 year old. Everything that once seemed easy has become quite the challenge, who ever knew a 3 year old could argue like an adult? Their cute little stubborn souls are caught between the toddler world and the grown up world and in the midst of trying to figure out what place they hold, that place usually involves a timeout. There is a definite list of struggles that we've been challenged with in the last little while with Kanman. He is a persistent, repetitive, stubborn, ruthless, fiesty, ambitious, mouthy (at times), ball of wonder. If only I could climb into his little head and figure out how his mind processes things, to try and understand him better. He's struggled with baby Kimbree and her getting attention that he thinks belongs to him. He will not take no for an answer which has often resulted in hitting or throwing objects. He can go from ecstatic to temper tantrum in minus 2 seconds. We've found that being stern with him results in the best outcome but sometimes that simply doesn't work either. He wants to be king of the castle, ruler of the roost, large and in charge what he fails to realize is he's just a little guy and can't handle that responsibility; bless his little "BIG" heart. Kan definitely presents us with some major challenges but he is also an absolute delight to have around. He's querky and funny and can make up the most outlandish of stories that you can't help but smile over. He's busy and inquisitive about most everything in general. He's still a momma's boy which is a blessing and a curse but the quantities of love that pore out of my heart for him are limitless.
In life there are a number of milestones that will tug at a mother's heart strings and as I stood back and watched Father Hope baptize our 4 children, I couldn't stop the tears from flowing. There is a sense of peace and tranquility that fills up all of the extra hidden corners in your heart when you see God's love pouring into your children. Kaleb and Kennedy were the oldest to be baptized, although it is something I've wanted to do for several years, I also wanted it to be their choice since their dad is a different religion than myself. I'm so glad they finally decided they were ready. All of the kids have the same Godparents (Bill and Toni Thayn) however; due to a world championship cookoff they were unable to attend and Lydia Burrola stood as proxy in their absence. There were 16 children total that were baptized on March 15, 2014 and it was a super incredible experience to be part of. We attended a pot luck at the church's hope center after the ceremony where large quantities of pasta salad were consumed and later regretted. I'm so grateful for the family that was able to attend and miss the ones who weren't. Religion is a foundation that should be instilled in every child and now that our children are baptized there is a sense of inner peace when I rest my head at night. Here's to the next chapter in our book of life. Congrats Kaleb, Kennedy, Kanyon, and Kimbree; I love you to the moon and back infinity times over.