How can 12 years ago seem like yesterday in so many ways? We remember so vividly the day our little Todd was born ! Never had we seen a more beautiful baby boy, and never have we seen (before or since) a baby with more dark hair! It was thick and came way down over his ears! Then, there were those sideburns...he looked like Elvis! We all commented he was the first baby to need a haircut the day he was born! So adorable! And now 12 years later, it is such a thrill to see how this amazing little baby boy has grown into such a fine and handsome young man--ready and eager to receive the Aaronic Priesthood and take on those duties that Deacons are called on to do. We are excited to be with him for his ordination. I did my part in giving him an opportunity to serve when the three kids came to spend a few days with us last March. I needed help cleaning up the yard and getting ready for spring and the kids very willingly came out and raked leaves, cleaned out flower beds, and took turns jumping in the big city garbage can to make room for more debris, etc. We had more fun that day! They also helped me clean the food storage room and put away several cases of canned goods. It was such fun having them here and I was totally impressed with their hard work and non-complaining attitudes! I'm thinking it sounds like a good plan for this coming spring...don't you?
It has been fun over the years to see Todd's personality develop. He is so intelligent and articulate. He has the mind of an engineer and has always loved to build and create with Legos, Imaginext, and other such toys. He is a good student in school and tries to be kind to everyone. He has a great voice and has been a willing (well, most of the time) participant in many Rupert and Burley musical programs. He was in the chorus of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" with his sister, Kate, because Lori had the Narrator role and Brad was one of the brothers. They decided to make this a family project and though it was very time demanding, I think they all enjoyed it very much. Todd has played baseball, and golf and is an amazing swimmer! He is taking piano lessons and is heavily involved in scouting where he has been progressing steadily through the ranks. We are so happy he received his Faith in God award and will now be starting into the Duty to God program. We know he will be well-prepared to serve a mission because of his diligence in accomplishing these goals, but also because of the blessing he has of being raised in a gospel-oriented home where scriptures and prayer and gospel application is a natural part of each and every day. We love to watch the way he treats Kate and Jack. He is quite kind and patient and seems to love to play with them even though there is such an age difference.
On the afternoon of his birthday, we were able to arrive by about 3:30 and have some time to spend helping the kids with homework, playing games with them, visiting with Lori and Brad, attending Todd's first choir concert, then coming home for delicious Taco Soup and ice cream and watching Todd open his gift from us. We gave him the "Why" book, the same gift we gave Regan for her 12th birthday. We love you, buddy, and are so proud of you! See you Sunday for the big day!
