Caleb's first steps

Caleb took his first steps one week ago.  Travis, the kids, and I were all watching Caleb, and I would stand him up, and then he would take a couple little steps to Travis, and he would go back and forth between us.  Every time he would take some steps, everyone would clap and cheer for Caleb, and then he would grin and clap for himself.  It was a lot of fun!  Caleb is getting braver and braver, but is still only taking about 3 or 4 steps at a time.  He is very vocal and loves trying to talk to us.  He loves to head straight for the bathrooms, anytime we aren't paying attention, and he loves to empyt out drawers and cupboards.  He has four teeth, and is a great stair climber, up and down.  He still doesn't like to be babysat, but he does okay as long as he is at home, and Austin or Betsy is home too.  The past couple of weeks have been busy, but they usually are.  Travis and I were released from our calling as Sunday School teachers on Sunday, and have been called as Temple Patrons.  I'm so excited, we get to go to the temple every week.  We'll probably go seperatly most of the time, but hopefully once a month we'll get to go to the temple together.  I will miss teaching the Sunday School class, they were great kids.   Last week Samuel was really sweet.  The kids have been earning money by keeping their things picked up.  They start the week with two dollars in their jar, and if I have to pick up any toys, clothes, backpacks, or other belongings, or turn off their light, I take some money out of their jars.  It has really helped the kids keep their things picked up.  Samuel had earned a little over a dollar, so he really wanted to go to the dollar store, and by me a present.  I told him I would take him after school the next day.  So all day at preschool, he told everyone that he was going to the dollar store to buy me a present.  So I came and picked him up, and we drove to the dollar store.  I made sure he knew he only had enough money for one thing, and he said "yeah, I'm buying you a present".  So we went into the dollar store, and he told Caleb and I to wait by the door and not peek, so his present could be a suprise.  So he shopped around for a few minutes, and kept checking to make sure I wasn't peeking, and staying by the door, which I was.  Then he got in the line, and waited for his turn to check out.  When the cashier rang him up, she told him "that will be one dollar and seven cents.  Samuel hands her one penny and says, "here you go".  At this point I walked over and told Sam he needed to give her more than one penny, and helped him count out one dollar and seven cents.  I thought for sure he would throw a fit about having to give her most of his money, but he was fine with it, grabbed his package, and told me not to peek, and we left the store.  When we got home, he told me to wait in the living room, while he wrapped his present for me.  About ten minutes later, Samuel came in the room with a package completly covered in scotch tape, I think he used almost the entire thing.  He showed it too me, and then said he still needed to hide it and not to peek.  So I waited again, while he hid the present.  When he came back a looked at me for a while, then said "okay, go find it".  So I looked around, and he helped me find it, then had me try to open it, but there was so much tape, than he had to run and go get some scissors and cut it open.  Inside was a percalin heart-shaped, container filled with candies.  When I opened it up, Samuel looked at me and said "I wanted to give you this, because I love you so much, mommy" and than he gave me a big hug and kiss.  Such a sweet boy!  I love him too.

Joseph went with his scout group to go see William Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice" at BYU and he was called up out of the audience as an extra.  He said he was in a lot of the scenes, and he actually had to get married, and said when he had to give the girl the engagement ring he was "blushing furiously", he said his favorite part was when he had to call another character a "meddling, dog-hearted, wagtail", and then he threatened him with a long knife.