Birthday Dates!

When it comes to nieces' and nephews' birthdays', I have seriously been the worst Aunt. It's embarrassing really. I have just never gotten around to going and getting presents for these kids. Then if I don't get a gift for one, I feel like I can't get a gift for any of them. So I started telling them that I would take them out to ice cream for their birthday. For the most part I have managed to get some ice cream dates in....about a year later! So this year, I resolved to be better...for reals this time. I thought I should just get each of them a card and put money in it. What kid doesn't love money? Anyhoo, it was between that and the ice cream date (or any date) idea. O.k. so 'Ice Cream Dates' won. Quality time is better than money...right? Yesterday was a double whammie.

Taylor (Shanna and Brian's second) just turned 7. Wow...she's such a big girl. We went to McDonalds for lunch. She asked me if I liked pickles. She told me that she didn't think she liked pickles. She usually picked them off her hamburger. However...TODAY she was going to see if she liked the pickles. "Good for you!" I said. "It's good to try new things." She took the pickle off of her hamburger (one pickle! Can you believe they only put ONE pickle on a hamburger?) Anyway, she tried it! Drum roll please................

She didn't' like it! But good for her for trying!

Taylor is very into boys and the last time I saw her she asked me if I'd met my 'one true love' yet. Then the next morning, after staying the night at my place, she said she had a dream that I married my 'one true love'. Too cute! Hope that dream becomes a reality some day. Anyway,

during lunch Taylor told me that she 'can't wait to go on a date'. I said she would have to wait about 9 years. She quickly did the math on her fingers and then said, "You mean I have to be SIXTEEN to go on a date?! That is sooooo LONG!" Watch out mom an dad! Keep your eye on this one! After lunch we got a an ice cream cone and then to 'The Dollar Tree' to pick out some things.

O.k. now out to pick up Cameron (Chad and Jolene's 1st). Cameron just turned a whopping 6 yrs old! For Cameron's birthday date we met up with his Aunt Diana, and cousins, Keaton and Bailey for a movie! We saw, 'Nymhs Island'. It was a cute movie. I worried that he might be a little bored at parts but he said he wasn't. Those seats are so big that I thought for sure he would fold up and fall through his seat. He didn't want to sit in the booster seat. He said it 'pinched him'. Cuz he's such a big boy no doubt....now that he's six and all. I tried to take a picture of him in the theater with my camera phone but it was too dark and it wouldn't turn out. But...you've got to see this kid! He IS the cutest little boy! I absolutely adore him. Check him out!

He told me how he saw a Zebra and how his class went on a field trip and his mom got to come. He told me how he helps out around the house and about his friend Bradley, "NOT his cousin Bradley...he's little, but his FRIEND Bradley who's 5." He told me how his little brother, Landon gets excited when he (Cameron) comes home from school. We sang primary songs in the car on the way home. We sang, I am a Child of God....his favorite. And the chorus of 'Follow the Prophets', that's all we could remember. Then he told me that he made up a song about Jesus. He sang it to me and it was such a sweet little song. He said he made it up when he was in the play room. I asked him if he'd sung it for mom and dad yet, and he said no, not yet. You'll have to ask him to sing it for you Chad and Jolene. You know what I love about this kid? Besides the fact that he is so polite, always saying please and thank you (Good job Chad and Jolene), anyway...what I love about him is that when he feels an emotion like love...he just says it..right then in the moment that he's feeling it. All of a sudden in a random moment he'll just say, "I love you Aunt Debbie!" I think as adults we guard our feelings too much. We are careful. We could all learn a lesson from this little guy!

All in all it was a great day for birthday dates! Thanks to Taylor and Cameron for hanging out with me! I love you guys!