Eli is eight!

This week at church I had to teach the 11 year olds about adversity.  I got chocked up and started to cry when I told the kids that I knew that God provides ways for us to get through our trials and that he will help us bear our burdens and help to make them feel light.  My heart just felt so tender when I thought about Eli and his birthday and Laila's birthday coming up.  When I woke up the day of his birthday and rolled over to say my morning prayers I also got choked up when I thanked God for my Eli and the chance to celebrate his birthday.  I have mentioned this before, but Eli was a tough toddler.  I had no clue what I was doing with him.  His fire and passion and anger had me stumped.  I just didn't know how to work around his swings of temper fits.  One night before I had Laila Mike gave me a blessing and in the blessing he told me that God had sent Eli to our family at a very specific time for a specific reason and that I had much to learn from him and he had a lot to learn from us.  

After Laila died I realized part of the reason Eli came to our family when he did.  Eli had such passion, curiosity, happiness, and energy.  He was only three and of all my kids he was the most unaffected emotionally by her death.  He missed her and asked about her and he loved her so much but being only three, he didn't quite feel the tragedy the way we all did.  His days required my attention and I truly feel that he saved me in many ways.  I had to get up each day and meet his curiosity and energy.  He brought happiness and joy to me every day.  He used to try and make me laugh and smile every day.  Not only did he bring happiness into our home but he is the most independent of my children so in the moments when I needed to retreat to my room and cry he found things to do to entertain himself until I was ready to face my responsibilities.  

So, here is my Eli turning eight.  Five year later I still get choked up when I think about the blessing this fiery boy has been to me.  Heavenly Father sent Eli to our home at the exact time I needed his bubbly personality.  I can't help but feel a deep gratitude for him and the help he was and is to me.  I love this boy so much.  Eli still has so much passion and happiness.  He still has moments where his body shakes with anger but his ability to work himself out of his anger and manage his feelings has been incredible to watch.  He has grown so much and I can't even believe sometimes that he is the same boy that used to shake his fists at me all day long.  He is truly awesome.

We woke up on Friday and went to get our hives ready.  We joked that it was Eli's "Bee-Day."  We came home and opened presents and then it was a pretty normal day.  The kids had school work (though, we counted our bees as a large portion of our school day) and I had cleaning to do for the family coming in town.  He wanted an army cake and I didn't really have time to make one so I ordered one from Sam's club that was just frosted with no decorations on and then when I got home he wanted to decorate it so I let him go to town with the army guys.  He requested fire so I did the flames but man, it ended up being one of the easiest cakes ever.  I think I will always buy one and then just decorate it myself later!  He wanted me to cut off arms and such to make it look like a real battle but I told him no so when we put the candles on that night he made sure one candle was close enough to an army guy to burn his face.  He thought it was hilarious.  Such a boy.  He also requested hot wings for dinner so Mike ordered some hot wings and then after dinner and cake Grandma and Grandpa showed up!