The Growing Gant Family...

W:  "Mom, I really need to borrow your clothes basket!" M: "What are you going to do with it?" W: "Make a bird trap." M: "Well, ok.  Just remember to put it back when you're done and make sure it's not all covered in dirt the next time I need to do laundry." Hours later, I came upon this... The boys had rigged up a bird trap complete with some wood with sap on it to attract bugs for the bird to eat as well as some rotten strawberries in case the bird wanted those too.  They had worked so hard together on this and were now patiently waiting for a bird to come close. I love their imaginations. I love their optimism. I love their brotherhood.

William's always thinking about things (he's always been a sit back and take it all in kinda kid) and every once in awhile he'll just start a conversation out of the blue.  I've had more and more of these lately with him and I can always tell, even though it seems so out of the blue to me, he's thought long and hard before initiating it. W: "Mom, sometimes Lucious (one of his friends at school) says bad words." Me: "Oh really, what are they?  You probably better spell them so we don't repeat them in front of Calvin." W: "Um, ok...'D'...'U'...I don't think I know how to spell it." Me: "Just whisper it in my ear." I lean towards him and he whispers, "Duh". I respond, "Oh...were there any other words he said?" W: "Yeah...'S'...'T'...'U'...'P'...'I'...'D'" Silently relieved in my mind (and trying not to chuckle out...

William likes to draw during free time at school... I love how he included his birthmark and freckles (o;  

The boys and I were getting the newly tilled ground ready for a garden...our first one here in Sublimity.  I'm not sure how was more excited, me or them. While digging in the dirt, William says to me: "Mom, when I get married, my wife's gonna be a farm girl.  She's gonna have a big garden, just like you." Melted this Mama's heart right into a puddle. Not that I needed anything this big, but it looks like one big open canvas to me!

How blessed I am to be their Mom. I pray they'll always know how much their Dad and I truly love them... And even more importantly, how much their Heavenly Father loves them. Applebee's lunch with my boys for Mother's Day!

There's just something about these two that oozes genuine love for our family.  In particularly, the boys.  Every birthday, every Christmas...they're always remembered with some special gift that shows them how much they're loved.  We don't see them often, but always cherish the times we do. Bus, Donna and the boys at their home in Portland, next door to where we used to live before moving to the country in 2007 (before either boys was even born).

This.kid.loves.to.build. And has for quite some time. I can't recall when he got his first Lego set but the excitement hasn't diminished. How many Legos does a kid need?!  Apparently there are never too many.  And even though most all sets come with prefab instructions, he works outside the lines and makes his own creations too.  That's what I enjoy seeing the most.  There's something about his love of creating that I think will play into his future.  We'll see where he goes with it!