Last Saturday's main event was rotating the tires on the skate board. Classic. The boys had a great time helping dad.

 Here's a high five from Colt!

Building our little "pond" in the creek...and the reason Colt can't play in the creek-he puts everything in his mouth!

And we also figured out kind of when we will be leaving and heading back to Mississippi and all that jazz, this summer has been a dream! Definitely a tender mercy, but its very good to have a schedule and a plan and feel like I kind of know what's going on.
Sunday was a fun day. They asked us to help in nursery a while ago but every time I would offer Amy (aka Sister Russell) would decline, as we were walking in a couple of weeks ago the primary president (Sister Alder, so we've been to her house a lot) asked again and I just looked at Isaac and said "I am staying in there today-no matter what." And it has been so fun! Cannon adores his teacher, I know why he quickly fell in love with Sister Russell she's so great we've had a great time visiting, and that place is Heaven with the little Colt man, so much better than wrestling him through R.S. and Sunday School-I just turn him loose. Unfortunately I'm going to have to wait about 6 more months until that's real life.
(Bad light but I couldn't pass on Cannon's smile)

I mentioned a few weeks back that Sister Russell sent him home with a train but EVERY WEEK he asks if she has a Thomas, well this last week she showed up with a Thomas just for him. Unbelievable! She is so nice, those two have a special little bond, her oldest son is a missionary in Canada and Cannon reminds her of him, so he holds a special place in her heart too. I really need to get a picture of them together (Hopefully I remember Sunday) he loves her so much.
A tender mercy of this week was when she shared with me part of her email to her missionary son about Cannon. As mentioned periodically here on the blog he has been so challenging lately, but this was just such a good reminder for me about what a good and special little boy he is, I was so thankful she shared. With her permission here it is, it is so sweet:
Cannon won my heart the first time I met him, because he came running into nursery with a "Future Missionary" badge, pinned proudly to his little white shirt.  I told him that my son was a missionary, and he immediately asked, "Does he know about me?"  (I told him that you probably did know about him, so cover me if he asks).  But Cannon is such a fun reminder of you.  He's in a huge Thomas the Tank Engine phase right now, but he also knows every type of construction vehicle that exists; and loves to throw any ball he can get his hands on.  But one of my favorite things about Can-man (as his parent's call him) is that he knows every BoM story there is!  It's actually quite amazing!!  So, I spend my Sundays with Can-man and today we even had the fun treat of having him sit with us during sacrament meeting.  When he got bored during the meeting, I got out my phone and showed him pictures of "Elder Wussell", as he refers to you.  After looking at your pictures for a few minutes, he asked where you were. 

 I told him, "Elder Russell is in Canada".  I opened up a map to show him where that is.

Looking confused, he said "But why isn't he at church with you?"  

"Well, Elder Russell is at church, but he goes to church in Canada."

"When will he get to your house?"

"He'll be home in 14 months."

"Is that today?"

"No.  Fourteen months is a really long time.  It's more than a year."

"No, but when will he get to your house today?" He was getting pretty agitated at this point.

"Elder Russell won't get to our house today.  He doesn't live at our house while he's on a mission."

"But, who stays with him?"

"He stays with a companion, who is another missionary."

"Like me?"

"Yes, like you!  But his companion is little bit older."  I scrolled back to a picture of you and Elder Howell.

"How come he can't stay with his mommy?"

"Well, Heavenly Father needed him to go to Canada to baptize people there."

"Alma went to the Water's of Mormon"

"Wow!  Yes he did go to the Water's of Mormon!"

We moved on to play a game on my phone for awhile, but I think things were stirring around in Cannon's head still.  Because close to the end of the meeting, this little three-year-old said, "When you go to other churches, there are friends there too."  I'm sure that this is something that Cannon's parents taught him when he had to leave his home for the summer and go to church here.  But, I just know in this sweet little boy's head, he wasn't saying something random.  He had been thinking about a mission in a new way.  It might have been the first time that he really understood that going on a mission meant leaving home.  But his little mind put together the things he knew, and he went to a place of hope, because what Cannon said to me is true, "When you go to other churches, there are friends there too."  

We sometimes forget to see God's hand in our lives.  He's not just there for "big stuff", He is also there to tend to the small, quiet corners of our hearts that need lifting.  Cannon's dad needed to come to Utah in order to complete some of his doctoral work, and perhaps that part of God's direction in the Ison's life had nothing to do with me.  But as long as they were here, I just know that a loving, kind Heavenly Father sent them to our ward because He had some work for Cannon to do.  Heavenly Father knew I needed a little lift, and He knew who would be just the right man for the job .  Cannon reminds me of my little Michael--so happy, so joyful, so fun, so funny.  Like you, he's so ready and willing to learn more and love others unconditionally.  He reminds me of the "becoming" part of your life, as you prepared for so many years to be the missionary you are now.  And today, he reminded me of something so simple but true--that for you there are friends to be made in Canada.  In fact, Heavenly Father has called you to find friends in Canada.  Not just the wonderful people you baptize, but other hearts that need lifting.

Isn't that so great? She is wonderful! And I will miss her just as much as Cannon will, such a fun fast friend. We have made such wonderful friends here this summer...forever on the Christmas card list-and hopeful we will see them again! Cannon colored a picture for Elder Russell Sunday night.

Anyway Monday we headed south for swimming lessons. Cannon hates them, he said "I know how to swim when I'm holding on to you mom." Or he asked 50 times "Could I just can't go?" He just hates water in his face-or ears and I've been trying every bribe I can think of. They have been really good for him though, his teacher is great she does a really good job of stretching and pushing him but whoa-its been a struggle too. It breaks my heart when he gets all worked up about the prospect of having to float on his back the night before. These pictures don't even do it justice, I took a movie but really, who wants to watch a movie of my kid screaming? I was awful enough for me to watch in real life! Finally today, the last day we had her do the back float thing first...when he knew he was done with that he was a whole different kid.

Here's a few more random pics...
Colt hang'n with Poppa Great (and getting into his wallet-he's no dummy)

Figuring out how fun it is to feed Sugar his food :( and then standing, NO HANDS, Grampa Chip is hoping he gets to see him walk before we leave (I'm really not it a rush, he's plenty hard to keep up with as it is.)

 Lunch with Grama

We went up to Shol Creek (spelling???) and checked on the horses. I love watching my kids interact with my parents...its one of my favorite things...the linking of generations, I'm pretty sure its a thing of eternity!

 

And we hit McDonald's (filthy) play place in Beaver on the way up...they boys don't mind that its gross and we definitely need some time with rear ends OUT of carseats :) Its worth lengthening the drive. Cann had a blast and Colt was feeling like a big boy!

And now were back in SLC, it was good to see Isaac tonight!