Eli's 8 Year Old Interview

Eli, you are E I G H T today! It seems like yesterday you were the little baby on my hip. Seven was a big year for you: you accepted Christ as Lord, you won that soccer championship you’d been wanting, you broke your first bone (wrist), and you gave us quite a scare with your head injury! Through the highs and lows we’ve seen you lean on Jesus. And that’s all we ever want for you - to always lean on Jesus! So, happy 8th birthday to the boy who lights up the room with his smile! We love you so BIG and hope 8 is full of good things for you!

 How old are you?  8

What's your favorite color?  red and blue

What's your favorite book?  Notebook of Doom and Project Droid books

What's your favorite toy?  table corn hole

What's your favorite sport?  soccer and kickball

What's your favorite movie?  Incredibles 2

What's your favorite show?  Phineas and Ferb

What's your favorite game?  Scrabble

What's your favorite Bible story?  Any Jesus story

Recite our family verse:  "Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."  Hebrews 13:16

What's your favorite drink/snack?  Salt & Vinegar chips and Root Beer

What's your favorite candy?  lollipops

What's your favorite animal?  dogs (Bailey)

What's your favorite song?  "Good, Good Father" by Chris Tomlin

What's your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?  doughnuts (Krispy Kreme or Golden Doughnut)

for supper?  Mommy's chicken and wild rice casserole

Who are your friends?  Abigail and Anna, Levi and Ivalea, Jackson T, Jackson H, Jack, and Evan

Who's your girlfriend?  NO ONE!

What's your favorite number?  78

Where do you go to school?  LES

Who are your teachers?  Mrs. Ownes and Cutt

What's your favorite subject?  Science

What's your favorite thing to do at school?  Lunch, PE, and free time

What's your favorite thing to do with Daddy?  play outside

with Mommy?  nuzzle

with Landon?  play with him

Nicknames:  Squirmy, Squirmy Bug, Squirmy Wormy Doodle All Day

What did we do for your birthday?  Eat Fuji's and went to the Phenix City Pool

What's your favorite Auburn tradition?  Play with the football

What do you want to be when you grow up?  a PE coach

Who's your hero?  MLK Jr (kinda), Daddy, Mommy, and Jesus

Show us your favorite dance move.  (Eli does The Floss and hits them folks)

Landon's Birthday Interview (4 years old)

It seems like I only dust off the old blog for birthday posts, and to be perfectly honest, I'm embarrassed at HOW LATE this post is!  Landon, you turned F O U R over 3 months ago.  We celebrated you hard.  It hurts to see you growing up so quickly, but at the same time, it brings us so much joy!  Daddy and I love you so, so much!  You are our boss baby.  You are funny, sensitive, full of energy, creative, and full of imagination.  You play so well by yourself, but you love playing with friends (especially Eli) as well.  You are every bit the athlete your brother is, and are going to give him a run for his money here soon!  You are a rascal who loves life and loves his family.  You love reading books, playing outside, and are always up for a good "nuzzle" (snuggle).  We are so proud to be your Mommy and Daddy, and we can't wait to see what you do in this great, big world.  We love you, Landon boy!  Happy 4th birthday!

(Daddy filmed this with his Go-pro camera.  That's why *insert eye roll* it looks like you're in a fish bowl.)

Enough of the mushy stuff.  Without further ado, here is an interview with a FOUR year old!

How old are you?  4

What is your favorite color?  Green, gray, blue, pink

What is your favorite book?  Olaf (the one from the library)

What is your favorite toy?  Batman toy (from a happy meal at Burger King)

What is your favorite movie?  the Flash (the Lego movie version)

What is your favorite T.V. show?  Muppet Babies, Peppa Pig

What is your favorite game?  Sorry

What is your favorite snack/drink?  Kool Aid Jammers (blue/red drink) and fruit snacks

What is your favorite animal?  doggies

What is your favorite song?  Go Fish (???)

What do you like for breakfast?  pancakes, waffles

What do you like for supper?  Subway

Who is your girlfriend?  Mommy

What is your favorite number?  11, 5, and 4

Who are your teachers?  Mrs. Trish and Ms. Joleasa

What do you like to do outside?  Play baseball, football, and soccer.  He loves all the games!

What do you like to do with Daddy?  Put out the trash can

with Mommy?  Nuzzle her

with Landon?  Tell jokes

What are your nicknames?  Landy, Lan Lan, Landon boy, funny boy (no one calls him this, haha!), rascal, stinker

What did you do for your birthday?  jump-oline (otherwise known as the trampoline park, Launch)

Who are your best friends?  Bowden, Zachary, Madisyn, Porter, Maggie, Connor, Carley (all friends from school and church)

What do you want to be when you grow up?  A shark and eat goldfish.  But then he realized a shark will get water in its face (which Landon HATES), so he changed his mind and decided he wants to be a bird.

White Chicken Chili Recipe

Do yourselves a favor....GO MAKE THIS!

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs uncooked chicken breast (can be frozen) cut into 1-2" chunks

2 - 15 oz cans white beans (drained) -- (I used white Navy beans)

1 - 15 oz can of white corn (drained)

1 onion, chopped (sweet Vidalia)

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 package taco seasoning

1 - 7 oz can of green chilies

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 - 14 oz can of chicken broth

Toppings:

1/2 cup sour cream

2 T lime juice

finely chopped cilantro

fresh shredded cheese (I used colby jack)

corn tortilla chips

Directions:

Place cut up chicken in the bottom of the Crock Pot.  Add beans, corn, and onion.  Mix the next five ingredients and pour over the top.  Cover and cook on low for the next 8-10 hours.

Before serving, use a potato masher to break up the chicken, quickly with pressure and alternating directions.  Consistency should change from brothy with chunks of meat, to thick and even.

Add cheese, sour cream, lime juice, cilantro, and chips before serving.  This did not disappoint!

Eli's Birthday Interview (Seven Years Old)

Eli, S E V E N years old!!  That seems SO grown!  You're so tall, your clothes are big, and you stink after you play!  : )  BUT, you are so kind, you are one of the most loving people I know, you love quality time with family, you are fiercely loyal to your friends, you are always making people laugh, you love God and our church, you are Auburn through and through, soccer is your thing, you love reading books, and though you may be big, you still love snuggling and playing with my hair!  You might be a big kid now, but you are still my baby.  As you are getting older, we pray that one day soon you would acknowledge Jesus as Lord.  And not because you are pleasing man, but because your love and fear Him.  We pray every day that as you move to the left and to the right, that you would hear the Lord say, this is the way.  Walk in it.  Happy birthday, Squirmy Bug!  We pray 7 is the best year yet for you!!!

How old are you?  7

What's your favorite color?  red/black, and orange/blue

What's your favorite book?  Magic Treehouse books

What's your favorite toy?  Nerf guns

What's your favorite movie?  the Lion King

What's your favorite show?  the Lion Guard

What's your favorite game to play?  Scrabble

What's your favorite Bible story?  Jesus, Genesis/creation

*Recites our family verse for 2017 - James 4:7*

What's your favorite drink/snack?  watermelon and water

What's your favorite candy?  Smarties

What's your favorite animal?  horse

What's your favorite song?  Hakuna Matata

What's your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?  pancakes

What's your favorite thing to eat for supper?  chicken and wild rice casserole

Who are your friends?  

Jackson Hall, Jack, Jackson Tidwell, Abigail, Levi, Macen, Brentley, Issac

Who's your girlfriend?  (laughs)

What's your favorite number?  1,800

Where do you go to school?  Lakewood Primary

Who is your teacher?  Mrs. Stamp, 2nd grade

What's your favorite subject?  Science

What's your favorite thing to do at school? P.E. 

What's your favorite thing to do outside?  soccer

What do you like to do with Daddy?  play outside

With Mommy?  play games and nuzzle (snuggle)

With Landon?  nuzzle

What are your nicknames?  Squirmy Bug

What did we do for your birthday?  jump (Launch Trampoline Park)

What do you want to be when you grow up?  P.E. coach

What's your favorite thing to do in Auburn on game day?  play football (on Samford Lawn), Tiger Walk, Puddin's "camp out" (or "work camp," as you sometimes say, when referring to Puddin's work tailgate), and tailgating

Show us your favorite dance move. - Too many to choose from

Landon's Birthday Interview (3 years old)

Total Mom fail.  Not only have I neglected this little "memory book," but I *thought* I'd at least uploaded Landon's 3 year old interview.  Sorry, Landy, it never happened.  So, here it is:  6 months late.  Sorry, bud!


How old are you?  "flee!" (3)

What's your favorite color?  "dreen" (green)

What's your favorite book?  "Mimmie" (Mickey Mouse)

What's your favorite toy?  Paw Patrol

What's your favorite movie?  "Mimmie"

What's your favorite show?  "Mimmie"

What's your favorite game to play?  Chase with Eli

What's your favorite drink/snack?  Fruit Snacks

What's your favorite animal?  Cow

What's your favorite song?  Old McDonald

What's your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?  Pizza (he's never had pizza for breakfast)

What's your favorite thing to eat for supper?  Pizza ("He already said that!")

Who's your girlfriend?  Anniston

What's your favorite number?  "Flee" 3!

Who is your teacher?  Miss Porsha and Mrs. Tina

What's your favorite thing to do outside?  Play with Eli

What are your nicknames?  Landon boy, Landy, Sir Landy Lot

What did we do for your birthday?  Cake!

Who are your best friends?  Porter, Bow Wow (Bowden), Daddy, Anna, Ivalea

What do you want to be when you grow up?  Who knows!  : )

His final thoughts:  Mr. David is his friend too!

Eli's Birthday Interview (Six Years Old)

First off, we won't even talk about how long it's been since I've blogged.  Embarrassing, I know.  Though I made some serious progress this summer, I'm still behind on blogging and photo books.  Insert hashtagworkingmomlife.

I can't believe this kid is SIX.  I was just on maternity leave with him the other day, right?!

I am SO GLAD we do these.  Prior to making this video, we sat down and watched Eli's 3-5 year old video interviews.  We all loved them so much.  It was so sweet to hear that baby voice (even on his 5 year old video!), and to notice some of the same mannerisms Landon has now!  I know the older he gets the more we'll cherish these!

This video couldn't be done without little brother.  It will be obvious why we call them Pete and Repeat ..... or as Eli says, Peter and Repeater. ha!

How old are you?  6

What's your favorite color?  blue, red, and orange

What's your favorite book?  Fly Guy

What's your favorite toy?  Legos

What's your favorite movie?  Lego City

What's your favorite show?  Nick Jr.

What's your favorite game to play?  Hide and Go Seek

What's your favorite Bible story?  Anything about Joseph

*Recites our family verse for 2016 - Colossians 3:12*

What's your favorite drink/snack?  watermelon and watermelon juice

What's your favorite candy?  blow pops

What's your favorite animal?  doggie

What's your favorite song?  Whip Nae Nae

What's your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?  Soup .... he means pancakes

What's your favorite thing to eat for supper?  Soup

Who are your friends?  Brentley, Abigail, Levi, Grace

At school - Evan, Jackson

Who's your girlfriend?  No one

What's your favorite number?  300

Where do you go to school?  LPS

Who is your teacher?  Mrs. Sawyer

What's your favorite subject?  Science

What's your favorite thing to do at school?  Lunch

What's your favorite thing to do outside?  Play soccer

What do you like to do with Daddy?  Play football with him outside.

With Mommy?  Play games.

With Landon?  Watch TV.

What are your nicknames?  Eli, Squirmy Bug

What did we do for your birthday?  Ice Skate (Frozen/Olaf party)

What do you want to be when you grow up?  A soldier

What's your favorite thing to do in Auburn on game day?  Play football with Daddy

Show us your favorite dance move. - The Dab and Hit Them Folks, like Cam Newton

Epcot

We ended our last night at Epcot.  Wesley and I really enjoyed Epcot a lot more this time now that Eli could ride most of the things there, and I kinda wished we'd had more time in the park.  One thing I really like about Disney is that every trip (vacation) is so different!  We end each vacation already thinking and talking about the things that we want to do on our next trip!

Puddin' told Eli he could get one souvenir in the gift shop in Epcot.  I asked him if he wanted a shirt or a toy, expecting this to be kind of a long process.  I foresaw a lot of aimless wandering throughout the store, but he immediately said, "I think I want a hat.  I saw some in the front of the store.  Would that be ok?" and he led us straight to the hats.  He debated between the Pluto and Goofy hats, trying them both on and taking pictures to look at himself, but finally decided on the Goofy hat for himself (because he's funny like Goofy), and the Pluto hat for Landon (because Landy only would take pictures with Pluto).  I thought it was perfect, and loved seeing him wear that hat all around!

Eli was really excited to get his picture with Bay Max, and we even stood in line to get our pictures made with Joy and Sadness (Inside Out) too, but the line wasn't moving fast enough.

Nemo was fun to do since Finding Dory was just a week away from coming to theaters.

I have this same picture of Eli in the shark every trip we've made!

Eli, Wesley, and I rode Mission Space, while Nana, Puddin', and Landon went to Germany for popcorn and to scout seats for the fireworks!

The fireworks show at Epcot was the perfect way to end our trip!...Now when can we go back!?  : )