Caterpillars and Butterflies

               
    Our adventure at the Austin Aquarium began at a butterfly house in the parking lot. Will actually liked the caterpillars more than the butterflies! Will wanted to keep the caterpillar so we bought the Milkweed plant that came with two caterpillars. Brooke was really worried we would get in trouble for keeping caterpillars in the hotel, I guess she was right to be worried because one caterpillar did get away!

Trapped in Texas

                 When Kevin was passing through Texas in 99' he got stuck! Texas has Kevin trapped! Although I know that Kevin actually loves Texas, I am not so sure that he planned on raising his kids here when he was just planning to pass through.

              Kevin ended up starting his company in Texas, and I wont forget that he has told me on occasion that the best thing about starting his company was that he met me. Since that is where I met him, as his employee.........

                              When we were in Austin we went to visit the Texas Capital building.

                                                           
                  We love being Texans!!!!!!!! Everything really is bigger and better in Texas, no joke....
                                                         

                                                         
                   Grandma Pack and Brooke totally belong in Texas because they are so awesome!

                                                         

                  Grandpa Pack showed Will the cannons that Will recognized as a pirates weapon!

             

           Look close at Will's face...He is  visualizing how it would have been to use this and truly imagining it!

                             Brooke and Will took a breather on the bench from all the excitement....

                                     Will thought the architecture was pretty amazing too!
                     

              The line was a bit long to get into the Capital building and we did have to go through security.

                                                    Grandma and Grandpa always treat their Grandchildren to the most fun activities and treating Will and Brooke to ice cream is almost a bi-weekly thing for the Pack and Turano trio.....

Abuelita and Aunt Maria

We had the chance to go with Grandma and Grandpa Pack to go to Austin a few weekends ago. The occasion was to go see Aunt Maria and Grandma Alida, visiting from Guatemala.

We loved seeing them and every moment that we had with Abuelita was precious to us.

Aunt Maria has been having some health concerns and procedures. We are so thankful to God that she has pulled out okay in all of this.

                                      Brooke and her Great Grandma/ Abuelita  Alida Escobar

My Princess Brooke

As I was putting Brooke to bed tonight she said, " Mom, I don't want to grow up." What raced through my mind was- Maybe I am scaring her because I have so much work to do all the time? Maybe she has recognized the precious time children have with out adult stresses? I said, " Why don't you want to grow up Brooke? " She said, " Because Jesus loves children more than adults." I said, " Oh Brooke, He loves adults too, children are just such good examples to us adults of how we should be so He teaches us that in scriptures." She said, " I think He still loves the children the most." She may be right? But, since she loves Him so much, I am sure she will want to give Him something that He loves- more children through her providing their spirits mortal bodies and a home that they can be loved and nurtured in until they can return to Him.

I love that Brooke still puts her stuffed animals to bed with her. She notices when even one of the tons of stuffed animals is missing.

                Brooke has been sleeping the a stuffed bunny that was very special to me as a little girl and even now as an adult. My Dad brought me home this stuffed bunny when he was out of town in Kansas City, Kansas. I was about six-years old and I slept with it every single night until I was married. I wiped my tears on the ears of that bunny and held it tightly. Now my daughter holds it safe for me :)

Took me eleven years, but I finally made it there!

For eleven- years  I have been going to Independence, MO for quick visits. When I visit KC, MO to see the Turano side of the family I am just along for the ride. Kevin gets pulled in every direction with many friends there, business to do, and family to see. I do not want to add to his stress since I know that his desires to please so many people can be overwhelming for him.

About a month ago we went along with Kevin ( spontaneously ) on a business trip to MO. We stayed at his friend Major's house - whom happens to live in Independence where much of the land is owned by the church. When I was told that the kids and I just needed to hang out for hours while Kevin and Major would be in meetings....I knew exactly what I had been wanting to do in Missouri for so many years, but I had not yet done it.

Finally we made it to the church sites!!!!

Brooke, Will and I went to see the visitor center in Independence and Liberty Jail in Liberty, MO.

I could not believe I had been going annually to such sacred ground, with historical meaning to the things that I hold most dear in my heart and I had never slipped away to treasure my blessing and honor those whom sacrificed in Independence.

                                   Brooke told me a few nights ago that her favorite story in the Book of Mormon was about " Helaman's Young Warriors ". When I asked her why she said, " Because I want to be that kind of a Mom someday that can teach my children and they will remember."

I am so thankful that Brooke things about being a Mother even now. She will be an amazing and righteous Mother, I have no doubt about that.

Will's walking with love

Will enjoyed a cool morning a few days ago. He loves taking the bunny out on his leash. Having a bunny has been so fun for Will because bunny doesn't run away from him like Juma does. 

Will has been saying some unforgettable and adorable things lately. I was very impressed by Will's compassion as we were driving home from church this past Sunday. We saw the remnants of a wreck with the last called ambulances and firetrucks speeding past us to help those that were hurt. Will said to Brooke and I as they went past, " Mommy, we should say a prayer for those people to not be hurt." I told Will that was exactly the right thing to do, and that is just what he did following my statement.
I know Will must have felt the spirit at church and the love that God has for everyone.

A few days ago Will looked at his cup of milk and said, " This is gross. I am drinking cow pee, aren't I? " I could not help but laugh loud and say, " Why do you think your milk is cow pee? " He said, " Because the milk comes from the cows, like they are peeing!" I said, " It's not the cow's pee that you are drinking, but milk that the cow's body made. " He said, " What did the cow make the milk with? Does he drink milk too? " I said, " No, he makes the milk out of the hay and food that he eats." Wills said, " Oh gross! So I am eating compost pile food? " I said, " Why compost pile food? " He responded, " The food in the cow's belly is all chewed up and rotten. So we are drinking compost pile!"

My heart about melted as I was putting Will to bed one night. I was cleaning up some toys on the floor and Will said, " Mommy....You are being like God right now." I said, " Why? " He said, " Because you are being nice. You are a lot like God because you are always nice Mommy."  I was most thankful that Will recognized that service and love is what God is all about and I was shocked that Will could relate my actions to God's.

I was getting frustrated at Will a few weeks ago as he was in the car and we were ready to go to church yet he suddenly jumped out and said loudly in despair, " I forgot something!" It was too late for me to stop him. Will was running full speed into the house. As I was about to reprimand him for him making us behind schedule Will held out his little hand filled to the max with coins and said, " I almost forgot my tithing that I wanted to give to the " Bush up " so that he could get food for the poor people." I said not a word, but simmered quietly in joy with a response that he is such a good boy.

As we went into the church building Brooke and Will got tithing slips and Brooke helped Will fill out the tithing slip. I laughed when I received a text message from a member of the Bishopric that said that Will's tithing slip indicated that he paid twenty more cents than he actually did, but that he would personally add the twenty cents in order that Will's record could be accurate.

You would think that Will's acts of love and service would be over by now...or that I could not possibly have more to document about this...But, Will just gets more and more loving each day.

I had a friend tell me that the Klondike ice cream packs were on sale for a dollar at the store. Upon Will hearing this he said to me, " Mommy, I have a dollar at home! I can get some ice cream!"
He was so excited! Then, soberly Will looked at me and said, " Actually, I was going to give that dollar to the Bishop to buy food for the poor people, so we don't need to get the ice cream."

I said, " You sweet Will, I am going to buy you ice cream okay? " Will got a huge smile on his face....

Later in the week we were driving in the car and randomly Will said, " Mommy, why do we have to give the money to the " Bush up " to get food for the poor people? Why can't we just give the poor people food ourselves? "

I don't think I have ever been happy to see a person begging for money on the side of the street like I was when a few days later we had the chance to fulfill Will's charitable desires. As a man had a sign in a Target parking lot that said, " I need food for my family." We went through a drive through window and got him some food, and I let Will give it to him.

On Fire For School

 Will was so excited to go back to school! The first thing that Will did on his first day of school this year was try to get his church clothes on!!!

I thought maybe I should let him wear them? It was going to be very hot that day, and all I could imagine was Will wearing those black dress pants and dress shirt grumpy as he does when he is hot with the words, " I am soaking wet!" in sadness.

He did get over the fact that I wouldn't let him wear his church clothes pretty quickly after I reminded him that Grandma Pack had gotten him his awesome new Spider Man shoes that light up in the eyes when he walks.

So - the outfit I had planned for him was set aside and we did a red and blue Spider Man theme as we met in the middle - Will and I....

I felt justified a few days later when Will asked me if his Abuelita ( Grandma from Guatemala ) lives on the same earth as us?  I was explaining she lived far away when he posed this question. After I told Will it was another country that she lived in, but not another planet, he responded to me, " Well, Abuelita probably doesn't live on a fire part of the earth like we do then, does she? " I said, " fire part ? " trying to understand. Will said, " Well our country is like fire because it is so hot all time. I think we have fire colors all over our country."

It has been really hot here lately, so I don't blame Will's accusation, but he also may have a thing against all things hot because as we pulled up to Chili's the other day Will said, " I do not want to eat Chili's for dinner! They are burning hot! " We reminded him that he didn't have to have Chili's for dinner just because we ate at the restaurant called Chilis' ;)

You make us laugh and keep us very entertained Will. I am so glad that I have one more year with you before you go to Kindergarten. You are the most handsome five-year old boy that I have ever seen, but your sweet heart, smart mind and perspective is most admirable about you.