Bradley Turns 8!

Birthday morning pre-present opening smiles -- Lydia, Bradley & Carter

September 15, 2009 was a big day. Bradley turned the long-anticipated 8 years old. It was really cute as several times during his birthday week Brad told me, "This is the best birthday I've ever had!" We are so grateful for Bradley. He is such a wonderful boy and brings so much happiness to our family. He is so sensitive to the needs of those around him and uses that gift for good. We are proud of his hard work with school, piano, sports, reading and so many other things. He has the ability to excel at whatever he puts his mind to. We are so lucky to have him in our family!

The Saturday following his birthday (September 19th), Bradley was baptized. He's been very excited about this day and has worked to better understand what it means to be baptized and to prepare himself to make and keep those promises. We are proud of him and his choices.

The night before the big day we had the treat of having Grandma Sue & Grandpa Paul, Devon & Karina stay the night with us. Devon & Karina got to come to Carter's basketball game on Saturday which, unfortunately, was our only big loss. Carter was the star of our team though -- he played great. Shortly after lunch was Brad's baptism. We are so grateful to all the family and friends who came to support him including our Kartchner grandparents, the Welkers (who drove 10 hours round trip in one day to be there -- thank you!), Karina, Devon, Alan, the Stephensons, the Mulleneaux's, Varo's, Wilkins, Lee's, Bethany Hales & kids, the Bill & the Aaron Shumways, Grandpa Mac & Grandma Ouida May Matheson, Aunt Sue Villareal, Sister Janelle Sherwood, Sister Shelli Allen, Bishop Carroll, Brother Jenson & Brother Rapier. We missed Grandma & Grandpa Matheson (who had to be out of town that day) as well as our other cousins, uncles & aunts who couldn't come.

Brad got to share his baptism with Jake Maloy in our ward. Jake's brother, Wyatt, gave a great talk about baptism and Aunt Liz Mulleneaux gave a talk about the Holy Ghost. She compared receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost to a wind-up flashlight where we always have the right to have it's light with us but we have to continually do the work required to keep it. Brother Jenson in the bishopric asked Jake & Bradley to always remember the many people who came to their baptism and to remember that they came because they love him.

 Bradley, Lydia, Carter, Alex & Eve with some of the loot.

Bradley got the other half of my craigslist playmobil find -- a castle & knights set. They've had a lot of fun with it.

An excited new cub scout. He even got to go to his first scout meeting on his birthday -- can't beat that! He asked me to wash his scout uniform that night so that he could wear it to school the next day too.

While Brad was at scouts, Carter and Lydia decorated his requested cake -- a horse race.

Eve, Alex, Carter, Bradley, Lydia, Julie.

Carter, Brad & Lydia

Carter, Julie, Bradley, Alex, Eve & Lydia.

After the baptism we had a birthday celebration at our house. Our cousins, the Derry Mac Mathesons, and friends, Janeva Craig and Rob Brown & his girls Libby & Tatum, as well as many who were at the baptism joined us for the festivities. We sang happy birthday to Bradley & Grandpa Paul. 

Alan, Alex, Liz, Rob Brown & Jean-Marc look on as Brad blows out the candles.

Birthday cake #2. Since he was so experienced by this time we made them trick candles. (Audra, Bradley, Lydia, Finnegan, G-pa Mac)