"Sandals much better, Mama?"

Ev was all dressed for church, including socks, and I sent him downstairs to put on his slip-on church shoes while I was doing Kelly's hair.  A little while later he appears at the bathroom door asking, "Sandals much better, Mama?"  He looked so happy and proud.  We took some pictures, I told him how funny and adorable he is a bunch, and then put his socks and church shoes on.  He was fine with it because his main design was to make me laugh. I'm just not a sandals at church kind of gal.  But I am a lover of this little fella.

This past weekend I went on a very quick trip to Las Vegas for my friend's sealing to her husband and two little girls.  Ev apparently had a few missing mama moments (which I feel bad about because that's not so easy to remedy and our friends were helping us out by watching the kids).  I got back to Silverdale and to church with 5 minutes of sacrament meeting left.  I was so happy to see my little fam!  Last night a lady in our ward who sits two rows behind us in church called to tell me that when I walked in, Ev caught a glimpse of me before I grabbed him for a hug.  She said, "The look on his face was pure joy.  But it was more than that.  It was like, if he was an adult, like someone had just told him he'd won the lottery.  No, it was like Heavenly Father telling him that he could come to the Celestial Kingdom.  That's what it was like.  His whole countenance changed when he saw you.  It was the sweetest thing.  And I don't know if you heard him, but when you picked him up for a hug he said, "I missed you, Mama.  I love you." (I did hear him)  It was such a sweet phone call.  I have such a sweet little boy and I am so privileged to be his mom.