Ninja Art

October 27, 2013

"A Work-In-Progress"

Kaden routinely stashes a lego figure or another small action figure in his jacket pocket just before we leave for church.  While we listen to the speakers, Kaden will pull out his figure and start drawing.  He's getting really good at drawing when he has a point of reference.  I love seeing him developing his artist skills.  This one isn't done yet...he still planning to finish coloring it.

Harvest Party

 October 26, 2013

The boys all dressed up for our ward Harvest Party.

Black Ninja, Yoshi and A Pirate

 Kaden wanted to look like he had been fighting and wanted cuts, dirt and bruises on his face.

School Pictures

Kaden Michael - 5th Grade

Kaden always likes to look good for school picture day, but this year he insisted on wearing his button-up shirt and a tie.  He says everyone thinks his picture is the best in the class.

October 23, 2013

Kaden through the years: Kindergarten to 5th Grade.

It's amazing how much older Kaden looks, just since the 4th Grade. 

Weekend Camping Trip

 October 18, 2013

Weekend Family Campout to celebrate Josh's birthday.

Watching the sea lions on the docks in Astoria.

 Climbing the Historic Astoria Column. 

164 steps up.

 The views from the top.

 The boys playing with their guns in our cabin at Fort Stevens State Park.

 Kaden's faux coon-skin cap that he picked out with his allowance.  He was so excited!

October 19th, exploring the area.

  Battery Russell at Fort Stevens.

It was one of nine concrete gun batteries used by the US Army Coast Artillery Corp.   Although it was closed as an active sight back in 1944, it is now the ultimate play ground for boys.  They could have stayed all day exploring and playing.

Fort Stevens Shipwreck

After the boys changed into some dry clothes, we drove into town to ride the Astoria Trolley.

 Checking out the sights near the Maritime Museum. 

General Conference Treats

 October 6, 2013

At our house, we've found that fun snacks help the boys listen during General Conference.  We put each snack in a bowl and label it with a word they might hear during the talks.  (i.e. Faith, Jesus Christ, Spirit, Amen)  When they hear the word, they get to eat one snack from the bowl.  They love it and it helps keep them engaged...that and the coloring.  

Kaden's finished art.

***

I have to say, in between Sunday's morning and afternoon conferences, I had a conversation with Kaden about video games.  He sometimes is under the impression that his sole purpose in life is to play video games.  That's what he loves!  So he finds it difficult to understand why we don't let him play all the time.  I started explaining about the purpose of life and that playing video games isn't bad, it's just that we could be doing things more worth while.
--Anyway, the younger boys went outside to play during the 2nd session, but Kaden stayed inside and sat on the couch next to me.  Then Elder Quentin L Cook gave his talk "Beware of Bondage".  As he's speaking about addictions and how we spend our time he said this:

"Second, some addictions or predilections, while not inherently evil, can use up our precious allotment of time which could otherwise be used to accomplish virtuous objectives. These can include excessive use of social media, video and digital games, sports, recreation, and many others." 

As soon as he spoke it, I turned and smiled at Kaden...and he gave me a little smirk.  It's always neat when it seems like personal insight is spoken directly to you.

Boy's Hike

 October 5, 2013 

The boys hiking at Multnomah Falls with their Dad and Uncle Matt.

Back to School Night

September 19, 2013

Kaden showing off his name tag for his desk and his self portrait.  --Interesting fact we learned:  This year Kaden is not the only "Kaden" in his class.  So in an effort to avoid confusion, Kaden has elected to go by "Michael" in class this year.