Fourth generation photographer?

Wednesday, August 8th, cousin Dylan was giving his first Bible reading so Andrew and I went to Smyrna to hear it. Andrew started following cousin Kaleb and another little girl their size around the Hall and all three of them were running. They were all reminded several times to walk. All the kiddos were gathering in the back school after the meeting, and pretending to give their own bible discourses. Andrew came up to me and said, "I want my bible!" I told him it was in his bookbag and he took off running to find it. On the way - he got in trouble. Another brother scooped him up in his arms and just held him while continuing his other conversation. Andrew didn't know what to think! Eventually the brother walked over and handed him to me saying, "He wasn't the only one, but he was the fastest." lol  I told Andrew that he got caught running and needed to walk.  Andrew walked up to the front and got his bible and returned to the back school.  The big kids lowered the podium for him and crowded around him.  He told them he wanted to read from Deuteronomy 17. So Grace Burnett found it for him. Right then, we were told it was time to go. So I quickly pointed to two lines at the bottom of his open bible and told him to quickly read those. Grace and Dylan both said, "i'll help him!"  I told them he could read it himself... and he sure did! Grace was so impressed, "He reads really well! How old is he?"  Dylan responded with, "I dont know, 4?"  He couldn't believe Andrew wasn't even three yet. 
  We spent the night at Nana and Papa's house since it was late when we left the meeting. There were two twin beds in the room we stayed in. We pushed one all the way against the dresser along the wall, and then the other bed flush against the first one. That way, Andrew wouldn't fall out of the bed on either side. He was a little nervous sleeping in a different room and bed. Then Nana reminded him it was just like staying in a hotel! That calmed him down a little bit, as did the reminder that Mommy would be right next to him all night.  There were several times during the night he called out for him, or reached his hand to feel for me.
   Thursday morning he woke up bright and early as usual SO excited to be at Nana's house and hearing the rooster crowing outside. I knew there was no way I'd get him back to sleep. We went downstairs and he immediately asked to play with Nana's toys. We played with Legos and played ping pong in the parlor. Eventually we took a walk down the driveway. There were some new baby calves that were interested in him and Daisy.  When we reached the house, I realized that I'd been wanting to do a picture of Nana and Andrew and the Rolleiflex cameras - and we were there!  So I changed Andrew's shirt into his meeting shirt and vest and Nana got the cameras. We stood in front of the weeping willow tree and I got some pictures I will treasure for a long long time. Both Nana and her father used those rolleiflex cameras back in the day, so it was special to me to have both Nana and Andrew pretending to use them. I love the images of them. I photoshopped a couple to look like they were taken with old film.


  Saturday we met at the hall to go out in the ministry. There were a lot of people there. When we were ready to go, I couldn't find Andrew anywhere! I was worried he'd slipped outside with a bunch of other people and was running around, but I couldn't find him there either.  I was starting to panic when Ted came and told me he found Andrew - he locked himself in the men's bathroom stall and was going potty all by himself.  *whew*  I have to say, I think it's neat that he knows he goes in the men's room when he's by himself or with daddy, and that he goes to the women's room when he's with me.

  We all of a sudden have a ton of little kids in our congregation. A bunch of new, young families moved in. After the meeting on Sunday, they all went to the back school. Andrew came up to me and said he needed his song book. Then he asked for his Bible. Then off he went to his secondary meeting. He was a good boy - he even brought his books back to me when they were all done.
   Sunday night before bed, I asked Andrew to go pick out a book to read. He chose the Dictionary. He knows I want to read stories to him, but he always chooses books that are about words. 

  Every single day, Andrew asks to go play outside. Once we're outside he asks if Amber is home and if they can play. She's our next door neighbor who is six. They both look for each other and ask to play. If we wont let them play together in the same yard, they throw a ball over the fence to each other. Andrew has even tried climbing the fence. He's made it all the way to the top before I've caught him and told him to get down.  He also picks colorful leaves off the bushes and gives them to her as flowers. What a sweetie.