I cannot believe that Eli is so big! He is very excited to be in the double-digits--he will be in them for the next 90 years, wow! Sounds like the end of childhood--or not, but I still thought it would be fun to remember Eli's first decade through some of our words (mine and his), written down over the years.
Rebekah's journal, August 15, 1999:This test was telling me that I was pregnant. There is a creature forming inside of me. I must admit that I felt a lot more fear than excitement. I want a baby but knowing I am going to have one is a bit overwhelming and freaky. . . I know that David will be a great Dad, but I'm going to be a "mom" to someone. Ahhh!
March 7, 1999:I love to lay down, feel the movements and wonder just who it is in there waiting to come out and make itself known. These are the times when I get slightly anxious to have it arrive so I can know if it is a boy or girl and see this person who is a part of David and me.
April 21, 1999:
Just a few more good and intense pushes and my baby was born. At 11:20 am David exclaimed, so all could hear, "That's my boy!"
July 19, 1999:
Eli laughed he first real laugh yesterday while David was playing with him. It was so adorable and fun to hear (David was excited to be the catalyst).
July 2, 2000 (1 year old):About a week ago Eli started saying his own cute version of "please" (more like, "bee" sometimes with an "s" at the end, sometimes not). It really is adorable, though he says it over and over when he wants something, and gets extra frustrated when he can't have the thing he is so properly asking for!
November 4, 2000 (1 ½ ):Eli has started a new game of free-falling off the couch. We are generally there to catch him, but . . . The other day I was on the phone facing out the living room window. I said good-bye and turned around just in time to see Eli land face-first in the floor. He ended up with a bloody nose and a split lip. But less than an hour later did almost the same thing. . .We have a box of popsicles that I only really give him when his lip has been smashed and is bleeding, and they are going rather quickly!
March 8, 2001 (almost 2):
I love being a mom. I’m not always the most patient or sweetest, but I love watching Eli as he advances from one cute thing to the next. I love to watch him run away smiling as he awaits David’s chase, and remember that it was not all that long ago that he couldn’t even walk. I love to listen to him try to say new words, and ponder actually sharing a full conversation with him someday. I love his sweet hugs and kisses, and hope that I will always be able to show him that I love him even when he doesn’t want this kind of affection as much.
March 18, 2001:Eli was fascinated with the baby in my arms and we told him he was his baby brother (he didn’t get it). He would call him, “Baby Brother” but we could not get him to call him “Adam”. I asked Eli if he wanted to touch Adam’s toes. I thought for sure he would jump at the chance, but instead he looked at the baby and said a quiet, “no.” He looked at Adam as if he were some odd creature.
June 27, 2001 (2):
I was trying to get Eli dressed one morning. He kept trying to walk away while I was doing up his pants. I was getting frustrated with him and said sternly, “Eli, look at me!” He turned around, looked at my face, and said in the sweetest voice, “Beautiful!” I about died. I had never heard him say that word before. I was putty in his hands for the moment and thought, this kid knows what he is doing!
November 6, 2001 (2 ½):
He still comments often on the experiences he had with his Grandpa Von, one of which includes accidently squishing a little frog he was hopping with. When mentioning this moment Eli will shake his head and somberly say, “That frog not hop anymore.”
2001/2:
Eli language:
cucumbers--tootootumbers
watermelon--watermelemon
rice krispies--snackle, crapple, pops
outside--ow-twide
loves to say, "Back in a jippy (jiffy)!"
From Eli's childhood journal, April 23, 2002 (3):
There Eli stood, covered with yellow paint! He had it on his face a bit, covering the front of his clothes, and his hands and feet were completely saturated with it. We went down the stairs. I was dreading what I might see. . .The carpet is ruined and some walls need to be repainted. The toys need to be scraped off and the sofa cover turned over, but . . .David and I decided Eli probably had more fun than he could ever remember having!
March 2003 (almost 4):
Adam hits Eli on the head with a book. Eli cries out, and so Adam apologizes. Eli looks at and him and declares, "That was my favorite head!"
July 2003 (4): Eli comes up stairs holding a boxed clock he is sure he wasn't supposed to find. When he feels he is caught, he innocently says, "You didn't think I would find this box, but kids have special eyes for these things!"
October 2003 (4 ½):
David is out of town. Derid is in town checking out a dental school. It is stake conference and President Monson will be attending. We sat in the chapel (we
never do this for stake conference). Pres Monson enters the room, and everyone arises. I told Eli to look for Pres. Monson. Eli couldn't see very well. Derid and I try to point him out. Finally Eli exclaimed very loudly, "Oh, is he the one with the big nose?!" All Derid could say was, "Yah, I guess so." Derid and I quietly laughed for quite some time after that one.
December 8, 2003:
The other day we were delivering Thanksgiving treats to some neighbors and Eli saw two mini skateboards in the yard. He said, "Mom, I will take just one of them!" I explained to him that it would be stealing since the boards didn't belong to him. He was dejected but he left them and came with us. A few minutes later Eli says, "Mom, I wish I was a burglar!" I asked him, "Why?" His response, "Because burglars get to steal things!"
December 2003:Eli and David had been playing dodgeball. David came upstairs for a break, but Eli got impatient, wanting to play more. David says, "I just have to think for a minute." Eli says, "You can think while you play!" David, "I can't think when I'm playing cause I'm having too much fun!" Eli, "I can think while I play! I think, 'If dad runs faster, I won't be able to get him, but if I run faster I will get him!'"
December 2003:
One day I decided to ask him to tell me a story. He said, "I'll tell you a sad story."
I responded, "But, I want a happy story."
Eli, "Happy with a sad ending?"
Mom, "No, a happy ending!!"
Eli, "Okay. A giant with smelly feet clomps on the houses and the cars and all the people run away!..."
Mom, "What about the happy?"
Eli, "Okay. Then they all fall in love!"
March 2004 (almost 5):
Eli has another talk in primary. He has clammed up both times before and not said anything--we gave the talk for him. This time he did it! David was sitting in the back and both of us were very excited. Afterward he ran back, hugged David and asked, "Dad, Are you so proud of me?" He was so pleased with himself. He turned to me a bit later and said, "Mom, is the Holy Ghost telling me that I did a good job?" It was so sweet!
May 2004 (5):"Mom, Why did Heavenly Father make shoes so that we can't really wiggle our toes?"
May:Eli has been rolling his eyes up every time he gets reprimanded for something. David asked him one day, after he did it, "Why do you do that when we talk to you? What does it mean?" Eli responds, "I'm just looking up at heaven and saying a little prayer!"
February 2005 (almost 6):
I asked Eli the other day what color his future wife's hair should be. First he decided her name would be Suzy-Bell, then he said she would have "golden hair and golden eyes."
February 2005:Eli was playing in the playroom one week-day morning. I let him know that it was time to do his jobs (make the bed and get dressed) before school. I said once he was done with that stuff he could play more. He looked at me in a fed-up mannor and asked, "Mom, why do you want to ruin my life?"
September 2005 (6 ½):
David is putting Eli's brand new bike together. It is taking quite awhile to do. Eli tries so hard to be patient and actually does a pretty good job. When it is very close to being done, Eli gets very excited and says to David, "I've only been waiting like 300 miles per hour!!"
October 2005:
Eli was saying his night-time prayer (it was hard to get him to do it that night). This was his prayer: Heavenly Father, . . . bless mom that she will be pretty as a rose! [pause] Heavenly Father, sometimes it is hard to pray when I am onery, but I just do it to get it over with. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
December 2005:I asked Eli what his favorite thing to do was. He responded, "To make other people's beds and put out clothes for them, and to write menus for breakfast." Many mornings he gets up before the rest of us, gets ready, goes downstairs and writes a breakfast menu. He will write down the cereals we have, along with other things like waffles. Then he writes down our drink choices. He will make one for each of us and we are supposed to sign the bottom of them.
January 2006:
On New years day Eli was laying next to me. He says, "Mom, my wish never comes true." I ask what wish (thinking of all his Christmas gifts). He responded, "That you will teach me at home." I wasn't expecting that response and was touched by his sincerity.
November 3, 2006 (7 ½):
This is conversation Eli and David had while making dinner--I quickly grabbed a pen to write it down:
Eli,"Before you can be a Dad, all Dads should know how to do it. Like:
First--don't leave sharp knives out
Second--don't leave the oven on
Third--don't let anyone take your son (except family like grandpas and uncles)
Forth--If your son is in the water and is going to drown, jump in and save him
Five--love your kids
Six--kiss you wife and cuddle her
And the one, most important thing, Love Your Family! It is an important part of being a dad. You have to love your wife enough to marry her."
*This was all said very sincerely while Eli paced around the kitchen.
December 31, 2006:
All of us were in the kitchen this afternoon. Eli's wheels were turning. . .
Eli, "Dad, How can you and mom be married just 9 years, when me plus Gabriel equals 9 years, and that doesnt include Adam?! Me plus Adam would be 12 years, so how can you only be married 9 years?" *Love how little minds try to make sense of the world.
October 2007 (8 ½):
Eli has been saying very eloquent prayers lately. Here is how today's began, "Heavenly Father, we sit in these chairs ready to pour out our hearts to you, and I think you know what I mean by that. . ."
November 29, 2007:
Mom's words to 8 year old Eli:
You are my golden-hearted child! Life isn't easy but your desire to be good and make good choices is strong.
You are going to be a great someone, my Eli! I'm so excited to see you grow and watch what you will become. No matter what you choose, we will love you and be proud that you are our son. Our Eli-the-great-and-powerful-boy!
December 14, 2007:"Mom, normally at Grandma Moss' they give us OtterPops. I ask someone for an otter pop, and when they are gone I ask someone else and they usually give me one. It's called 'Tricking for Treats' and it usually works!"
*When I reminded him of this statement recently, he reacted, "Oh. I told you that? Dang."
Spring 2008 (9):
Eli was saying a prayer. He thanked Heavenly Father for his, “mother who carried us in her body and takes care of us every day. . .And for Dad, who provided the sperm.”
Fall 2008 (9 ½):
This is a talk Eli gave in Primary on Prayer--told in his words:
Once upon a time me and my grandpa were diamond hunting inthe desert of Utah. My grandpa said he would drive up a little ways, then walk down to meet me.
So, he drove up a little ways. After awhile I couldn’t see him anymore and started to worry. I was walking in his direction when I started to cry.
I stopped to pray because I was scare to be alone. When I said Amen, I started walking again.
After a couple of steps I saw a yellow truck. It came closer and closer. For a minute I was nervous, but I felt a warm feeling that they were good people. They stopped beside me and asked why I was crying.
“I lost my grandpa. Have you seen a green car and a man with a hat?”They said, “yes.”
I said, “That’s my grandpa.”
They let me hop into their truck and drove me to my grandpa.
I got out of the truck and ran to my grandpa and hugged him. He apologized and said thta he didn’t mean to go so far and make me scared.
I know that Heavenly Father answers prayers.
Nov-Dec 2008:
Words by Uncle Josh after trip to visit us in Italy:
It was good to have these nice little breaks from our vacationing on our vacation and spend time with Eli.
This kid has a knack for teaching me things I didn’t know, such as the Largest dinosaur to ever walk the earth, his bite strength, his attack potential, his defense, his trickery, his weight, and every other thing about him or any other dinosaur that ever breathed a wisp of air on this planet.
I told him “You need to write a book about it”. Was I ever floored when he said “ I DID” and then proceeded to show me the book he wrote, complete with an “About the author” on the back cover.
That kid is going places!! His brain churns so fast, that whenever he learns to catch up to it there could be a Super-Nova type event that will change the very world… 20 cents Eli, if you can tell me what a Super Nova is…(inside joke between me and Eli).. how much money did I end up owing you??
Eli David Moss, we love you and are so very proud of you! You’ve done a lot of living in these 10 years. We are excited to see what you do with the rest of your double-digits!
. . .and the 
Of course, he spent most of his time ripping them to shreds, but I didn't stop his pleasurful task. The lawn ended up with sweet pink, yellow and white petal confetti, as did the cat. 
You see 20 garbage bags pulled and piled, a bag of potatoes (you don’t see the potatoes with cute little bites taken out of them, but they do exist), and a good length of paper towels rolled out along the floor. 
It was a wonderful time. We are so appreciative of Angie and Bob for offering to watch the boys so we could do it--the boys felt that they were also on vacation. When I asked Gabe, "What was the funnest thing you did at Angie's house?" he responded, "I don't know cause it was all so fun!"
