Hudson's Birthday

Another difficult milestone down, Hudson's Birthday.  I was hoping he could sneak in a call long enough for us to sing him happy birthday.  Unfortunately he did not, so we sent him a video.  On the second line I was out of tune and Ellie looks over at me.  It was all I could do not to burst out crying.  Making the video hit me hard.  Hudson had a day chuck full of things to do.  That is great he was so busy.  He ate breakfast before opening his presents which had a box of Krave inside.  If you remember the pie size cookie close grandma made for him...  It was already a crumbly mess.  He put it in a bowl, poured milk on top and voila a delicious breakfast.  Fit for a birthday boy!  Kaylynn Knapp was kind to think of him and send him a Papa Jay's Jerky bouquet.

One of the days busy activities was Connie's baptism.  Just after she was baptized she screamed.  I later asked Hudson and he said, "don't you remember me telling you she randomly screams?  You got to experience it first hand."  Just before the baptism Hudson takes off running.  Apparently, they forgot to bring her a towel and were trying to find one.  He felt the confirmation went very well.  I asked if he included more than one line in the blessing and he smiled saying yeah.

For his birthday Hudson treated himself by purchasing a used keyboard.  They went to Gallatin for P-Day and to check out the mall.  Along the way they stopped at a women's house and picked it up for $90.  It has as many keys as a piano and more buttons then he will ever know what to do with it.  He really needs an instruction manual.  He felt bad while they were out for P-Day .  An elderly man in the ward finally got up and left his house and invited them to lunch.  He would have loved to have given him some company.  Hopefully, he will be able to eat with him next time.  

Hudson assured me the possum petting pictures from his email were legit.  Elder Engum was on a split at his apartment and showed me the video of him calming the possum in the field and then petting it.  I told him I thought he was supposed to kick it?  He said he did, then he petted it.  I'm not sure if he was joking.  Once he yelled at the possum (much like they say you should at a bear in the woods) it did freeze in place.  Its mouth was open like it was going to bite him, but it didn't move towards him after that.  

Hudson told me that filming Amazing Grace for the Bonfire did not go as smoothly as it looked.  It started with borrowing extension cords from President Gilday.  They took the keyboard from the nursery and set it up out back of the church.  Hudson said the wind stopped two of the takes when it blew his music right off the keyboard stand.  Multiple other takes were stopped when he messed up what he was playing.  He said Elder Engum was a good sport and kept singing over and over.  Just as they finished Elder Scott, the building coordinator showed up.  He does not like the missionaries using the church?  All four elders were so afraid of what he was going to say.  They hid the keyboard behind the shed and meandered around until he left.  I'm not sure he will volunteer to do that again.  Glad he did it once, however.