In The Spotlight- Nicholas James Wilder

Our Primary President came up with a wonderful thing where she spotlights a child in primary every week. She asks the kids questions about themselves (likes and dislikes etc), and then she calls the parents and asks them some questions about their child too. With all the info she get from both the child and their parents she makes a 12x12 scrapbook page of things about the child and presents it during primary reading the things about them. Nicholas was the spotlight today and at the end she gave him his scrapbook page about him and a typed paper of all the answers John and I gave about Nicholas and the things that Nicholas answered for her to go along with it.

So here it is
Spotlight NICHOLAS JAMES WILDER (Questions posed to Nicholas for him to answer are in red)

What is your child's full name: Nicholas James Wilder

What is the Story Surrounding you child's Birth?
Nicholas is our third child. The third grandchild on one side and the fourth on the other. Nicholas although the third was our first planned child and was born nine months after we moved to Porterville. Nicholas was born two weeks early on his dads first day of Spring Break so his dad was dissapointed that he already had the week off so he didn't get an extra week off like he hoped for.

What year was he born? 2005

Where was he born? Porterville, California

Where did he get his name? Nicholas is a name from his dads side. It was the name his uncle was originally named but his uncle was born a few days before Christmas and the nurses kept singing Jolly Ole Saint Nicholas and his grandma was worried he would never live down the name of Saint Nick, so his name was changed and she never had another son to use the name Nicholas. James is Sarah's grandfathers name. Nicholas got to meet him for the first time in April of this year (2010) two weeks before he passed away from Cancer.

What is his favorite color? blue

What is his favorite food? Pancakes

Who is his hero? Addison

What is his favorite scripture story? anything about the gospel

What is his favorite pastime? Reading Books with mommy and daddy

What is he going to be when he grow up? A firefighter

What are his talents? He is can be very quiet (and believe me in the Wilder household that is a talent!)

What is his favorite subject? circle time

A funny story about him?
When Nicholas was around 7/8 months old his uncle Donald was taking a photography class in college. He needed a picture that depicted an expression. He was having a hard time getting what he wanted. He asked if it was okay if he gave Nicholas a lemon or pickle and take a picture of the expression he made. I was okay with it so he gave him a pickle. Nicholas grabbed a hold of it and started sucking away. He LOVED IT. No expression of dislike just kept sucking on it. From that day forward his nickname has been Mr. Pickles.

Nicholas is known in our house for falling asleep wherever he is in the weirdest positions.

What makes your child so special?
I have always referred to Nicholas as my "Ray of Sunshine" he is a very loving and cuddly child who loves to sit and just be snuggled and read too.

Day 7 7/19/10

The Final Stretch....Pure boredom as we drove from Las Vegas to Porterville. Over tired, sick of the car, boredom you name it, we had it.

Day 6- 7/18/10

We were off, On our way back to California. We stopped in Cedar City and had lunch at Park Discovery and let the kids play at the park. They loved it. We went to that park a lot with Vincent when he was little. Still just as much fun today as it was then. I sure do miss Cedar City. John and I both would love to live there again someday if that be the course and plan that we are too follow. When John lost his job 5 years ago with the Burton School District we applied to the Cedar City School District along with other school districts in California.




After our short visit to Cedar City we were off to Vegas to stay the night before we headed the rest of the way home the next day. And yes that was the current temperture when we pulled into town.

Day 5- 7/17/10

On our 5th and final full day in Utah we rode trax up to Salt Lake and visited Temple Square, and then walked down to the Mall and had lunch there, and then headed back. It was nice, but not the highlight of our trip. The kids would have much rather gone to the zoo or the dinosaur museum and John and I have both commented we wished we would have done that instead. But, nonetheless we didn't and so this is what we have to show for that day. We started the morning off with a pancake breakfast at John's moms house and then drove to Sandy on got on trax and headed to Salt Lake. We met up with the family members that drove down to Salt Lake instead of riding trax at Grandpa Torleif's Statue. Addison was excited to see the statue and See Grandpa Torleif's name engraved in the side. After all he is Addison Torleif after that Great Grandpa Torleif.



We then headed into the North Visitor's Center. My kids enjoyed pushing the buttons to make things light up or show video clips, but I don't think they got what the exhibit was talking about. Other than that it was an air conditioned place to play. They did however like standing in the window on the one side of the visitors center to see the Salt Lake Temple. Or as Eliza called it "The Big George". Yes, every temple is now the Big George.




Then we walked over to the other visitors center to see what they had to look at.














After that we headed to the Book Store across the street. Some went in to look around while others stayed outside around the fountain. Aunt Jennie helped Zoey enjoy her time outside waiting.










Then it was out to lunch and then back on trax for the ride back to Sandy.


















Apparently the day was too much fun for Aunt Jennie!

Day 4- 7/16/10

If you were to ask my kids what was the most fun thing they did on their trip they would say going swimming at the Scera Park Pool. It was awesome! Aunt Jennie went swimming with the kids and they thought it was the greatest. I should have done what I had originally planned and got over to my in laws earlier so that we got to the pool earlier as my kids LOVE to swim They got to swim two and a half hours and were not happy when it was time to leave. Nicholas kept running away from us back to the pool. I have always loved our pool here in Porterville and have never found one that compared. I just did and it also superseded it. That pool was awesome. It would have been nicer with about 100 fewer people, but none the less it was nice and my kids had a blast!




After the pool we went back to my mother in laws for a BBQ. Eliza just loved her little cousin Zoey. Luckily Zoey was very patient with her (on the most part) as Eliza kept wanting to hold her and "mother" her and Zoey just like Eliza at that age, wanted to be LEFT ALONE. They did enjoy playing the piano together.

Day 3-7/15/10

The Morning started with a trip to Mount Timp. Temple. Was so nice to go as a family and with my mom to the temple.

Then it was out to lunch at the Pizza Factory.
After lunch we went and picked up the kids and went back to our motel to relax for a little while and then get them ready to go to the park for family pictures.

Day 2- 7/14/10 PART 2

On the second day of our trip we went the rest of the way up to the Provo/Orem area stopping at the Saint George Temple. When we pulled up front the kids were at awe at how big the Temple was. John told them that, that was the temple we had been married in and Eliza said, "I want to get married in the Big George" John told her when she got older if that was where she wanted to get married that was just fine with him. She told her dad no she wanted to get married right then. When he told her no she was too little she was crushed and cried and cried. When we got in the visitors center the missionary sisters came up and asked if she was okay and when I told them why she was crying they broke out in smiles and had to hold back the laughter. We walked around the visitors center and then the temple grounds. Eliza was very proud of the Big George and for the rest of the trip every temple we saw was the Big George.