Quayd's birthday interview

Conversation between Liza and Quayd while face-timing on the day of his birthday:

          Liza: Happy Birthday, Bug! I can't believe that you are 18.  You're still five to me!
          Quayd:   I know, right.  It's like I was just seventeen yesterday.

So big sister and little brother, right?  He cracks us up!  That pretty much depicts Quayd's personality... he's witty and quirky and yet, one of the most charming guys I've ever met, when he wants to be.  I can't walk into his workplace without hearing several times, "Quayd's my favorite!  Quayd is always so positive and cheerful!  Quayd is always willing to help!"  It makes a mom proud.  He really is a great kid!  This year will be such a big one in his life with graduating and hopefully, serving an LDS mission.  Although he's had his challenges and struggles in life, this past year, he seems to have recognized and accepted them more than ever and become very determined to not worry about the things he can't change and make the most of the things he can.  We are so proud of this!

And his smile.  He, just like his dad, has smiling eyes.  When he smiles, just like Doug, he lights up the room!  He loves to laugh and make others laugh!  He's not without fault, however, and I'm not one to pretend that he's perfect... he can also give daggers with those penetrating eyes when he wants to!  Thankfully, we don't see that very often!  He does not like to take out the trash and he hates doing dishes, but he's not, at all, afraid of work!  Quayd will dig into whatever he's asked and often, without being asked.  He has captured the importance of "What can I do to help?" and mastered it.  I love that he's always willing to hold open a door, offer to carry something for a stranger or to help when he sees a need.  (A few weeks ago, a friend in the ward called to tell me that her neighbor, an elderly lady, had been out sweeping her leaves, and Quayd stopped to ask, "Do you need some help?"  An hour later, my friend went outside to tell the older woman that Quayd was on his way somewhere and she needed to let him go.)

Quayd the Ham to the Rescue!

This past year, he's finally gotten into being a big brother.  For a while, sisters were just a bother, but he loves the girls, is protective of them and even gives hugs now and then. (Thankfully, he's never outgrown giving his mom hugs every day!  And he's not afraid to say, "I love you, Mom!" even in front of his friends!

He's not a big fan of reading, but he can memorize anything.  He loves to act and perform and imitates faces and sounds like no other.  Even at eighteen, he's still my boy, in that, he and I are close and he shares things that sometimes I blush at knowing!  However, he and his dad are best friends.  Quayd loves his dad.  He looks to Doug for everything!  They have such a bond and how thankful I am for that because one day, he'll be a husband and father and he will have learned from the best of the best!  He has a testimony of Christ, which you can feel when he speaks of it.  He's really a great kid.  We heart him BIG! Happy Birthday, Quayd!  It's going to be a big year!

Here's Quayd's birthday interview:

• If you could have one super-power, what would it be?  the Melchizedek Priesthood.  That's gonna be this year!
• What was the last chore you did? Making my bed and bringing up the laundry.
• What is your favorite song?  I have a ton.  I can't list them, there's so many.
• What do you like to eat for lunch?  Graham Crackers and Cereal  (He lives on them!)
  
• What's the nicest thing you've done for someone in your family lately?  I hugged my sister.
• What makes you mad?  Ummmmm.  I don't know...girls that don't communicate and are stubborn.  I don't know. 
• Where would you like to go on vacation? The ranch!  (He says that every time!)
• Who's the smartest person in your family? Mom and Dad, but I don't know why.
• What's the scariest thing you've done this year?  Climbing the mountain at the City of Rocks. But, jumping off the four story building at the Fear Factory was a little trippy too.

Seriously fearless...

...and very determined...he's no quitter!

He'll tell you that Quitting and Corbridge does not go together!

• How are you like Mom? We love each other.  We do everything together when I'm not working.  I'm your favorite kid and you're my favorite mom.  Wait.  You're my only mom!  You're the best!
• How are you like Dad?  We also love each other.  We do almost everything together.  We have the same humor.  We both hold the Priesthood.  
  
  
  
• What's one thing that Mom always says to you? " Make good choices." "I love you!"  "Be quiet."  "LoveBug!" "Be in the right place at the right time doing the right thing." "If there's anything lovely, virtuous or praiseworthy, seek after these things."  And you talk about my mission and my blessings and graduation and other stuff.  But, my favorite is "I love you" and "Make good choices, LoveBug."
• What's one thing that you and Dad did together this year that you'll always remember? Canoeing was fun.  Seeing the second MazeRunner movie together was fun.  Having him come to APTC was fun.  Fishing.  Tubing down the Oneida Narrows was awesome.  Driving with Dad is always fun, except when he panics!

• If you had a million dollars, what's the first thing you'd buy?  Pay for my mission, pay tithing. Ummm. Get a wedding ring... a cool one.  But, I'd need to find a girl first.  Hey!  I'd have enough money to dish a girl! .. A house!  I'd pay you "parent support" for giving me a pretty good life.  I'd take classes for acting.  I'd give some to charity.
• What's your favorite TV show?  Lost, Teen Wolf, Drop Dead Diva
• What's your favorite vegetable?  Broccoli!
• What's something that you would you never give away? My phone, My Transformers, My Legos. Oh yeh, and my pendulum.
• What's your favorite game?  Uno's not my favorite cuz I never win. Ha!
  
• What's your favorite movie? Oh, I have so many!  But lately, it's been the Marzerunner Series.
• What food would you eat every day if you could? Graham Crackers and Cold Cereal.
• If you could choose a different name, what would it be?   I would keep Quayd.
• What's the first thing you want to show your friends when they come to your house?  My family.
  
  
  
• Is your room messy or clean? Define clean?
• If you could eat at any restaurant for the rest of your life, where would it be? Kneaders!
• What's your favorite candy bar? I don't have a favorite candy bar but I LOVE Salt Water Taffy.(That's why he gave up the $100 a year "no candy challenge".)
• What's your nickname?   LoveBug from you and Liza. Captain from Dad. Quaydakins from ZJ.  QuackaDuck from the guys in the ward.
• What's the best age to be? I'll try eighteen, even though I can't get away with stuff at home, just because I'm an adult, I still have to follow the house rules.  HAHA!
• What do you and your sisters fight about?  Random things
• What's under your bed?   Uh, my computer cords and electronic cords, my art and a bin of Legos.
• What's your favorite holiday?  My birthday
• What was the highlight of being 17?  Attending APTC  (Aaronic Priesthood Training Camp).  WHY?  Because I didn't know if I really wanted to go on a mission.  I'd promised my parents that I would, so I would have gone.  But, going on a mission isn't about keeping a promise to your parents.  It's about having a choice to go and your willingness to learn and to help other people learn.  Going to APTC helped me realize that there's more than telling your parents you will go when you don't know if you can really do it.  It's about developing your OWN testimony without your parents and trying to know Heavenly Father on your own, by yourself, and I did that, through all the things that I learned there.  Like the Reap the Harvest activity, where I could have not gone on a mission and still been a good person.  But it's about taking the opportunity to stay on the right path on your own or go and help others return to Christ and Heavenly Father so they have the same joy that you have.  It's not about the numbers or how may people you baptize.  It's about how many people you can help find Christ too.  It really was the highlight of my year.  I'm so glad that I went.
  
  
  
  
• What do you know at age 17?  Not much.  Just that I'm responsible for my actions. I know that I'm pretty close to turning in my mission papers and going into the world on my own and, hopefully, I'll learn how to do my own laundry.  High School is almost over.  I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ live.  I know that missionary work is important and will help others to come unto Christ.  I know that APTC was a life bonding trip with Heavenly Father and Christ and understanding the gospel more, and understanding the purpose of going on a mission.  I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet and that he helped restore the church and the Priesthood and that if we didn't have it, we'd be lost.  I know that Ammon was a pretty legit guy! ;)  I know that my family loves me, even though sometimes I can be a jerk.  I know that they will be there to support me, no matter what I ever do.  I know that being eighteen will help me in my life in becoming a better person and, hopefully, I'll get more acquainted with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and have the Holy Ghost. I know that having faith in them is so important.
• Is there anything else you want to say? I like pie!    (This is the first year that he didn't end with "I like Ice Cream."  How he remember, I don't know but, he's said that every year!)