Last night, we were saying our bedtime prayers.  This usually entails a time in which we thank Jesus for our day and the things we have been blessed with, as well as praying for our family and friends.  Many nights, L starts stories in the middle of prayers, probably because something I say or we pray for reminds her of something, and she launches into a long, elaborate story about this or that.  I try to soak up these moments, because they are truly so precious.

Last night was no different.  Before prayers, we had read the 'Noah and the Ark' story in the Jesus Storybook Bible, as it's one of L's favorites and she always wants to see the animals on the page.  As we were naming all the animals, Ezra started 'hee-haw-ing' like a donkey - I had just taught him what a donkey said earlier in the night, and he was pretty proud that he could hee-haw now.  The hee-haw-ing led us to talking about donkeys, and how maybe someday, we could have a donkey and keep it in a barn at our house.  I started our prayers a few minutes later and we got to the portion where we pray for our friends and family.  Here is how the conversation ended up going...

Mama: ...And we pray for Kari and Dan..
L: Kari?  She's our friend?
Mama: Yes, L, she's our friend.
L: Oooh.  She holds me?
Mama: Um, sure!
L: Oh!  And Kari comes to visit and pick me up.  And she want to eat dinner with us?
Mama: Yes, she could eat dinner with us.
L: She will have a plate.  At the table.  And a fork.  Oh, and a knife.  Mama, Kari will get a knife, ok?
Mama: Ok, L, Kari can have a knife.
L: Kari gets a knife.  And then she come upstairs.  And lay on the pillows.  And then we take her to see our barn.  And show her our donkey.  Yeah, we show her the donkey!  And our cows.
Mama: Oh!  We have cows (plural!) now?
L: Yes, we show Kari our cows.  And our reindeer.  And a kitty.  And...and...we have a mouse. And they run.  And I take my doggie and kitty and lion (she is naming all the animals in her bed, at this point) and my Tangled (her Rapunzel doll from Uncle Coltan) and my blankie to the barn.  And we show her our baby.
Mama: Yes, we will show her our new baby.
L: Yes, our baby.  And you will carry the baby on your shoulders.
Mama: Um...ok...
L: And then we shut the door.  And all the animals stay inside.  No. No.  We don't shut the door.  We got outside and close the gate.  With our hands.  We shut the gate with our hands.  And goodnight animals.  And they go sleep.
Mama: Oh, the animals go to sleep?
L: Yes, they go sleep.
Mama: L, can you show me how you lay down and sleep?

At this point, she finally finishes her prayer interruption, lays down quite dramatically, and I continue on with our prayers...

Oh my!  This child and her imagination!  I was cracking up later!  So apparently, when you come to our house, it is very important that you get to eat dinner AND get a knife at the table?  Oh, and that you come see our herd of cows?!  Too funny.

And then today, I am packing, getting ready for a little 4th of July trip to visit Aunt Kathy and Uncle David.  And I am telling L that we will be leaving later.  She sees some bags and cups on the counter...

L: We take that bag to Aunt Kathy's?
Mama: Yes, L, we will take that bag to Aunt Kathy's house.
L: Oh, and we take our toys?
Mama: Yep.
L: And we will take our swimsuits?
Mama: Yes.
L: And the broom?
Mama: The broom?!  We are going to take the broom?
L: Yes, so you sweep at Aunt Kathy's house.

Um, I guess I have a sweeping obsession or something?  And no, I will NOT be taking the broom along, ha ha!!  Oh the things this little girl says.