One day, just before we moved from our home, I was having a particularly hard time. My friend Lana stopped by for some reason I don't recall. Amongst other things, we talked about the house and how difficult it was going to be to leave a home full of so many memories. Between a few tears, I told her about the office wall and Waylon's art work. We never did finish painting the room after he passed away...mostly because he left a priceless piece of art that could NEVER be replaced. She cried with me...as she always does...(she's such a great friend) and then said..."Well, take it with you!" Ha ha...I had actually thought of that a few times, but for whatever reason, at that very moment, it was as if a heavy load was removed from my shoulders. She was absolutely right! I should take it with me. It would NEVER mean anything to the future owners...how could it? They didn't know that sweet little boy...and besides they would probably paint over it anyway!

SO....

I worried...a lot...that Ed might disagree, so I didn't tell him about my plan. I called a friend from our ward who was a contractor. I told him about my plan and how I didn't want Ed to know about it. He immediately began working on it. We were in the middle of patching the hole when Ed surprised us by coming home early for lunch one day. Needless to say, we never did finish the drywall repair but either way, my secret helper got away without being caught and the hole stayed our secret until that very last night in the house. We had accomplished moving everything out of the house without Ed noticing (if he did, he didn't say anything). While we loaded the last of the stuff, the computer and printer being the last, he finally noticed and asked me about it. I told him, "I don't know what you are talking about!" and "I didn't do it!". Well, I didn't! Not really anyway...it was our friend that did it!

This Christmas, I surprised him with Waylon's art work and a poem.

With help from my brother Billy and my friend Teri, we put the drywall cut out in a frame and put the poem on the front of the glass. It turned out perfect. I couldn't wait to see his face when he saw my surprise. My intention wasn't to make him cry...it did though. It made all of us a little teary-eyed just remembering...

One day I found a marker or two
I colored so pretty and thought of you.
I colored the wall and then on the floor
I then went upstairs and colored a door.

I could not wait for you to see
All of my art work, to you from me.
At first Mom was mad, ‘cause I “ruined” the wall
But that wasn’t my plan, oh no, not at all.

I wanted to leave something precious behind
And so I decided to leave a few lines.
I know that it looks just like scribbles and such,
But look closer, it say’s

“I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!”

I prayed for help to find all of the right words....and there they are. A perfect glimpse of that moment in time when a little boy found a few PERMANENT markers and a few moments when mom wasn't looking. I remember that day like it was yesterday! I remember panicking because Ed had just finished laying the wood floor in the office and Waylon decided to add his own little touch with a blue permanent marker all over the wood floor. I was sooo worried that Ed would be upset. I discovered that day, amongst other things, that rubbing alcohol is a wonderful thing...it removed every bit of the blue marker off of the floor. As for the wall, I just figured since we weren't done painting anyway, that it wasn't that big of a deal. Glad that we never did get around to painting it!
I remember the first time one of my kids came home with that little poem about hand prints. You know, the one that talks about all the messy little hand prints all over everything and how someday those prints would be priceless to that mother...I believe that! And now I have my own little priceless piece of art. Who knew that a few little scribbles would ever mean so much! Who knew that those scribbles could make me smile and cry at the same time.