Carter is Four!

Well, Carter turned 4 this past Tuesday, and we celebrated all weekend! He had his heart set on a Pump It Up Party, so we had a bunch of his friends and they had a blast. We gave him a present the night before, so that he could wear it at his party...

He LOVES the Superman costume! It is so neat to see his entire persona change when he dons the superhero costumes. He had a blast with all of his friends and loved his Superman and Batman cake. As Natalie and I reflect on his party and consider all of the fun kids and wonderful friends that were there, we are truly thankful that God has surrounded our family with such a great cloud of witnesses. And then of course, Anna Brooks was right in her element, with lots of people and physical activity.



Then, we capped off the four day four-year birthday celebration at the restaurant of his choice: California Pizza Kitchen. He got some special drinks, Kiwi Twists, and then he topped it off with a HUGE brownie sundae!

When I reach a milestone such as this, I cannot help but be overwhelmed at the past four years. Where did that time go? What was my life like before kids? As I reflect on this past special year, it seems somewhat transitional for him. Like he is in between stages of life. At times, he can still be a sweet, innocent, precious little boy, who loves to snuggle, be carried when he's sleepy and give bear hugs. And at other times, I feel him wrestling with growing up, asking tough questions, and dealing with life's reality.

And while I can easily drift into wistful nostalgia and mourn the passing of such sweet times, I know that God has a special plan for Carter, and I am so excited, honored and blessed to be his Daddy. Natalie and I pray that He fills us with the strength, courage and wisdom to guide Carter to be the man of God He has called him to be.

We love you so much, Little Buddy.

A look back at the past birthdays...

a week old:

1st Birthday party:

2nd Birthday:

3rd Birthday:

Carter's 3rd Birthday Bash!

So, let's pretend that this post isn't 2 months old. But, i guess then we would have to pretend that we did not survive the holidays, endure a move, and nurture a sick 6 month old little girl during the past two months.

So, Carter is three! Happy Birthday, Little Buddy!

Natalie did an amazing job pulling his Firetruck party together with the balloons, fire dog biscuits ("They're not for doggies, they're for children." says Carter to his friends), coloring tablecloths, hats, the cakes, and of course, the fire truck pinata! She's truly a special, special Mommy who loves her little fire dog like crazy!

So we went to the 17th Fire House, our soon-to-be neighbors, and those firefighters are the salt of the earth. Great tourguide, everybody got to sit in the pump truck, Daddy even suited up in all the HEAVY gear, and we got everyone stationary for at least a moment for a group photo.

Thanks to Max, John Miller, Simon, Genevieve, Andrew, Will, Carmen, William, Eva Elizabeth, Matteson, and Blaine. That was such a fun day to share with all of you! And many thanks to Brian for the picture taking, and Max for the pinata smashing.