Happy 40th Birthday, Eddie!

My sweet, handsome husband is FORTY years old today! We have been celebrating together since his 27th birthday (and I thought he was SO OLD then!). We've been through a LOT in those 13 years!

  He requested to SKIP the day altogether (I suggested a party, a family meal, a trip out of town), but we can't just let that happen. We aren't throwing an "over-the-hill" celebration, but a "we're so happy for your 40 years" celebration! The boys are SO excited to do a few things for him. We've compiled a list of 40 things we love about him, we're cooking him one of his favorite suppers, and I will hopefully have a chocolate sheet cake ready for him tonight after Will's baseball practice. I haven't made one in a few years so I'm a little nervous! We did get him a gift, but it isn't a great one. This man is the opposite of materialistic and it makes gift buying SOOOO difficult. He wants a pair of RED cowboy boots (what in the world?!), so we'll wrap up a coupon for that. And he has wanted to go to Nashville, Tennessee for a LONG time so I'm hoping he'll pick a weekend so that we can go and explore that fun city! And then we have the gift that he can unwrap today that isn't much fun, but is something he did say he wanted and is something tangible for today!

This man is such an amazing example of selflessness and love. If you know him, I think you'll agree with that! He is SERIOUSLY kind and generous, will do anything for you, and isn't afraid to jump in and help. His love language is acts of service and he is all about loving on people that way. Whether it's cleaning our kitchen at home or serving people with the Salvation Army, he is your man if you need someone to help.

He is definitely the perfect complement to my crazy self - he talks me down when I get wound up and keeps me calm and semi-sane most of the time - and I am so proud that I get to be the one that does life with him. He's my favorite, for sure!

We love you, Eddie, and hope that your birthday is wonderful, even if you don't want to acknowledge it!

Seven!

Dear James,

Seven years old. SEVEN. How is that even possible? I feel like the years are just FLYING BY. Especially since you've started school.

This morning you requested a PopTart for breakfast and I obliged because it's your birthday. You are excited that it's your big day.

You've done some major growing and changing over the past year. You seem to have grown about a foot. Your feet have grown two sizes. You got glasses. You're reading on a  3rd grade reading level. You played your last season of t-ball and started Cub Scouts (which you LOVE). You are the. smartest. kid. And you still LOVE to talk. Holy cow. You don't ever stop talking! You are bold and confident and I hope you keep that forever. You dance like everyone is watching and you don't even care!

Your favorite thing right now is football. Playing football. Watching football. Tossing that darn football up in the air over and over and over again. I even saw you yesterday lay back on a chair in the den and toss an invisible football. Seriously. It's your favorite.

You LOVE the cafeteria food. I cannot wrap my mind around this. I only ate on pizza days when I was in elementary school. You'll eat almost every day.

We had a parent-teacher conference yesterday and your teacher sang your praises. We've experienced some growing pains with you since you started first grade. Your teacher isn't seeing ANY of the things we're seeing with you. Thank goodness! She said you're a motivated learner, you love working hard, you're kind and generous and HUMBLE. (You're not so humble around us! Ha!) 

We have partied with you all morning at school and will have a birthday dinner for you tonight. Saturday you're having a real party. We skipped partying last year and to say that I was NOT in party mode is an understatement. I have been VERY late getting this one planned. I kept hoping you'd decide to GO somewhere instead of having a party. Disney World again? Sign me up! But no. A camping/hunting/fishing party it is!

We are so proud of the young man you are growing to be. We love almost every single minute of parenting you (but please stop drawing on your clothes at school...). Here's to another year with you! We love you big!

Love,

Mama

Birthday Weekend Extravaganza!

As per my usual, I am WAYYYY behind posting about Will's birthday, but two weekends ago we had quite the birthday weekend extravaganza! I'm starting all the way back on February 11th for his school birthday party! We've done a lot since mid-February, but we have mostly been battling sickness so I haven't gotten around to writing. Our days have been spent suffering on the couch, going to the doctor, fighting over medicine, and watching the whole season of Fuller House {and I miiiiiiight have watched the whole season in one day...that was the night James threw up once so I was up for hours watching him}.

February 11th:

We almost always have to celebrate Will's school birthday a day or two before his real birthday. So far, his birthday has fallen on a Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at school. The first year he was in school his birthday was on Thursday, but he went to school on Wednesdays and Fridays (and actually I think he didn't even go that week that year now that I think about it). Last year his birthday fell on the Valentine's Day party so we did it the day before and the same for this year. He hasn't seemed to mind at all and it really seems like we just party all week long!

This was Will's show-and-tell on the day of his birthday. I came out to the car to put my things in the passenger seat and nearly had a heart attack. I'm sure I was a SIGHT driving to school. This freaky rabbit THANKFULLY lives at Grandmama's house.

First up, Show-and-Tell! The rabbit had shorts but lost them on the way into school.

First EVER bakery birthday cake. We have been blessed to have Mrs. Nancy make all but maybe TWO birthday cakes. I went the easy route this year and Will was pleased. This was Will's "real" birthday party at school because we talked him into going out of town for his birthday. He wanted a themed-party, so this was it!

February 12th:

We went out to eat with Eddie's side of the family on Friday night to Cracker Barrel. I'm not sure why, but we didn't open gifts with them, they just sent them home with us. Mostly Paw Patrol-themed, he was thrilled.

Last sleep as a 3 year old! CRAZY.

February 13th:

Up and at 'em on his birthday! We left our house by 7:30AM to head to the Jacksonville Zoo.

Cacky, Anna, and Merritt met us in the parking lot for a pre-zoo picnic. Last time we made the mistake of eating lunch there. Ick.

Cacky made her chocolate sheet cake so we enjoyed more candles and cake in the parking lot!

Poor birthday boy. The humidity was at about 0%. If there is no humidity, his hair is a MESS. And that's saying something, because curly hair is almost always a MESS. It just won't "do" without humidity. 

We took the double Bob in and left Merritt's single in the car. Best. idea. ever. Both boys never wanted to ride at the same time (or at all) so it wasn't a big deal and Miss Merritt rode in style. (They did occasionally fight over who got to sit with her and hold her hand, but it wasn't about the stroller.)

The tigers are the coolest! You need to go to the Jacksonville Zoo just to see their cool habitat!

This didn't take long.

February 14th:

Both boys got new hats (Cubs for Will because he is obsessed with Henry from Rookie of the Year), a movie, and a few books.

Our adventure for the day was to take the ferry to Fort Mantanza at the beach but when we got there we couldn't get {free} tickets until a few hours later. We went to the park and walked an exercise trail and had the best time and the most fun!

Yay, humidity! Please note that I do not help Will's hair in any way. It just does whatever it wants. Today, it wanted to curl!

On the ferry {large pontoon} to Fort Mantanza. Sheesh, it was COLD. We didn't realize it would be so much colder and so Cacky was the only one in a jacket! Whoops! {Eddie did have on long pants, for those of you who know him!}

February 15th:

Last meal before heading home was at one of our favorites, Conch House. They have "bird nests" you can sit in to eat that are on the water. It was a little chilly, but still fun.

What a fun trip! Let's go again!

Dear William...

Dear William,

Your birthday was on Saturday but we were having so much fun celebrating that I am just now sitting down to think about all the things I want to tell you.

2/13/12

I cannot believe you are FOUR years old. I know that I will say that every year of your life and I know that it really DOES seem like four years (or more?!) have passed, but I still can't believe YOU are four.

2/14/12

Your life has seemed like a whirlwind to me so far. With James, we eased into parenthood. I stayed home with him and we were in Perry so it was just us and it was quiet. Your life has never been quiet. You had an older brother and then when you were 17 months old we moved and when you were 19 months old Poppy died and then I started working again and then we bought a house and James started kindergarten and a million little things in between that have just made your life LOUD. I am home with you today because your shots yesterday have made you run a fever and I LOVE days like this with you that aren't LOUD.

You are such a wild little man. You aren't wild in the run-around-like-crazy sense of the world, not really. You are a BOY, but you are wild in a different way. You are sneaky and you make up the most crazy stories (LIES!) and you are TOUGH and you are the snuggliest thing ever. You are a mama's boy and I love it, but you say that you are "Mama's boy AND Daddy's boy."

You love...Paw Patrol, medicine, your "wolf pack" at school, snuggling, watching Netflix, playing with "Names," playdates, giving me kisses to make Daddy jealous, and trying new foods.

You don't like...going to school (this is seriously a struggle every day and has been for three years...you love school, but hate GOING), eggs, grits, princesses, being on-the-go, eating lunch (OHHHH the struggle every day), taking a nap, and not being as old as James.

You keep us on our toes for SURE. You know those people that say their kids are "into everything?" Ohhh...you might put their kids to shame. There are times when I wonder how you even THOUGHT to get into the mischief you get into. I  often lock my bedroom door just to keep you from messing with ALL the stuff in the house.

You are growing and changing every day and I just can't believe you are FOUR. One more year having you home and then I have to send you off to "big" school with James. Sometimes I am counting down the days, but most of the time I am dreading it.

I love you, Buddy Boo!

Love,

Mama