The big 4!

As I sit here typing, Luke is right here next to me, happily watching a bit of Finding Nemo before bed. I marvel at him! Has it really been four years since I held that itsy-bitsy 3 pound baby for the first time and saw his little life flash before my eyes in those first moments? Today was, after all, the day I first got to hold my precious son...two and a half days after he was born. It still makes me teary thinking of that moment. I remember vividly how all the possibilities of how his life could turn out...all the threats of dysfunction or disabilities and all the hopes for a healthy child washed over me. I saw them all as a movie film passing through my mind as I held him those first moments. And I cried...sobbed really....at the intensity of it all. But here I sit...next to my perfectly healthy, vibrant, smart-as-a-whip preschooler! How lucky and how blessed we have been! Gratefulness swells in my heart! We are so fortunate!!!

So how did we spend his fourth birthday? We opted for a more mellow celebration this year instead of a big party. (We've pretty much decided that the parties will be every other year, or 'bigger' birthdays like 5 or 10 or whatever. ) We started his day with a special breakfast of waffles with chocolate chips and whipped cream! Mmmmm! He felt so special when I pulled out the Red plate just for him!



Once we were all ready to go, we took a little trip out to the March Air Field Museum to get up close and personal with all the neat airplanes! My dad was able to join us, and that quite possibly was the best part of the visit to the museum! He shared all his old stories with us and delighted in showing his only grandson around the different airplanes! Luke soaked it all up and LOVED seeing all the planes! It was a neat experience for all of us!

On our way...






Luke as Charles Lindbergh and me as Amelia Earhart! LOL!


He LOVED pretending he was a pilot!!


Grandpa explaining all the bells and whistles inside the cockpit!






Handsome boy!!








It was lunchtime as we left the air field, and we had promised Luke lunch at a restaurant so he chose Red Robin for the chicken tenders! Ironically, he ended up eating a corn dog for lunch, but that's okay! We treated him to a strawberry milkshake along with his meal, and I think that was his favorite part!









We headed home for naps after lunch, and Luke fell asleep with visions of presents and birthday cake dancing in his head! :) When the kids got up, Grandma, Grandpa, Meemaw and Uncle Rod came over to share birthday cake with him and to open presents. His big gift this year was his Leapster 2, which he has not put down since he opened it! Guess it was a good choice! :)

All the pictures of him opening presents & blowing out his candles didn't quite turn out for whatever reason, but here is his content little face after all that BLUE frosting! :) LOL!


So that was his big day! Pleasantly mellow, but lots of fun with us all together as a family! Happy Birthday, buddy! Daddy and I love you so much!!!


PS.....Ellie is doing MUCH better today, btw! No fever! Yay! She seems back to her normal self, minus a bit of a runny nose! Maybe you are right Heidi and Amy...roseola??? We'll see if tomorrow brings a rash!