You are 7 years old today! There are no words to express my profound love for you Peebs! I remember clearly the first time I held you and heard the words "it's a boy!" I remember marveling at your sweet little face. Your hands! They were so distinctly "male" and they have the same look and shape to them today, 7 years later. I let you sleep 8 hours the first night you were born (the nurse was NOT happy with me). We were both so exhausted from your long journey into this world. The second night you were not so sleepy. The nurse came in and told me I was doing a commendable job, but that I needed some rest and to please let them have you down in the nursery for a bit. I knew she was right, and reluctantly yielded you into her care. I nuzzled down into my hospital bed, aching with loneliness for the baby I had thought of for 10 months in my body and grown to adore in the short few hours I had to hold you. I quickly however, gave in to sleep. Within 45 minutes you were back and another nurse said "he doesn't want anything, we can't keep him calm, you have to take him back mama!" "Gladly!"
Gladly, will I always accept you into my arms and my heart dear boy. How dearly we all love you. Your infectious laugh, your endless energy, your intelligent/inquisitive mind, your love for truth and love for God; all of these things are so evident to all you meet. I am captivated by your servant's heart. The way you take care of the little people in our house with affection and tenderness. The way you assist daddy or I with all of the family chores that need to get done. I am blown away by your desire to follow God. At the age of three you spent an evening struggling with forces unseen as you grappled with the idea of sin and death and ultimately, it was the night the Holy Spirit called you to Himself. We stayed up late that night (even after your big sister went to bed) and you yielded yourself to a Power and Love that is greater than the Universe. Since that day, you have grown in holiness, knowledge, and desire to serve God...in a way that challenges me and motivates me. We love your non-stop chatter and how you love to talk, talk, talk about anything and everything that comes to mind...peppering every conversation with deep questions about how life works. You are an amazing boy and I am so blessed to be your mommy.
I hope you always remember your 7th Camping Birthday Party! You are a great outdoorsman and it was fun to plan your party with you in mind! I love you Peebs...now & forever!!!
Making cakes for four kids has gotten more stressful. But a tent and campfire and tree cake you wanted...and that is what you got!
Camping themed coloring sheets helped all the guests to warm up to each other.
You proclaimed M.W. as one of your new best friends. M won the "pin the flame on the log" game by coming closest!
There's no better way to get acquainted then to rub bare feet together, right? All in the tight space of a 3-man tent.
7 boys came to celebrate your big day. Along with you and your brother and sisters, that made 11 kids! Plus mommy, daddy, Papa, Nana, and Mr. Mud. Each of you had a bag with a tent and campfire on it with your name. On the back was a "nature hunt" list which you were just about to do in this picture.
After the nature hunt...your guests alternated between hiding your gifts in the woods behind our house and making their own "trail mix" mixture.
It wouldn't be a normal party at our house if we didn't do SOME type of fishing! Especially at a CAMPING themed party! This was some strange fishing though. Putting your line into a tent?
Cute fish!
This s'more filled bucket is what you were fishing for. Everyone got their own s'more kit when they went fishing...tied to the end of their line.
You hunted for your gifts with your friends. They played hot~cold with you and then they brought your gifts into a circle. You took a camping pan and spun it. Wherever the handled landed is the gift you opened next. This was the most AMAZING group of kids you could really imagine. SUCH nice boys. It was a 3 hour party, but I could have kept them here much longer! Such delight and such laughter! I'm so happy you have such nice friends Peebs!
JuBe bought this little lego set with her own money. She spent almost as much time getting ready to celebrate you as mommy did! She made you two incredible cards, wrote and illustrated a story for you with all of your 1st grade vocabulary words, wrote out a scripture verse on a paper she colored that had a camping theme.
Odes paid the tax for the lego set. He is now broke.
Each guest got a campfire to go with their cake.
Happy Birthday to you!
A mentos/pop geyser tube took place. This may just need to be a birthday tradition with Mr. Mud.
Football and water games followed cake and ice cream.
Your regular camping buddies, Mr. Mud and his boy's spent the night with you and your siblings and daddy in the back yard last night. Mommy stayed inside. :) You have to camp at a Camping party, right?
The next morning as we pulled into the garage on the way home from church we heard from the back seat "I'd like to go out to lunch" coming from your seat. At first I said "no" but you reminded me how much it meant to you last year when the two of us went to lunch together. I told you I'd feed everyone else first and then we were off. "Where would you like to go?" I asked. "Where do YOU want to go mommy?" I explained it was your birthday pick. In a timid shy voice you said, "well, would it be OK to go to McDonald's?" Off we went to get you a happy meal and to have some alone time...discussing your party, your gifts, your siblings, what you want to be when you grow up (used to be a pastor, now you want to be a Builder ---ahhh, so THAT is why you keep asking me how thick the walls of our house are. You want to do the digging part though). You asked me how many more years you had left to decide what you wanted to be when you grew up. I love getting to be alone with you Peebs man.
Grandma & Grandpa and Papa & Nana celebrated with a pizza party tonight!
You picked the "5 meat Papa Murphy" and with bloated guts we went around the table and each of us shared with you things that we love about you (a birthday tradition in our family).
You don't like lego's do you?
Happy 7th Birthday to our sweet boy!
You. Are. Loved!
7 boys came to celebrate your big day. Along with you and your brother and sisters, that made 11 kids! Plus mommy, daddy, Papa, Nana, and Mr. Mud. Each of you had a bag with a tent and campfire on it with your name. On the back was a "nature hunt" list which you were just about to do in this picture.
After the nature hunt...your guests alternated between hiding your gifts in the woods behind our house and making their own "trail mix" mixture.
It wouldn't be a normal party at our house if we didn't do SOME type of fishing! Especially at a CAMPING themed party! This was some strange fishing though. Putting your line into a tent?
Cute fish!
This s'more filled bucket is what you were fishing for. Everyone got their own s'more kit when they went fishing...tied to the end of their line.
You hunted for your gifts with your friends. They played hot~cold with you and then they brought your gifts into a circle. You took a camping pan and spun it. Wherever the handled landed is the gift you opened next. This was the most AMAZING group of kids you could really imagine. SUCH nice boys. It was a 3 hour party, but I could have kept them here much longer! Such delight and such laughter! I'm so happy you have such nice friends Peebs!
JuBe bought this little lego set with her own money. She spent almost as much time getting ready to celebrate you as mommy did! She made you two incredible cards, wrote and illustrated a story for you with all of your 1st grade vocabulary words, wrote out a scripture verse on a paper she colored that had a camping theme.
Odes paid the tax for the lego set. He is now broke.
Each guest got a campfire to go with their cake.
Happy Birthday to you!
A mentos/pop geyser tube took place. This may just need to be a birthday tradition with Mr. Mud.
Football and water games followed cake and ice cream.
Your regular camping buddies, Mr. Mud and his boy's spent the night with you and your siblings and daddy in the back yard last night. Mommy stayed inside. :) You have to camp at a Camping party, right?
The next morning as we pulled into the garage on the way home from church we heard from the back seat "I'd like to go out to lunch" coming from your seat. At first I said "no" but you reminded me how much it meant to you last year when the two of us went to lunch together. I told you I'd feed everyone else first and then we were off. "Where would you like to go?" I asked. "Where do YOU want to go mommy?" I explained it was your birthday pick. In a timid shy voice you said, "well, would it be OK to go to McDonald's?" Off we went to get you a happy meal and to have some alone time...discussing your party, your gifts, your siblings, what you want to be when you grow up (used to be a pastor, now you want to be a Builder ---ahhh, so THAT is why you keep asking me how thick the walls of our house are. You want to do the digging part though). You asked me how many more years you had left to decide what you wanted to be when you grew up. I love getting to be alone with you Peebs man.
Grandma & Grandpa and Papa & Nana celebrated with a pizza party tonight!
You picked the "5 meat Papa Murphy" and with bloated guts we went around the table and each of us shared with you things that we love about you (a birthday tradition in our family).
You don't like lego's do you?
Happy 7th Birthday to our sweet boy!
You. Are. Loved!
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