Isaiah's Birthday

The chosen birthday meal- mac n cheese with hotdogs and ketchup.  Orange Kool-aid to drink.

Big 6 years old!

Isaiah had specific requests for his birthday.  He is a man who knows what he wants and isn't afraid to ask.  On Sunday, he addressed the Thorpe family at church.  He told them that his birthday was on Friday and that he wanted to come over to their house to celebrate his birthday.  He thought they should have a party for him.

Kym graciously offered to host if Kennady's softball game got rained out, but since the weather was looking nice, we told Zay that we'd have to make other plans.  He said, "Why can't we just go to Kennady's game?"  No reason at all so that's what we did... softball game for Zay's birthday followed by hot drinks and hockey with the Thorpe clan.

For his gift requests, LEGO.  No surprise there and he is still engrossed in his building and rebuilding.

Dear Isaiah, youngest in our family,
We see you as the 6 year old boy you have now become.  You articulate your thoughts so well, and have been doing so for so long, that you've seemed 6 to us for months.  You are patient and people-loving, quick to forgive and easy to get along with in general.  To say that everyone loves you is no exaggeration.  School is a breeze for you, when you have the time that you want to do your work.  You live, breathe and work at your own pace, and although we may at times try to speed you up, it often only results in our own frustration.  No one can argue with the quality you produce with your pace though.  Everything you do is done well if you care about it.  We love you so much Zay, and we can't wait to see what being 6 will mean to you.

Birthday Boy #2 (a few days late)

 There was 2...

 And then 3... (with cousin Liv)

 Then all of a sudden, a 7 year old...

 And now 9?  Wow.

You are becoming such a young man.  As a 9 year old, starting a new life in Maryland, you have taken a few months to adjust but are now showing the real Elijah.  You are ultimately kind and compassionate above all else.  You feel deeply for every one and every living thing.  You are complex, creative, full of story and drama.  You love fast cars, drawing monsters and creatures, making up stories, acting out stories, watching Hot Wheels Battle Force 5, playing with Amani, and running around outside.

Recently you started going to Robotics club at 4-H and you love it.  You decided on a skateboard with your birthday money and the roller blades you got from your cousins were a big hit.  We love you Lij!  Keep growing in love and faith.  

Birthday Season

Spring 2007- Tom and Cassie's house on the farm

February 2008- Barefoot Dr. house in Kentucky

Spring 2009- Raven Run, Kentucky

Good morning; it's my birthday- February 2011, Keymar, MD

We didn't have cake for breakfast.  This was after school.

Micah opens birthday season around here; then its nonstop for 2 months.  Our middle son turned 7 years old on Tuesday the 15th.  Amazing.
Micah we love you more than ever.  New adventures for you include piano lessons, which you are enjoying more every week, and very recently 4-H robotics club.  As always, you love all things screen related- Wii, DS, computer games you name it.  If someone is working on a screen, you want to be right there beside them, watching how everything is done.  Your technology skills are quite proficient.

At school, you are doing wonderfully.  Math seems to be your favorite subject although you say anything on "Success Maker" (a computer program you use in class) is your favorite.  Your least favorite subject is art.
You are a joy my middle boy.  We love you so much.  Your thoughtful, contemplative heart peeks out every once in a while and when it does, we are astounded at the depth with which you understand things.

I overheard you recently giving your big brother some advice.  He was walking down the hall with his DS in hand, ready to ask me if he could play.  You came out of the bathroom and this was the conversation:
Micah:  What are you doing?
Elijah:  I'm going to ask Mommy if I can play.
Micah:  (chasing after Lij) Don't take your DS with you.  Look it's even on.  (You grab it away and turn it off)
Eljiah:  Why not?
Micah:  She'll think you started playing without asking. (exasperated sigh as though you were thinking- "silly boy, you should know better)
Elijah:  Oh, ok.  (walks in to me)  Mommy can I play DS?
I say yes and you give him his DS, smile at me and bounce out to go watch your brother play.  

On the first day of school, way back in the fall, you fussed at me after school for putting an "I love you" note in your lunch box- its embarrassing you said. I laughed and we moved on with things. No big deal.

A couple of weeks ago, you tearfully confessed that you felt really bad for what you said about the note and for not really liking your lunch that day.  Confessions are difficult for you and you hold onto your guilt for a long time, but your sincerity is such a blessing.  Yes, we are watching you grow- inside and out.

Happy 7th birthday big boy!  Keep learning and growing and loving!  I pray that God continues to work in the secret, quiet places of your heart, rooting those seeds of faith that you possess deeply.    

Birthday Boys

Another year flies by and our two oldest boys are a year older. Elijah turned 8 last week and Micah turned 6 two weeks ago. I can hardly believe it. We love them both so much! We had a shared party with a few friends. Mommy made a guitar cake, gifts were opened, games were played and I think they felt celebrated.

Elijah loves learning all about new places and people. Micah loves sharpening his math and reading skills. Elijah loves to run and jump and play and create. Micah loves to compete and spend time with friends and play video games and carefully observe. Both boys surprise us every day with the new things they're learning and doing. We love watching America's Funniest Home Videos before bedtime some nights, and both boys can be found curled up with a book or comic book at any given moment.

We love you so much boys! Happy Birthdays!

Pictures

Happy Birthday Elijah

A few days late because of internet difficulties, but a birthday message nonetheless. Dear 7 year old boy we love you. You keep us laughing, thinking, listening and loving daily. We are amazed at all of the ways you've grown this year. You have fallen in love with nature in whole new ways. You would spend every spare minute outside- digging in the dirt, finding rocks, uncovering bugs, inspecting leaves, searching for spiders, climbing, riding your bike and having a great time. We started homeschooling your this year and it has gone very well so far. You are learning lots- improving things that were really difficult for you at school and enjoying learning about things that interest you. We've done a unit on space, one on habitats and we're about to start simple machines.

Your brothers love you and you show such patience with them much of the time. We love you Elijah and can't wait to see who you become as a 7 year old.

Happy Birthday Micah

We love you little man! We'll post birthday pictures of the big day soon. I just wanted to pay tribute to our very special middle child on his birthday. Praise the Lord for an incredible 5 years, and I pray that we have many many more to enjoy with you.

Birthday for Zay Zay!

April 29th, your 3rd birthday, and you are as full of life as ever. Isaiah, the baby of the family and you are no longer a baby. At just 3 years old certain aspects of your personality are already abundantly clear. You are your own man. You are not swayed in your decision making by what your big brothers do or say. You want what you want regardless of others. This confidence makes you endearing and a joy to most people you meet. You look everyone straight in the eye, hold their gaze, wave a friendly hello and smile a confident grin. You just can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want to stop and talk to you. You can talk well at this point, expressing your every thought and need, except when your mad about something. Your confidence, while endearing, can lead you to believe that you should have whatever you want whenever you want, which can be a challenge for both mommy and you. You are most disappointed when you can't keep up with your older brothers, and even though you make valiant efforts, there are still times when they race ahead and you are crushed- but never for long as they always come back for you. You have a great sense of humor- you'll tell me something crazy like "monkeys are purple" and then say "just kidddingggg" with a big grin and a giggle. You make our home a happier place and we love you dearly Isaiah Jonathan. Happy 3rd Birthday!

I messed up the pictures so I can't do captions, but the saucer is Zay at 5 months and the ice cream is 18 months. We celebrated this year by going to the doctor to get his head injury taken care of (more on that in another post) and then going to Walmart to let him pick out his own cake and candles. He went with a balloon theme. His chosen gift was a Planet Hero action figure- Ace.

Birthday letter for Elijah

A little late little buddy, but life has gotten in the way this week.

For Elijah,
You are 6 years old now and it hardly seems possible. 6 is the age when you go to firs grade. It's when you ride the carousel by yourself, when you can cross the street without holding my hand, when you can get ready for school without any help at all- (dressing, brushing teeth, washing hands and face, putting on socks and shoes, and even zipping your coat).

You keep us thinking with your questions- "Mommy, what if the tires on the van were made of rocks and we could crunch over anything so trees could fall on the road and we wouldn't have to stop?" Is there a question in there somewhere? You maintain a steady stream of conversation with your brothers and I on topics that are as broad as the scope of your incredible imagination.

You laugh at Micah's silly dance moves, you cry when you can't do something just right, and you love everyone with a purity that is remarkable. You're a wonderful big brother and son, and we love you 6 year old boy!

Happy Birthday Micah

Micah turned 4 years old on the 15th! He picked out his own cake mix, icing and candle at the grocery- a process that took a great deal of thought for him. He finally settled on chocolate cupcakes with chocolate icing- a man after my own heart. :)
Here we are at our little family celebration...
Nana and Papa visited to give both of the boys their new bikes for their birthdays. Micah chose Spiderman and has had several opportunities to ride even though it's February!
He has really started sounding out words and trying to read after watching Elijah's successes. He of course wants to be just like his big brother . In this pic he's reading the junk mail. After hearing me call it that he said, "Mommy, this is not junk!"
Playing with big bro! They are best friends!

A Birthday Letter to my-micah-moo (I'm sure he'll regret that nick-name someday),

Micah, you are such a blessing to us all. Your smile makes the coolest day warm, and nothing feels better than a cuddle with you. We love the song that is always on your lips as you hum your way around the house every day, and your pace reminds us that we needn't always be in such a rush. You are learning so much: learning to read words, write letters, use manners and self-control, and you love to play games and do puzzles. The same determination that used to make us crazy now allows us to enjoy hour long games (literally) of UNO with you. You keep playing long after everyone else quits (or wants to quit), and an hour later you ask to play again. You love others, and we love you; Happy Birthday 4 year old boy!