Happy 4th Birthday Eli!

Saturday Eli turned 4, and although he bounced out of bed like it was Christmas, I kind of wanted to swaddle him up in a miracle blanket and weep over him. 4 is definitely the end of the toddler phase and the beginning of  the rough and tumble, independent little boy one. And it just does go by way too fast. On the other hand, year 3 definitely had lots of challenging parenting moments and battles of the will and John and I are hoping that with a little more maturity will come a little more obedience as well.

We started the morning with a special Bob Evan's pancake breakfast where Eli polished off all of his meal and most of mine as well. That boy can pack away the food. Then it was back home to try out his new power wheels while his kind daddy stood outside in the freezing rain and cheered him on. In the afternoon Eli's cousins Max, Gabe, and Shayden came over for a boy's bowling birthday party. Eli had originally requested to go boating on his birthday and then changed his plans to bowling once we explained that boating wasn't going to work in April. After bowling it was back to our house for pizza, ice-cream cake, and 4 maniacs on a sugar-high screeching wild throughout the house. There was lots of giggling and bizarre story-telling and Eli couldn't have been any happier. When we put him bed that night he was asleep within 5 minutes, which is saying something for the boy that is normally still running around his room when I turn in for the night.

Happy Birthday Eli. You are one pretty amazing kid and we are so lucky to have the privilege of guiding you as you grow and discover another year of your life. God has some mighty big plans for you little man!

Bob Evans Breakfast

Norah was thankful Eli had a birthday so she could eat some french toast. She ate everything on this plate plus a piece of sausage, 2 cups of milk, and then attempted to drink the syrup until we cut her off

Power wheels in the rain

The boys outside the bowling alley. Eli, Gabe, Max, & Shayden

Eli was the self-designated bowling director. He stood next to whoever was up and said "pause" with his hand up until the pins were set-up and ready to go

Pizza and story telling

Gifts

Chocolate mint-Oreo ice-cream cake from Dairy Queen. 

(okay, so maybe his pregnant mom chose the cake. so what?)