Calvin's 3rd Birthday!

Cavlin's 3rd birthday this year came with Snoopy.  He has loved Charlie Brown, or as he says, "Parlee Bwown" over this past year after watching all the holiday specials and the new movie in the theater last summer.  I was so excited when he wanted to have a Snoopy party!!  We had so much fun.

My hilarious & adorable Snoopy cookies!  I tried so hard to make these cookies, and I even hand iced them all using a frosting bag.  It turns out, I should have stuck to my ziplock with the corner cut out! haha.  I had a difficult time managing the frosting, but those little labors of love were delicious.  And Snoopy's always cute; isn't that the truth??

We set our snacks out this time with a Curry Chicken Salad as the main attraction, and it was a big hit!  I was so excited to find a new recipe to try out, and it did not disappoint!

Happy Birthday to my sweet little Calvin!  We love you so much.

The kiddos got to paint a little ceramic snoopy dog house with Snoopy laying on the top!  This one was a big hit with my boys.

These are Snoopy headbands with a little Woodstock sticker.  The ears were such a cute treat!

 Mimi made some special treats for the party as well!  Snoopy cake pops & the main star of the show, the Charlie Brown & friends cake!  Complete with the Red Baron & the World War I Flying Ace up on top!

 My snoopy cookies!

 I loved the Peanuts letters I was able to find for the birthday banner.  Such a fun project.

Charlie Brown momma & my little Snoopy boy.

We were so surprised & excited that Nana Lyon was able to come up for Calvin's party!  She got to meet David for the first time, and we all enjoyed her company.

 Happy Birthday dear Calvin, Happy Birthday to you!!

 Calvin woke up the next day to his actual birthday, which was fun for us to keep the celebration going.  He had asked for his own big bike like his brothers, and that was what he got!  James, Hayden, and David also got him the Charlie Brown movie & a big Snoopy to snuggle.  mommy&daddy as always, got him a book to commemorate.

His first big bike ride!  And some new stuffed animals from Grammy&Papa. :-)

Calvin, you are the sweetest three year old.  Some people say that 3 is a harder age than 2, but not for you.  You wake up in the morning and say, "hello! hello? hello!"  Your giggles and laughter are contagious.  Your dimples & dark eyes can melt nearly anyone's heart.  (as I write this, you learned to swim today for the first time ever!)  You are sweet to your baby brother David, and you always give him kisses and hugs.  You mind mommy even when you have time out, and you don't mind at all throwing your fit while in time out. haha.  You love telling your big brothers what to do, so I enjoy letting you call them in for dinner or for bed time.  Your pouty face is just as adorable as your smile.  You finished potty training, hooray!! and decided why not, no more diapers, ever!  So you sleep all night dry now.  You amaze me buddy, and I am so proud of you.  We are so happy to have you in our family.

Thank you Lord for this sweet boy Calvin Dean.  He is a precious gift to our family, and we wouldn't be the same without him.  Thank you.  We are so grateful for all the joy he brings to our lives.  Give us wisdom to raise him up in your ways Lord. Amen.

Mars

My goodness, I'm tardy catching up on our year.  March, you seem so long ago now but it was my sweet baby's second month of life.  No wonder it's taken me so long to walk back down this road full of memories I've already started to forget.

I love how David's face still has that newborn look.  Something in his eyes & the way his skin has little creases.  I took this photo for his 1 month old picture.

Hayden's class took their fire station field trip that ended at the playground while the firemen went on a call.  This boy loves his daddy so much.  I remember how proud he was when Daddy got to come, and in this picture, he was absolutely beaming.

I took James for his 6 year old check up, and as you can see from this picture, he is quite the spirited young man.  It is one of his greatest strengths, but as a child it will be one of his challenges as well.  Learning to tame your temper & tongue is a lesson many adults have yet to master.  I hope we can teach him the discipline he needs to to use that amazing energetic spirit to his advantage.

I absolutely love this shot.  Maybe the first time I caught my amazing husband with all four of his sons.  And he made it look so easy.

Golly, this image of James melts my heart every time I see it.  He asked to hold David after church one Sunday, but also after riding his bike for a few minutes.  This awesome helmet hair has to get framed in our home-it is already an image I will treasure.

My boys- Spring Break at home with a newborn.  We painted a birdhouse & ended up getting some paint all over these guys as well.  I can't remember why they ended up on the front porch, but I was brave enough to let James hold David so I could capture them.

Hayden wanted to be the one to hold David, which explains the pouty face in the first image.  Haha, he is David's buddy.

Hayden&Fletcher at Beckham's 6th birthday party.  I love our sweet friends.

Oh my sweet baby.  And his new spaceship as I call it.

I catch glimpses of this sweet baby face in the mirror as I rock David, and I try to get an image.  He looks so tiny in my arms, and those sweet baby gowns are the best.

Big brothers dancing in the driveway as they watch their shadows dance too.

My David.  Just getting big enough to put down on his quilt for a chance to stretch out.  He's wearing Hayden's coning home outfit for the last time.

Tummy time isn't as bad when your big brother Hayden stays right by your side.

We drove down to my Mimi&Grandpa's house for a welcome party for you David.  It was your first trip, and your first time to meet many of our family on your Daddy's side.  Uncle Dan got to hold you!  Mimi bought you a cake and hosted the gathering.  Your family loves you sweet one.

Uncle John & Aunt Kelsey surprised us all by driving in to meet you.  They also had ulterior motives, like surprising us all with their own pregnancy, but meeting you David was worth the drive.

We spent Palm Sunday at their church and got some pictures of all the boys with their grandparents.

Mimi & Grandpa wanted to have an easter egg hunt for the kids as an early treat since everyone was together.  Thank you for all the ways in which you made our David feel loved!

I just could eat this baby up.  These sweet little legs & adorable expressions.

Calvin in our backyard, marching to the beat of his own drum.  and I, just struck by the beauty of the light in those trees.

Sending our David's birth announcements & little thank you's tucked inside.  We have never felt so loved by our friends and community- truly like a family to us.  It felt like a privilege to send out our bits of gratitude to those who helped us in many different ways.

I took our little crew out to the zoo by myself for the first time.  Mommy selfie with all four!

Baby bath time is just the funniest & sweetest.  but also wet.  I forget how quickly you have to work when they are this small so they don't get cold.  I wish I could snap more pictures of bath time.

Fresh blooms & piano songs.  just a few of the things I'm grateful to have in my days.

David & Daddy.  My he looks so little!!

I think the last time for this little outfit- why is it so hard to say goodbye to baby clothes?!  He has grown so fast.

Calvin on the bench at soccer practice.  Not our finest season, but one that I think we are still happy to have played.  It got us out of our house with our little guys & fresh air does a body&mind so good. Just having the time that all other activity must cease so we can be at practice was a gift, even when getting there was torturous.

Lord thank you for a sweet, simple month of many days at home.  Thank you for the people who fed us & visited us & made us feel like our baby was welcomed & loved.  Thank you that we have a few snapshots of these precious days to remind us of how quickly the days pass.  Thank you Lord for our family & how we spend our lives in their service.  Amen.