Happy Birthday Alathia!!!

I tried to make the table very pretty and exciting for her so that when she got up she would be surprised. I awoke to, "MOM!!! Get up!!! It's my birthday!" She was thrilled with the new moon plate, the gifts, and the Special Day Bear we put on the birthday person's plate.

She wore a little crown Grammy gave her on Valentine's Day. Here she is opening a card that Grandpa Joel and Grandma Kathy sent.



After breakfast she was allowed to open one gift. She opened two Bible puzzles from Aunt Kandi and family! This kept her busy for an hour as she did the puzzles several times.

When Daddy woke up we let her open another present, one Grandpa Joel and Grandma Kathy had sent out. It was a My Little Pony playset! I think this was her favorite gift of all since she never stopped playing with it all day and even took it for Show and Tell the following day to preschool on her special day! She named the ponies Bambi and Feline.

Before lunch it was around 50 degrees so we took a walk on the river path near our home for some fresh air and exercise. This winter sure has been strange. The only time I can remember getting enough snow to play in was last fall when we got dumped on and made the igloo. It's been a very warm winter this year (and I'm not complaining!)

Justus enjoyed the walk in his Ergo.

I let Ali take this pic; the first she's ever taken with my camera! Now, when I ask her what 4 year old girls do, the first thing she says is, "Take pictures!" She did a very good job and it's not her fault I was having a bad hair day!

Pretty view!
It's so nice to have the pretty river path right next to our home where we can enjoy the outdoors!

This mural painted by the local highschoolers was a perfect backdrop for a girl who wanted a moon-themed birthday (although the moon is not pictured here as it was too high up on the mural).

The dress-ups, opened up after lunch, kept her busy for hours!

As I made supper, Ali painted moons to use as place cards at the table. After they dried she put some foam stars on them and then carefully wrote each person's name on the moon as I spelled them out to her. She has Jer's name memorized because she always looks at his wooden letters on the wall above his crib!

Letting Jer help open gifts. He cried when she opened the ponies (which he calls horses) and said, "Now it's my burfday!" I was thinking of wrapping up a matchbox car from my stash for him but he did okay the rest of the day and Ali let him play with some of her things.

I made yellow cupcakes to look like moons, but they didn't turn out as pretty as I'd hoped. Oh well! They tasted great and were low-fat (with sweet potatoes snuck in of course!) We had roasted chicken, baked potatoes, salad, and homemade bread for supper. My parents and my brother Grant came for the meal and family party. I didn't get pics of them, oops!

Opening a gift in yet another dress up outfit!

Ali loved her alphabet book! She immediately sat on Uncle Goo-Goo's lap and made him look at every photo with her.

Jer wanted to try out Ali's new flower-girl shoes that Grammy got her. If it seems that this kid NEVER wears pants it's because he sprays on them going potty and so he goes through about 4 pairs a day and is always "between pairs!" Oh well, our house stays very warm!

Ali all dressed up in her new shirt, with her new moon purse, ready for preschool!

What a big day! I felt a little sad for her as the day quickly drew to a close. I know how much she loves birthdays and now she has to wait a whole year until the next one!



On Wednesday, our little Ali turned 4 years old!

Wow, the time went by fast!

It was so much fun this year to celebrate with Ali. She was even more excited than last year and looked forward to her birthday for a whole year! She enthused over all the little touches I added to the day and each and every gift. She declared, "I'm going to be very good on my birthday!" and she was for the most part! She made me very proud as I watched her invite Jerby to open her presents with her so he wouldn't feel left out and she got to choose a movie to watch and she chose Jerby's favorite on purpose to please him. It's moments like that that feel like my paycheck for years of work!

Ali Joy is always a leader and not at all shy! At snack time she said, "Sing to me!!!" So Jer and I sang a few rounds of Happy Birthday to her. When it was time for her to blow out her candle and to serve cupcakes and ice-cream later that evening she ran into the living room and yelled to her Daddy and Uncle and Grandparents, "COME ON!!! You have to come watch me blow my candle! Come on guys, it's time for cake!!! Sing to me!!!"

Over breakfast I explained to her that she was born 4 years ago and arrived underwater in a blow-up swimming pool (home waterbirth). Later I heard her telling Jer that she had fallen in a pool when she was a baby but she got out and was okay. =)

Alathia has enriched our lives in so many ways. Since we welcomed her into our family 4 years ago we changed forever. She has caused us to grow more and love more than we every thought possible. She is a wonderfully spirited and adventurous little girl who will no doubt make her mark on the world someday! I'm excited to see what this year has in store!