Today was a momentous day at our house. Sean turned 10 years old reaching the coveted double digits. Even though his birthday is tricky being a December birthday between Christmas and New Years, it's also always very convenient because Jon is always off work for two weeks, so we're able to spend the whole day as a family.
This year, it was nice that so many of his friends were able to come celebrate his birthday with him. It's always hit or miss who can or can't make it, but he's very thankful for those who could come today! He planned his whole party, including the theme (Nerf), food, and the activities.
He's the one that asked to get on Pinterest to look at cake ideas--he chose this idea of nerf bullets being shot into the cake. Since the colors were orange & blue I told him we could make an orange creamsicle cake. I also added orange extract and orange jello to the buttercream icing, so the flavor was orange-y through and through!
Of course he had to have orange cheeseball that looked like Nerf balls. And orange and blue Gatorade. The veggies & grapes were added just to balance out all the unhealthy, sugary, food dyed menu. ;)
Jon trying to steal a cheese ball from Sean. :D
Sean spent two days making targets out of all the empty (Amazon) boxes left from Christmas. Then, it turned into a windy day, making it tricky to set up his obstacle course in the yard because everything was being blown away. Plan B ended up just shooting everywhere all over the yard and just plain ol' having fun outside. Never a bad backup plan.
Then there were some adult/kid shenanigans with the nerf guns inside.
The kids were hiding from Jon upstairs and would dart out really quick for an attack then disappear again. I never got a good shot of them.
All of the guns were too big for this guy, but he had a good time trying!
Then we had to gather them all from outside. Funny how they all came running when you say the magic words "cake" and "ice cream."
I wasn't quick enough (or maybe he was too fast) when he blew out the candles, I thought it would take longer to blow out 10 candles! Was so bummed my photo of him blowing turned out all blurry.
What a blessing of friends. This was the quietest moment of the day.
Nobody puts the baby in the corner...or maybe we did, but either way, he didn't mind as long as ice cream was involved. <3
Selfie with the birthday boy <3 Did I mention the kids broke out into a round of giving everyone rabbit ears? Hilarious fun until not everyone enjoys it and runs away.
The aftermath...
Then, Sean opened gifts, always exciting for the kids. So much so, that they all gathered in one tight little circle around the fireplace like a football huddle.
He's had such a blessed Christmas and Birthday. I sure hope the word "bored" never comes out of his mouth anytime soon!
I know it sounds cliche, but all day I've been thinking, "He can't *really* be 10 years old?! The past decade has gone by in the blink of an eye, but at the same time, the day he was born seems so long ago. How can the days go by so slowly, yet the years fly by so quickly? I'll never know.
I went through photos of these past 10 years and pulled out my favorites. It makes me cry to see him literally grow up before my eyes as I scroll through these. Happy Birthday, Sean Robert <3
"As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be." ~Love You Forever
 |
| December 29, 2006 |
 |
| 3 months old--the last day of my maternity leave. The next day was the saddest of my life and I bawled all day. |
 |
| Christmas 2007 |
 |
| First Birthday |
 |
| 18 months old |
 |
| Meeting Lilly- Nov 2008 |
 |
| Christmas 2008 |
 |
| 2nd Birthday |
 |
| First Day of Preschool |
 |
| 3rd Birthday |
 |
| Playing in Mud |
 |
| That hair! |
 |
| Doughnuts with Dad |
 |
| His pet, Tin Tin the Turtle |
 |
| 4th Birthday |
 |
| 5th Birthday |
 |
| Catching a lizard (always) |
 |
| Playing on the greenway |
 |
| First Day of Kindergarten |
 |
| Fall 2012 |
 |
| Kindergarten Pics |
 |
| 6th Birthday December 2012 |
 |
| Sean & Jack- February 2013 |
 |
| First Grade |
 |
| Fall 2013 (First Grade) |
 |
| Christmas 2013 |
 |
| Jack's 1st Birthday Feb 2014 (It was Sean's idea to do Minions) |
 |
| Creation Museum April 2014 |
 |
| 2nd Grade- 2014 |
 |
| Oldest & Youngest- Sean & Luke- December 2014 |
 |
| Feeding baby birds that had fallen out of their nest. |
 |
| Fall 2015 (3rd Grade) |
 |
| With one of the hundreds of lizards he's caught |
 |
| Pinewood Derby winner |
 |
| Fall 2016 (4th Grade) |
I know it will be just another blink and ten more years will have passed. So, I want to remember you as you are---always curious, imagining new things you can make from items in our recycling bin, and running off somewhere this way or that to do something other than what you've just been asked to do. But, I love it, because it means you're still young. May you grow to love and serve God and others. I love you, Sean Robert Youngblood <3
