Monday, February 16, 2009

Celebrating our Levi!

Today was a full day! We planted grass seed in our front lawn and weeded the garden this morning, then went to the park on HF to play for a couple of hours. Adam threw the parachute guys for Drake and a bunch of other kids, Adam and Drake (and then Adam and I) played catch, and Levi ran and climbed to his little heart's content. After that, we headed home for Levi's nap, during which Adam and I finished up Levi's cake and wrapped gifts (seems like we're always procrastinators!)...and generally prepared for his little party.

After the birthday boy woke up, the festivities began - only Levi wasn't in the best of moods. The first thing he wanted when he came downstairs was to play with one of the balloons we'd hung up, which promptly popped and scared him! It took him a little while to recover from that. Opening gifts seemed to stress him out, too. He finally relaxed a little more when it was time for cake and ice cream, even blowing out his own candle (to his - and our - surprise)!

Then with a full belly, he set out to play with some of his new gifts, specifically his wooden stacking vehicles from our favorite Alaskans, and his new "road rug" from Gr & Gr S. "Buddy" and Daddy played dart guns with some of Drake's awesome new Nerf darts he received for his 6-1/2 year birthday (Drake and Levi are exactly 4-1/2 years apart, to the day...so Drake got a little gift too). Anyway, the dart game escalated (which you can probably imagine if you've spent any time around Adam and Drake) and pretty soon they had set up a small target shooting range on the coffee table with little road signs from a wooden vehicle set that Levi was playing with on his new road mat. At least a solid hour was spent after that with all three of them very involved in the target shooting game! Levi doled out ammunition while the big guys shot the two Nerf guns...then when all 25 darts had been expended, Drake and Levi would run and collect them all and set the signs back up to be shot again. What fun!

Anyway, I have SO many pictures I want to post from today, but only a limited amount of time...so you're getting the condensed version on the photo end, for sure. It was a full and eventful day, and we spent it cherishing our youngest son and brother - how blessed we are to have our Levi in this family!


Always my helper, this one will do any chore I ask - even picking up his toys - with enthusiasm! He really wanted to rake the topsoil this morning, but I thought a pushbroom might be a better choice for him, and he was willing to compromise!

Big Bro got the honor of raking, which he seemed to enjoy...at least for a little while!

Bucky seeding the lawn


Keepin' everything Even Steven...

My darling baby, you are adorable!


At the park - Drake and Daddy played catch for a little while.


Climbing with some help from Mommy!


Ready to blow out the candle on his car cake! (Check out the flames...it was a fun cake to make!)


Setting up the "targets"!

The shooting game!! I have so many pictures from this (and video too) that I might blog about it again another day if I get a chance. It was hilarious!
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We are so thankful for Levi and his role in our family - what a joy he is! Tomorrow morning at 6:11 he will officially be two years old. But if you ask him, "How old are you?" he will already answer, "Two!"...we've been practicing for a week now!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes, Levi's adorable. So are the rest of you!
Looks like tons of fun!

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday to the straight shootin' Birthday Boy! -Grandpa S.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday LEVI!! We are so happy to know you and to have such wonderful memories with you and just can't wait for more! We remember this day two years ago very well - Drake's first (and only!) sleepover at our house, making the T shirts for everyone, technically not supposed to visit you in the hospital but being sort of like family so we got to meet you, celebrating a very special ending to a sometimes stressful pregnancy - YOU! Miss you, Little Levi!
Love, Mr. Dave, Miss Cherie, Jaedyn, Addie and Makenna

Anonymous said...

On another note: it is SO weird to see our old house in these photos! It really struck me in these pictures because I remember less than a year ago trying to plant grass seed in that very same spot - not very successfully, I might add! Man, I wish we could just dart across that little yard again. We're missing the beautiful weather too, but mostly just missing our Florida family for sure!

Anonymous said...

Alright, one final comment - AWESOME CAKE, Melonie!!! You should consider a business of cake decorating, and diaper making, and bread making, and...well, you could have a lot of businesses but you really out-did yourself this time!

Ann said...

It's so much fun to participate long distance in your family activities, via your blog and pictures! Thanks!You are so blessed!

KyrieEleison said...

Happy birthday, Levi! Looks like such a fun day! And great job on the cake :-)
It's hard to believe that we were visiting you guys on Drake's 6th birthday (well, not the exact day, but pretty close) and now it's already been 6 months - it doesn't seem like it was THAT long ago!
Have a good week.

dvans said...

Happy Birthday Levi! You ARE very adorable and just a little honey and are so blessed to have such a wonderful, loving family! I love your big, expressive eyes! Your cake was waaaay cool, as always! Wish your mommy could make ours too! ;) What fun, fun picture memories you will have little one!
Love,
Dorla & family