To Crosby, On Your Fourth Birthday!

Crosby. Where do I begin??! First of all, it is very hard to believe that you are *FOUR* years old!



Dad and I look at each other often with a look that says, 'Where did we get this fine young man? What lucky parents!' Crosby, you are so many things.

You are a wonderful older brother to Lennox. Even though you don't always give him the lawnmower he wants, you still try to show him the ropes when it comes to lots of different things.





You do some of the most fun, silly, interesting things. For instance... you love this shopping cart so much. It serves many purposes for you... sometimes it's your car shop, your mail truck, your doctor cart. Usually though it is a general holder for what you're playing with that particular day:



You really love phones of all kinds. We often hear you having all kinds of conversations on the phone. You seem to like to call Nan, Munga, Beth, and many of your friends.



You often request blue waffles.



Your pups are kind of the center of your universe. Pumpkin (the enormous one) sleeps with you every night. You have named every puppy in our house. Names like: Milky, Mama puppy, Little puppy, New puppy, Marshmallowy- Nemanemy- Dogdy- Chocolate Muffidy, Puppy love, ABC, Trudge, Cosmo, Wrestler. Yes the list goes on. You cart them around still sometimes, but no matter what... at the end of the day you have to have ALL of them in bed with you along with your green blanket.



The other day I asked you what you had done with this pup, and you said, "I have to make sure Tronny (yes you named him Tronny) stays safe so I strapped him in." You wouldn't imagine the joy I get out of looking in your cart every day to see what's important to you for that day. It's a fun surprise.



Even though it's winter now and we haven't been for a while, one of your favorite places over the summer and fall were Red Butte Garden. You like searching for snakes and playing in the red sand there.



When we go to Great Harvest for bread (or any restaurant), you really dislike the idea of "eat & run." You like to stay and eat your food.



You are always so chilled out with Dad. You love to watch shows with him, particularly Dr. Who lately, which Mom doesn't approve of.



You still love all things construction. You watch shows about it ALL the time. You know the names of every construction machine on the planet. You always know the difference between a scraper and a grader, which is pretty amazing. Bucket wheel excavator, tower crane... you know them all. You love bulldozing your own roads in the sand.



On your actual birthday, we did what you really love. Nan, Grandpa, Uncle Steve, and our family all met at McDonald's so you could play your heart out at the playplace! And boy did you ever. Your face gets red-hot!! You opened some presents from us there...



Then we went to Nan's and you opened presents there.



You and Nan read some books. You love to read.



Then on Saturday it was time for your friend birthday party! When I had asked what kind of a party you wanted this year, it took a nanosecond for you to say, "A UFO-alien party!!" Nan made you the coolest UFO cake ever. You requested yellow.



I made your galaxy cupcakes.



Aliens for party favors :)



While Dad was at work, I had a wild & crazy evening painting your board for the "throw the planet through the galaxy" game!



When Jessie came to visit back in November, she taught you how to talk alien. Here you are going, "Wah-wah-wah"



Your friends! Ava, Stella, Rhys, Eden, Tavi, Dawson, Lucy, You, Isaac, Arthur, and... Jig!



Lindsay and Eden made you a UFO pinata and transported it all the way from Idaho!



Munga was there to party.



Here you are blowing out your big 4 candle-



Jig was sneaking some frosting off of the cake



Nan blew up all of those alien heads for your party! That added the perfect touch.



Then it was pinata-whacking time!











Finally, candy!



You had a lot of fun at your party. Since your cousins were in town, we all played for a while.

Jig & Milo



Munga cooked dinner for us all and we played Legos for a looooong time! Eden's creation.



Then it was dino-riding time.



And wrestling. Everyone is piled on top of Uncle Suman: Eden, Crosby, Milo, and Lennox



Crosby, you are such a cheerful, loving, and enthusiastic person. You are so smart and funny too! We love you with all of our hearts and every new day with you is a treasure.

Love,

Mom & Dad

Letting Things Go

I've been on another little Bikram stint and after working hard and sweating hard in class, I lay in that silent room and let my thoughts come and go as they may for a few minutes. Many times that is where I get my prayers in too; it is the optimum time! One thought that frequently enters my mind is how much I want to be better at letting things go, particularly things that don't matter a whole lot. Like keeping the house clean.



There are countless times that I tell myself I will be different, even if just for that day... I'll go home, turn some music on, dance around the living room with the boys, smother my phone under a pillow, not do laundry/dishes/errands... just BE with my boys. This is incredibly hard for us women/mothers, no?! I feel that I am good at giving them my undivided attention and time when they demand it, but I don't always voluntarily do that. One thing that I admire about D and find very attractive is that he has no problem doing NOTHING. It drives me nuts! I came home from my class today and Croz was scooping a big pile of junky toys over and over with his scooper. Jig was roaming around just hanging out. And D had his electric plugged into the amp, jamming up a storm.



This is what I love. My first instinct: clothes in the wash, get lunch going, ask Croz if he's gone to the bathroom, look at my calendar on my phone, yada yada! But I just sat down next to D, hugged my knees to my chest, and took it all in. Jig came over with his signature smile and started driving a car down my leg. I am learning to let things go.

Love Day

Yesterday I came down with a rotten cold and so I am one lazy Valentine! D and I already celebrated Friday because he has to work tonight, so I kind of shut off after that. I picked Croz up from playschool this morning, his backpack brimming with cute Valentines from his buddies, heart balloon in one hand and a V-Day cupcake in the other. I had done NADA for him to give for Valentine's Day. BAD MOM. I feel crappy and out of it. So I made some chili. And Jig helped...



There was a knock on the front door and I got this very unexpected delivery:



From D :) Makes a girl so happy! Plus a card I just found that he must have hidden before he left for work. Hmm. I'll do better next year for all my boys because all I had gotten Croz and Jig were a pair of measly bear suckers that say "XOXO" on them. Ever since Blue's Clues Croz calls Valentine's Day "Love Day." He makes Love Day cards year-round. I think I like it that way ;) I love my three boys so very much; seeing their faces every day and sharing our lives together makes me one happy lady. Happy Valentine's!

Wintry

We hardly ever walk to church. I love that we chose a day where umbrellas are necessary to finally do it.

Sure Love 'Em.