Celebrating NATHAN! (3-10-2015)

We love celebrating birthdays around here.

We don't do a big party ... 

but lots of little things that mean a lot!

We love birthdays because it is a day 

set aside to celebrate the precious life of

that family member and the joy

they bring to our family!

This past year, I've really seen Nathan grow!

He is no longer learning to read ... he now reads to learn.

He is a bookworm ... staying up way after bedtime

to sneak a "few more pages" in before Matt and I 

come up to bed!

He has learned so. much. information. 

from reading.  He has become a mini encyclopedia!

Nathan has really begun to look to Matt for

approval and thrives on daddy's attention!

He has started to show an interest in sports ...

especially basketball! They have had

so much fun watching March Madness together!

(Matt is a sports lover, but has been awesome

in not pushing our kids to follow his love!)

Nathan has started a list of things he wants to do

with daddy this summer when Matt is home

on summer break. The first project on the list

is to build a catapult. 

He continues to display creativity in his play

and projects.  Gracie is still his best friend

and playmate! Exploring has become a favorite

for these two curious ones.

He is a talker (unlike his daddy!) 

and will sometimes ask me if he talked to much

after we have chatted with someone.

What I'm proud of most ... he continues to be a

giver and helper! He can't get enough of God's Word

and wants to share it with others in creative ways ...

this winter, we made hats and scarves on the 

knitting looms ... added some personal care items

and scripture cards ... giving these bags to homeless

men we saw in Erie at the library.

We are proud of our boy!

And so we had an OUT OF THIS WORLD celebration!

Our table was made into the black universe with stars

and the solar system.

(We had made this solar system model for school.)

The kids made toilet paper tube rockets

for each person attending birthday dinner.

The outfit I made Nathan for his birthday.

Birthday dessert ... jello planets, NERDS asteroids, and star cookies.

Birthday boy!

For his birthday dinner, Nathan chose "brinner"!

Breakfast for dinner. We had waffles, bacon,

cheesy eggs, hashbrowns and fresh fruit!

Oh, don't forget the apple cider!

Nathan with Papa and Gramma Colwell.

Nathan had a wonderful birthday, but the best part for him

was that Papa was here! (In early February, we

didn't think Matt's dad would be alive at Nathan's

birthday let alone well enough to travel up from Florida!

God is good!)

Our family.

(the flash on the camera was blinding us all!)

Nathan with my mom, Gramma Pieper.