Denton's first year....

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY BABY!!!

Your name means "happy home" and what sweet joy and happiness you have brought to all of us!



They say each year seems to go by quicker than the last. This first year of baby Denton's life has gone too quickly. We chose to have him at home with a midwife and that was an amazing experience. At 8lbs and 2oz. 21" long he was wonderfully made and already so sweet.

Your brothers were so excited to meet you and none of us knew what joy we had instore for the year to come!!

At one month old you gave me your best smile and I happened to catch it on camera!!

Your first Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Three and four months old

Five and six months old

Seven and eight months old

nine and ten months old

Eleven months.......

taking his first steps.

Now you are twelve months old, a whole year!! You babble and say some recognizable names. You love to be outside on the deck or in the swing. You are a very happy, sweet and smart boy.

I loved making your birthday cake, it is the same one I made for your brothers.

You loved eating your cake!

Baby Denton~

You are so wonderfully blessed to have two brothers that adore you. You are growing so fast!! I know that God has great plans for you! God has sent angels before you to keep and guard you on the way and to lead you to the destiny He has prepared for you. You are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which He prepared in advance for you to do.

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." ~ Ephesians 2:10

I love you sweet baby and I 'm thankful everyday that I get to watch you grow.

Evan is 4!!

This year Evan kept saying that Thomas (as in Thomas the Tank Engine) was going to be at his birthday. In actuality he was correct, Thomas was going to be at our Train Museum the weekend of his birthday. So we decided to plan on visiting Thomas the day of his birthday.

If you have not been to this event before it is really is something to do especially if you have small boys. It is free to enter you can watch a live magic show, watch a live puppet show, get pictures with Thomas and Sir Topham Hat. They have putt-putt, a train car you can go in to look at an electric set, bounce on inflatables, get fun temporary tattoos and play with several train sets. If you want to pay to ride Thomas you can, we have a few times, but did not this year.

About lunchtime we headed home to get ready for the party!! I made a train cake and set up several games for the backyard. Kenneth cook brats on the grill and we had all the fixings to go with it!!

Once our friends and family arrived the fun began!! The kids all ate out on the deck, then they were off to play on the swing set. Once I had eaten I started the kids on some games. We played a "sling shot" game with marshmallows, spoons and plastic cups. It was harder than I thought, but they still loved it!

Next it was time for cake and presents!! Then to play stick the #1 on Thomas (like pin the tale on the donkey). The last game of the night was a mess!! Think of a snowball fight except instead of snow you throw giant marshmallows.

This year marked a first for our Evan as well.

He became a big brother!! He has taken this job seriously and loves his Denton.

Mighty Evan,

Happy Birthday !!! What a joy you can be!! You have a way with your thoughts and imagination. You are so funny sometimes. You have brought us so much laughter! You have also taught us alot about patience and endurance these four years of your life.

I pray that you will yield yourself to our heavenly Father's plans for your life. You can do all things through Christ because He willyour strength. I pray that you will flourish like a stately tree. I thank God for helping you to bring forth good fruit. I pray that you will be rooted and grounded in love. May you bear godly fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

"I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...that Christ

may dwell in your hearts through faith;

that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able...to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. ~ Ephesians 3:14,17,19