All Dressed Up

It's kind of a bummer having your birthday mixed in with Christmas.  But both Graham and Samuel handle it really well.  They've never complained (too much) about the fact that their mother is mostly too tired out from Christmas to make much of their special days.  I try.  And some years I succeed, but this year was not one of those years.  Since we were traveling to Minnesota, I could only do so much.  I told them both ahead of time that going to Minnesota WAS their party.  

This year Graham turned twelve and Samuel turned nine.  I'm more in shock that my youngest is five than my oldest being twelve.  I'm not sure why.  Graham is growing up and embracing his age and responsibilities with fervor.  He looks forward to adulthood and we talk about his future often.  But on the other hand, he's still very much a boy.  He loves Legos and playing with his younger brothers partly for his own enjoyment, not just for theirs.  He's maintained his love for reading and his love language is having quality conversation with pretty much anyone.  

This seems like yesterday...

Who are those kids from twelve years ago?  This was after nearly three hours of pushing, so excuse the tears and the exhaustion.  

Graham got to open his first gift with Papa and Tandy.  Sweet boy.  He's wanted a sport coat for awhile.  Chris has to wear a suit to work and I think Graham likes to look sharp like his daddy.  Graham is an old soul and having a suit fits him.  I love that he's excited to be an adult, and wants to dress like one!

Very handsome.

He opened his other gifts on his actual birthday.  

Again, I love the brothers gathered around.

He loves Duck Dynasty.

Graham collects wolf stuff and I found this at an antique mall earlier this year.

Samuel turned nine this year.  It seems like not too long ago he looked like this.

He was the prettiest baby.  Dark hair, deep brown eyes.  Perfect skin.  

This is right before he was born, in the labor and delivery waiting room.  It was New Year's Eve and it was busy, busy, busy.  I think by the time I got to the room, I was almost transitioning.  I have no idea why Chris took this picture, but I think it's funny now.

This is right after he was born.  I wish I would have been able to enjoy Samuel's infancy more.  It's not that I didn't enjoy it.  It was just a blur.  Graham was three.  Asher was 18 months.  They were all in diapers.  It was like a childcare!  He was a sweet baby, not perfect, but sweet.  

It's hard to believe that now he's nine and halfway through the years that he'll spend in our home.

For Samuel's birthday we were in Minnesota.

Our friends, the Palms, came over to see us.  So we turned that into a party.  Both boys got a cookie cake.  My goal was to make it look like one of those from the mall, but I'm not sure I did too good of a job.  But I get mom points for trying.

I like how in this one Graham and Nathan look similar ;)

Samuel also wanting a suit for his birthday.  Now he and Graham are matchy matchy at church every Sunday.  I love that they want to look like men.  I like that they want to do it because they want to be like their father, who has to wear a suit every day to work.  They have a lot to aspire to!