Happy Birthday, Gage!!!

My middle son, Gage, turns seven years old today. I can hardly believe that he is already seven. It seems like only yesterday when we brought him home with us from the hospital. He weighed in at 9 lbs 11 oz...and he was was long/tall. We joked that Gage never had the baby stage and that he came out as a toddler. Even today, he is quite tall. We measured him this morning and he is about an inch taller than Garrison was when he turned eight. So, he is way ahead of his brothers in the growth category. We expect him to reach well over 6 feet by the time he reaches his maximum height.

Yesterday, I took the day off of work to spend the day with Gage, since he had Friday school (home-school enrichment classes) on his actual birthday. We were baby sitting Morgan, so she went with us on our activities. We went to Namaste for lunch. Gage loves Indian Food. Then we went to the Apex Center for swimming, basketball, playing, and ice skating. However, when we arrived at 12:45, we were informed that free skating ended at 1pm. So, we didn't get to go skating. It was a bummer because Gage really had his heart set on ice skating...but he was a good sport and went with the flow. After the Apex Center, we went home quickly for Nachos and then off to Soccer practice. Today, the boys are going to Friday school and it's picture day...so they are all dressed up. Joi is going to surprise Gage by bringing cupcakes to one of his classes. Tonight, we are having a small cake and ice cream birthday party for Gage with some friends from church, Sissy and Dylan (Russell and Josiah are camping), and Uncle Dale. He loves people, so it should be fun for him. Also, tonight, he gets to open his first knife. Our tradition is to get our boys their own pocket knife when they turn seven. So, we got him his very own Leatherman PS4 Squirt. He already opened the rest of his presents yesterday and this morning, which included a new iPod Shuffle (he loves music), the DVD of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and a t-shirt of "How to Train a Dragon".

Gage is such a fun loving kiddo. He loves people and is very affectionate. He is always the first to ask me, "Dad, can I snuggle with you?" when I sit down in my Daddy chair at night. He enjoys playing Wii and listening to or playing music. He is a day-dreamer. There are times when you are talking to him and you can see by the expression on his face that he is thinking about something completely different and has no idea what you are saying. He, also, loves to draw and create. He puts together picture books with drawings that tell a story like a graphic novel. He is very "go with the flow" and easy going. He is happy in most situations. He is not very competitive, but shows strong determination and resolve when playing soccer. He thrives on positive reinforcement. He loves babies and little children and does well with them. Gage is a handsome little boy with a mop of curly blond hair and deep blue eyes. He has some light freckles on his nose that are so cute. Gage is a great son and he makes me proud to be a Daddy. Happy Birthday, Gagers! I hope you have a wonderful day!!!