Happy 6th Birthday, Gavin

My little Gavinator isn't so little anymore. Today, my youngest son turned six. Yesterday, I took the day off of work so that we could spend the day together, since my boys have Friday Home-School Extension Classes on Friday from 8am - 3pm. So, yesterday, we went to the Apex Center at Gavin's request for ice-skating and swimming. Gage got to join us for ice-skating since the rink was closed when we went for his birthday. Garrison helped Joi watch Morgan (the little girl that Joi baby sits). Also, Dylan and Josiah joined me to help with my boys. Ice Skating was pretty funny. I hadn't ice skated in 20+ years and this was only my second time ice-skating ever. So, I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to keep myself upright, let alone my boys. But, I got my ice legs pretty quickly and it all came back to me. I didn't even fall down. My boys, however, weren't so lucky. They looked like Scooby and Shaggy trying to run away from a villain. Their bodies were staying in one place while their legs were a blur. But, thanks to a nice ice-skating instructor, things got a lot easier. She suggested that they use a "cone" for balance. I had never heard of such a thing. But, she brought out two construction street cones and they used those for balance while they skated around the rink. Before long, they got the hang of it and left the cones behind. After about an hour, my knees and ankles were ready to be done and Gage and Gavin's rumps were bruised, so we adjourned for some swimming. We swam and went on the water slides for a couple of hours and then left to get cleaned up and dressed. I took Josiah and Dylan home and then went back to pick up the family (we desperately need a bigger car). We went home so that Morgan's parents could pick her up for a doctors appointment. Then we were off to Texas Road House for dinner. Another one of Gavin's requests. After dinner, we were off again...this time to soccer practice. Then home for ice cream and settling down for bed. When the boys were tucked in and dozing off, Joi and I crept down stairs to decorate the house with balloons and streamers for Gavin's actual birthday, the next day. This morning, we woke them up early to get ready for Friday school and we sang Happy Birthday to wake him up. We measured him on our measuring stick and wrote down his height. He almost grew 4 inches this last year. They got dressed and went downstairs for cinnamon rolls (another Gavin request) and to open some presents. I left for work and the boys left for school shortly after that. Tonight, we are having a small birthday party with some of his friends. The usual cake, ice cream, games, and presents. Josiah and Dylan will probably spend the night.

Gavin is a great kid. He's sporty and picks up on athletic skills really quickly. He's intelligent. He is reading at a level several grades above his own. He has a great smile and a loving spirit. He is competitive. He has a great heart and loves to have his bible time every morning. He's a clown and loves to make people laugh. He is always doing or saying something to make people crack up. He enjoys nature and playing Wii or PlayStation. He is God's gift to us and he completes our family. I can't imagine life without our Gavinator. Happy Birthday, Big Man!