Happy Birthday Beans!

(Atley at 5 weeks!)
Our first born in the wilderness had a birthday on Saturday. It is amazing to think that it has been six years since this wild child entered our lives. He is an incredible little boy. He is smart, funny, noisy, full of charisma, a little accident prone, a connoisseur of fine food, a lover of airplanes and sea animals and a shining light in our family. He charms almost anyone he meets all while keeping them humble with his astute observations on their appearance and/or inferior intelligence. And once again he managed to stretch out his birthday celebration for over a week. We had his official birthday party on Friday the 14th. This was convenient because Granny was still here and Grandpa and Grandma Butler were just arriving. He requested a FISH birthday cake and hot dogs for dinner. He busted a dinosaur pinata and only whacked his little brother with the bat once. All in all it was a successful night.





The day after his birthday party his dad and grandpa took him and Nash to the air show at Andrews Airforce Base. They watched the BLUE ANGELS perform and had an awesome day.




The following Friday I took cupcakes to his class to celebrate his real birthday. Then we took Grandpa and Grandma Butler to the airport but not before we stopped at Chevy's, which is Atley's favorite Mexican Restaurant. The waiters and waitresses sang him happy birthday and gave him a giant sombrero and a dessert that his little brother devoured.

Yesterday, the actual birthday, we let Atley choose what he wanted to do. First up-seeing SHREK Forever After in IMAX 3D. Next, a visit to the library-go figure. Then a trip to the Silver Diner where he had silver dollar pancakes. The family bike ride he had planned was squelched by the rain that won't go away so he settled for reading his library books.

We love you more than you can ever imagine Atley Beans!