Happy 6th Birthday to our Sweet George!

How in the world is it possible that our Georgie is turning 6 YEARS OLD???!!!

Wasn't it just a few weeks ago that he was making his beautiful entrance into this world in a home water birth in Hawaii?  Wasn't it just a short time ago that his big brown newborn eyes were staring at us and capturing our hearts in an instant?

This boy is such a complete delight.  He is a unique little guy with entirely his own personality.  He's fallen into the middle child role a bit, sandwiched between two blond brothers who are matching bookends in their temperaments and personalities.  

But God knew that I needed my gentle George.  He knew I would need a mellow son tucked into a life filled with intense personalities.  

My other three boys have a deep need for lots of constant interaction with me or direction from me.  George is blessed with an amazing imagination and ability to play and create and be content.  In fact, I don't think I've ever heard the words, "I'm bored," come from his mouth.  He is never bored.  Even when there are no toys around, he creates toys out of his hands or rocks or water droplets running down the car window.  

He has a sensitive spirit and can easily melt when difficulty comes his way, so Josh and I have chosen the character trait of FORTITUDE to help develop in his life this year.  Having three brothers to roughhouse around with keeps him tough - but he always maintains a tender heart.  He'd rather walk slowly down the street and collect leaves or point out an interesting rock than run a race or ride a bike.  He enjoys throwing a football with Josh, but most often can be found playing outside in the dirt and being as close to nature as he possibly can.  I love this, because his full name:  George Terrence, means "tender earth-worker".  He was named for two farmers that we loved...and he has the soul of a farmer!

George had quite a year as a five year old.  One month after his last birthday, we moved from Las Vegas to Utah and jumped on a series of planes to travel halfway around the world to get his new brother!  He was such a great little traveler for the most part.  

We brought along an Angry Birds sticker book.  I kid you not - he played with that single sticker book the entire flight from Las Vegas to New York, from New York to Paris (when he wasn't sleeping) and onto Kiev.  We are going on over three years of his love affair with Angry Birds.  It isn't so much the game as the figures themselves.  My mom sent us some Angry Birds pencil toppers when George was not yet three years old.  From that moment on, he has cherished those little figures (though we've lost some along the way), he had an Angry Birds birthday when he was 3 and then asked for another Angry Birds cake this year, he's collected other figures, books, stuffed animals, blankets - you name it!  He never gets tired of them!

 He loved being with all of us as we explored Ukraine!  Though he is a definite introvert and after a few days of too many new faces and places, he kind of retreated inside himself and needed quiet time.  But he was such a trooper!

 (Our main computer is malfunctioning, so I haven't had access to many of our other pictures between November of last year and this summer....but I still have quite a few cute ones of our boy!)

This summer he just blossomed in the city pool!  We didn't do official lessons, but he gained so much strength and confidence and joy in the water!

 Wherever we go, George is a favorite of the little ladies.  I don't know if it is those big brown eyes and dimples, or his sweet personality - but little girls near his age just love him!  He's got lots of buddies!

 Another big step in the last year was the start of school!  He is in Kindergarten with me at home and is doing such a great job!  He is bright and quick and a willing learner.  He does his own work, but often sticks around to do whatever Jack is doing, too.  He loves to draw and paint and do nature studies best.

 Our naturalist really loved our trip to Montana.  He soaked it all up and enjoyed every minute.  While the other three boys were racing around or covering each other with sand at the lake, George was content to play with some driftwood on his own.  :-)

 He's got so much sparkle!  When he smiles, it just consumes his face until you think the joy will bust right out!  I love that about him!

 Ahh....here are his beautiful summer locks that we let grow!  Josh calls it "movie star hair"!

 But when summer ended, he was happy to get a hair cut - and he looks just as cute!

 Georgie doesn't have quite the same adventurous spirit as the other boys.  When we went to the county fair, Toby and Jack couldn't wait to ride the highest and fastest rides.  All George wanted to do was ride the spinning strawberry ride with mom and do this giant hamster ball activity.  He just could not get enough of it!

If I could pick one picture to sum up George, this might be it.  After a rainy night, the boys (much to mom's dismay) discovered dozens and dozens of slugs and snails outside.  They collected them into piles and tried to find the biggest ones.  George was in heaven!  He may not be adventurous when it comes to roller coasters, but when it comes to insects and creeping things - he has no fear!

 George and Joe have become such great buddies.  Usually George is a wonderful big brother and the two of them are often found together playing Angry Birds or Hot Wheels.

We could not be more thankful to the Lord for blessing our lives and our family with George.  We pray that in this next year, he will grow even more in his walk with the Lord, that he would continue to develop strength and fortitude and will learn many, many new things!

Last night he asked me to take one more picture of him as a five year old.  I took a few.  I couldn't resist.  We can't wait to celebrate his birthday by going bowling, having hamburgers for lunch and having a small Angry Birds-themed party at home!