Happy (early) Birthday, Joe!

 My baby is turning FIVE!  How is that possible???  What life and spunk and joy this sweet boy has brought to our family right from the beginning!

Our poor little guy is having his tonsils and adenoids out the day before his birthday, so I thought I'd get a post written for him before my days are spent cuddling my recuperating boy.

Joe has grown and changed a lot in this past year...he is leaving the remnants of babyhood behind him and embracing life as a BIG boy!

 He loves life and learning and being with his family and shows such enthusiasm for so many things.

 He still loves to take naps, preferably in the arms of Dad or Mom, and we both treasure these moments.

 He absolutely loves to draw and write his name and spends hours doodling and drawing faces and animals.  He loves when I draw several sets of eyes with funny expressions and he has to draw the faces around them.

As tough as he likes to seem...he still falls asleep in the car!

George and Joe have become good buddies over the last year - the 3 year age gap lessening a bit.

We've realized this year that our Joe is tremendously athletic.  His hand-eye coordination, his form while running, his ability to slam a whiffle ball over the neighbor's house...it is amazing!  We won't have him in organized sports until he is a little older...but he is eagerly awaiting his turn to be on a team and show his skills!  This little video was taken in the winter when I was coaching Jack's basketball team.  Not too shabby!

 He is not afraid of doctors or dentists and is always very compliant.

 He LOVES to dress himself and put together odd assortments of clothes...

 ...he enjoys doing all the things his big brothers do, including learning what it means to be a courageous and chivalrous knight...

 ...and falls asleep during the day in various places.  :-)

He's had so much fun getting to know Grammy and Papa more on their visits to Utah!

 On Good Friday of this year, during the church service, he prayed to ask Jesus to be his Lord and Savior...we rejoiced!

 And he took more naps.

 In March he got to see the Pacific Ocean for the very first time - and he LOVED every minute of it!

 He has such a vibrant and unique personality.  He is mostly introverted like George and is still pretty clingy to Mom, but expresses his independence in lots of ways, too.  His smile and the sparkle in his eyes can melt hearts.  (Especially mom's.)

We are so grateful for our Joe...and for the fact that the baby of our family is the one who has been the cuddliest!  

We have loved every minute of seeing this sweet boy grow and learn and develop his own personality in the last five years.  We thank the Lord for allowing us to be his parents and we look forward to seeing all that God will do in and through him in the years to come!

Happy 5th Birthday, Joe!  We love you!