Kolby's 5th Birthday

Happy Happy Birthday Kolby! He turned 5 on December 29 and was so looking forward to being the big #5. We had a really fun birthday with his cousins and a couple of friends from his church class at a gymnastics gym where 2 coaches entertained the kids on the equipment doing obstacle courses, etc for 1 1/2 hours followed by cake and presents. I think everyone had fun and was pretty exhausted by the end of the party. Besides being freezing in the gym, it was great and most importantly Kolby had an awesome time. After opening all of his presents he said to me, "Mom, Dustin gave me the best present ever (a remote control car)." And then he paused for a second and said, "No. Everyone gave me the best presents ever." That made me proud that he was so grateful for all of the nice things that everyone gave him and that he recognized that he shouldn't just single one out.

Since it is his birthday, it is a great time for me to brag about what an awesome little Big boy I have. These are just a few of the things that I love about Kolby:

1. He loves for me to tickle his back and sing him songs every night
2. While singing songs and trying to be peaceful he always needs me to tickle his "underpit" so he can get a really good laugh. He always wants more and more.
3. He has the best laugh
4. He definitely helps out in time of need
5. He is a great big brother who really looks after his little sister and little brother
6. He is a great teacher (to me, his friends, his siblings)
7. He loves his Grandpa
8. He loves Mya & Chloe, the dogs and always wants to make sure they are happy, well fed and well exercised
9. He is brave
10. He likes to do what is right. He loves his CTR ring and has always been a stickler for the rules (just one example: he is already a backseat driver making sure that I am not going over the speed limit because he doesn't want me to get a ticket)
11. He is so afraid of going to jail (maybe that explains #10)
12. He has a tender heart. He doesn't like watching any movie or show where people are mean to each other.
13. He loves being social and active. Having nothing to do is the worst day for him and for me. He wants friends around and activities planned. Thank goodness for preschool.
    
14. He loves his Book of Mormon and likes to mark it and gets so excited about memorizing scriptures and AofF for Primary.
    
15. He befriends everyone at school and is always good for his teachers
16. He loves to tease his mom and give me a hard time about everything, especially going to bed at night
    
17. He loves performing "magic tricks", which Grandpa got him hooked on
18. He loves his trucks/cars/emergency vehicles/construction vehicles
19. He is a great singer and is beginning to memorize lots of songs which I love listening to him sing
20. He loves looking out the window and waiting for his Dad to get home and then running out to greet him
21. He loves to ride his bike, play football and baseball
22. His favorite ride at Disneyland is Big Thunder Mountain and could do that over and over again all day
23. He loves helping with any project: helping put up the ceiling fans, work in the yard, put on the knobs on the cupboard door...anything that involves working with tools and is very competent with them
24. He loves his friends from Visalia and misses them SOOO much
25. He is a sweet, tender, handsome, silly sense of humored boy whom I am glad to have as mine
    

Here are LOTS of pictures:

Birthday Boy & His Dad Before the Party (Kolby was so cute, while we were waiting for his friends to arrive, out of the blue, he started kissing Geoff on the cheek and saying "Thank You, Daddy", "Thank You, Daddy". It definitely took us by surprise. It was very sweet)

Carson in the Pit, Making Sure he takes some home in his tummy

Kort & Luke Playing in the Pit

Grandma, Ash & Blake Looking On

Go Team!

Moms & Babes Trying to Stay Warm

Kade Being a Monkey

Peek-a-boo Madelyn

Abbey climbed to the Top!!! Very Impressive!

The Downen Dudes

Eliza Smiling as she Swings

Birthday Boy Swinging

Madelyn Swinging Away

Time for Cake

Actual Birthday Uncle Dust came over to Drive the Awesome Charger

Happy 5th Birthday, Kolby! We Love YOU!