The Big Three...

Three years old!  Hard to believe (really, any passing of time with the babies is hard for me to grasp).  Carter has been into a ton of boy things all of his life...trucks, tools, farm equipment, and firemen!  So, for his third birthday, Jeremy made a call to the local fire station and asked if we could get a tour.

First we needed a few mini-cinis!

and a through-the-years birthday poster (something Mom did for us every year)...

 His new train set was up and waiting for him...

That afternoon, we were off to the fire house!

getting to be a little much...

We had a bunch of cousins and friends over and aunts and uncles, too!  It was great.

Poor little Carter might be a touch like his Mama...introverted but wanting to be extroverted at times.  On our way from the fire station (where the party started) home (where we had pizza and cake waiting), he got sick.  God bless him.  Then when he got to the house, he played alone in the corner of the front porch for awhile.  A little overwhelmed.

Life got better and he enjoyed parts of the party.  Especially the balloons and Gramma's cake (made especially for Carter's special occasions).

Carter at three is a firecracker.  He loves life, waking up at the crack of dawn with a smile on his face and his one-volume voice ready to face the day after a little milk.  His 34 pound, 40 inch frame is busy every waking minute, and he loves working with the guys, playing with trains, trying to convince Peter to stay by his side, eating candy, reading, being outside, and talking.  Boy does he love talking!  It seems like he went from no talking to having full conversations.  This morning he skinned his knee and this is how the conversation went (between sobs):

"Mommy, I dot hurt!  I need a bandaid!!"
What hurts?
"My knee!!"
I see little scratches.
"Oh Mama, I did fall on the concrete and skinned my knee.  And, Peter, he needs to go inside.  I need a bandaid to feel better.  Oh!  My elbow is hurt too.  WAHHHH."
I got the bandaid and everything was fixed.
"Ok, let's go inside.  I am finished with outside.  Peter and I will come inside and watch a movie.  Ahh, this is the life."
Ha.

Every day, even when I am screaming inside or wanting to yell "Didn't I JUST tell you not to do that?" is a blessing.  These boys light up my life, and I am so thankful to be their mama.  Thank you God for such a gift!  Here's to a new year of growing with Carter and learning more about life through the eyes of a child!