Wade's 5th

Thursday was Wade's 5th birthday!

Wade is an important part of this large family

and an important part of this smaller but still large family

and of course a very important part of this yet smaller but still large family.

He is our 4th great grandchild and our 3rd great grandson.

I wrote about Wade in this post last year for his birthday and clicking on that link will take you to links to all his previous posts so I'll just show a few pictures here of how he's changed 'through the years'.

and talk about what's been going on in his life during the past year.

First of all, in April he and his family visited Splash Universe which he loved!

He had no fear of the water slides and would go down them non-stop if he could.

And he's getting better and better at swimming and tries very hard to keep up with his brothers.

Also he enjoys fishing and has had some great catches.

But most of all he enjoys being outside and exploring.

In May he had his tonsils and adenoids removed.  It was rough but he recovered perfectly and was very brave through the whole process.  Now he sleeps much better and no longer snores.

In August the family took a trip up north and Wade loved being on Grandpa's boat and playing on the beach.

He started preschool in September and goes three days a week

and had his first field trip later that month to a Cider Mill.

And the field trip meant his very first school bus ride.

Then, over the holidays, he and his family visited Gulf Shores with his big extended family.  He enjoyed playing with all his cousins and especially bffs, Trey and Eli.  And on this trip, he held an alligator for the first time when they visited Alligator Alley.

So you can see it was a busy year for Wade from beginning to end but there's lots more to say about him than what he did.

He's one of the sweetest most engaging little boys you could ever meet.

He's always ready to please but never steps forward to the limelight.  You'll find him near the back of the group smiling at you and waiting his turn.

He's helpful and kind especially to his little brother Knox and he's a great artist for his age.

He takes his drawing very seriously

and produces magical works of art like these.

And now I'll add what his mom had to say about him because I could not agree more or say it better, "He's doing great in preschool and his teacher just told me a couple of days ago that he counted to 50 which she was very impressed with!  As you know he's a total sweetheart but can also be a little tough guy!  He's a great listener, very smart, and a great helper!  And he loves being outside and is very athletic!"   Yep!  Agree Agree Agree!

Wade is a wonderful boy and we could not love him more!  We're so proud of his endearing, sweet personality and his helpful, loving ways!  So Happy Birthday, Wade - a few days late.  We hope your year is magical and amazing - just like you.

Beth's

Wednesday was Beth's birthday!

Beth was our 5th child and 3rd daughter.

She is an important part of this core family

which caused this large family (which she photographed)

and a very important part of this beautiful family.

I wrote about Beth in this post last year for her birthday and clicking on that link will take you to links to all her previous posts.

so I'll just post a few pictures here to show how she's changed 'through the years'

and focus on what's been going on in her life during the previous year - and it's been a monumental one for her!

First of all, this year, she continued working out with her good friend Sarah (right) and under the guidance of good friend and trainer, Lynette (left).

and she started running and ran in two 5ks - the first in March with Noah

and the second in May with Dan and Teresa in Florida.

In April she photographed her second cousin's wedding and it was one of those rare occasions where she got to cut loose at the end of the night and I got to see that she still has 'all the moves'.

and where she got to share a few special moments with Anna.

Shortly after that, she and Adam found out there was going to be a special 'addition' joining their two families together.

Then her then youngest, Clara, graduated from preschool!

Oh and they got more additions to the family in the form of chickens!  They started out like this in July,

looked like this in September,

and are doing this now.

During the summer, Beth became involved in Monat Global (the name comes from Modern Nature because they produce only healthy products that produce healthy hair).  Here are before and after shots of Beth's hair.  The first was from an old Timehop that came up for her and the second is how her hair looks now after Monat.

She loves the product and she loves being a representative for the product.

And right now she's pretty busy enjoying her special birthday present who came home on the day before her birthday.

and helping her lovebirds at home get acquainted with her.

So yes, it's been quite a year for Beth.  Now you know a lot of the highlights that transpired but I have to talk about the person that is Beth.

 She's very special, very evolved, and very smart and practical.  She's thoughtful beyond what's even good for her because she's so selfless and always prioritizes with her own needs at the back of the line.   She's such a worker too!  She could have taken a pass cleaning up at Thanksgiving 'under the circumstances' but no, she strapped on an apron and got busy!

She loves fiercely and gently.  She's protective and wise.  She's an amazing mom and an amazing daughter!  And it only follows that she's an amazing sister and friend - loyal, helpful, and honest.

And it's hard to believe, but after all these other attributes there's another that really stands out and that's her wonderful, quirky, sassy sense of humor.  If you're around Beth, you're probably going to laugh.

So, Beth, Happy Birthday!  I hope your day was amazing - no matter how tired you were - and that the coming year gets better and happier every day!  We love you and could not be more proud of you.