Elijah Harrison - Yesterday and Today

Eli's 6th birthday was on March 29th.

He is an important part of this large family.

And an even more important part of this family.

I wrote about Eli in these posts:  2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and those posts tell you a lot about him.

And the following pictures will show you a lot about how he's changed through the years.

 

And now I want to talk about what Eli has been up to in the past year.

First of all, he graduated to kindergarten.  That means school all day, every day and riding the school bus.

and even doing homework.

This year he also got his glasses and he looks very handsome in them.

And when he vacationed in Florida over the winter, he graduated to big indoor roller coasters and full size outdoor coasters that would have most of us turning the other way but which he enjoyed immensely.

He rode the giant carousel without holding on (for a few seconds with Mom keeping a watchful eye).

and drove his Grandma around the track in an almost full size car,

He performed magic tricks with his very own wand in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios!

And he jumped in the big pool for the first time.

And maybe not as exciting but more importantly, he's learning to read, loves math and science and has a great interest in bugs!  He also enjoys Rubik's cubes, has his very own iPad mini and invents interesting things all the time.  He spent a week in Michigan with his dad last summer and spent the Christmas/New Year holiday in Gulf Shores with his mom's giant family.

All in all it's been a busy, productive year for a a very smart, very sweet boy!  We know he had a wonderful birthday and we're hoping the coming year is even better than the last!

So Happy Birthday, Eli!  We love you and could not possibly be more proud of you!

Sandhill Cranes

I love sandhill cranes and one of the perks of being here in Florida is that we get to see a lot of them and they are definitely a big reason why I take my camera with me on the golf course.

And they are especially entertaining when they are 'dancing.

I know it kind of looks like they're bickering or fighting but a few seconds later they settle back into their compatible routine.  And whatever they're doing I have always thought they were some of the neatest birds in the world.  But, come to find out, there's a bird that's even cooler.

The baby sandhill crane.  Oh my goodness!  I happened to have my camera in my hand after photographing him.

And turned around and saw them.

Seriously.  Could they be any cuter?