BIRTHDAY BOY!

It has now been four years since Eli joined our family.  What a blessing and a joy he is!  Our BIG birthday boy was a little sick, but he didn't let that stop him from enjoying the day.  In fact, he lets everyone know that he is four now.  He has asked me every morning since, "I'm still four, right?"  And he frequently tells me throughout the day, "Mom, I'm FOUR now."  He is continually reminding me that four-year-olds are BIG boys and can do lots of stuff that one, two, and three-year-olds can't do. :-)

Because his birthday also landed on General Conference Sunday, we had a very pleasant day at home with just the family.  Listening to the prophet and eating birthday cake--it can't get much better than that, right?  We also enjoyed skyping with various family members.

Since Eli loves superheroes, we decided to make a Superman cake, and since it was only in an 8 x 8-inch pan instead of a 9 x 13, we had leftover batter that we made into Spiderman cupcakes.  Eli loved it, as did Josh who has let me know by how much he's eaten that I don't make cakes enough (I really only make them on birthdays...so, three times a year).

Eli wanted a sandbox, so Josh made him one.  Can I just tell you what a blessing it is to have a husband who knows how to fix and build things?  When I was looking online for a patio-type sandbox, I wasn't sure I wanted to spend the money on it, but then Josh told me he would make it.  And he did...for a fraction of the cost.  AND Eli was in heaven.  I, on the other hand, am not thrilled about the sand mess, but sometimes it's better to make a little boy happy, right?

Of course, the thing that would make Eli REALLY happy would be a pet.  Our neighbor's cat became the show-stealer as she jumped our fence and came into our house (we think she also liked the sandbox).  Eli has seen and been able to pet Miss Priss (her name) many times, but this is the first time she has attempted to come into our home.  Eli was all smiles and incredibly willing to kidnap her.  She came when we were talking with Josh's family, so unfortunately, he didn't pay much attention to them or the gifts they sent.  The cat won in the moment, but I can assure you that he enjoys his gifts. :-)