Happy Birthday Charlie!

This post is long over due, but I didn't want to pass over it and not have it documented. Our Charlie is 4 now!!! Where has time gone!?!

He has become a fun-loving, very curious, imaginative, machine obsessed, thoughtful and clever guy.

Here are some of my favorite things about Charlie:
-How much he loves us telling him stories about our childhoods as we lay in bed at night. We try to fit in a scripture story or a children's classic (aka: three little pigs, how the elephant got it's trunk, etc.) but almost always he asks for "one about when you were a kid." It is nice because it helps me remember cherished memories and stories.
-His wonderful imagination. He imagines pretend pets, tools, machines (especially cranes), camping trips, indoor snow and water, fields that need harvesting in the living room, flying on airplanes to visit family, and on and on.
-Reading books. Especially silly ones.
-Being tickled and rough housing with Keith after work.
-Giving us "Charlie hugs." I just can't get enough of them (especially because they are a whopping seconds long.)
-Singing to Jane whenever she is fussy. I love hearing him sing "I am a Child of God."
-How he is experimenting with new words. For example, the other day he came up the stairs as if every step was a monumental effort, threw himself on the couch, let out a heavy sigh as he said "this is such a boring day." Moments later he sat up and asked "what does boring mean?" It was all I could do to not burst out laughing. I don't know where he gets this stuff!
-His increased interest in biking. Almost always his toy of choice to take out in the snow is his little bike. He often tells us how he just can't wait for the snow to go away so he can ride his bike.

We celebrated his birthday a day early while we were still in Utah. Grandma and Grandpa Lowe made the drive up for it and even remembered that he could have Jelly Bellies so they brought a bag of them (bottom left). He got a book from each set of grandparents as well.

We invited our good friends the Clegg's over for the party. Charlie loved having friends to play with and Keith and I loved visiting with Dan and Becky.

Charlie can be the biggest frustration at times but mostly he is a wonderful big brother and my little companion and "helper boy." Oh how we love him!