Keagan is FOUR!

My firstborn is FOUR years old today. It seriously feels like just the other day Keagan was born. I have always heard that once you have kids time starts to fly. Well. It's a-flyin'. And it brings tears to my eyes to think that I am going to blink a few times and this beautiful baby will be grown. OK, so I guess he isn't a baby anymore (he reminds me daily of this), but he will always be my baby (I remind him daily of this, also). 

Our first family picture.

First Birthday

Second Birthday (I guess Daddy was "manning" the grill)

Third Birthday.

 Fourth Birthday!

Keagan's 4th Birthday Party was Friday evening at our local swimming pool. This was completely Keagan's choice. He asked for a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle pool party! Easy enough. So we obliged. We had a fantastic turnout and everyone seemed to have a blast, especially the Birthday Boy.

 Sweet Hudson!

 Brothers...in matching TMNT swim trunks and swimmies.

 

Even the grownups got in to swim! Good daddies with their kids.

 Anderson jumping off the side!

Ethan and EJ jumping together

Keagan loves to jump off the side of the pool, but then he saw some of his bigger friends jumping off the diving board. Peer pressure does amazing things...

EJ going off the diving board!

Abbie cannonball-ing!

Sweet Clara Grace was the youngest swimmer!

I am thankful for all the grownups who came! They may be the parents of Keagan's friends...but they are OUR FRIENDS, too! This is Erika, mommy of Anderson, Ally Mae, and Clara Grace.

Keagan's cousin Jack came too! This definitely thrilled Keagan, who is all about his older cousin!

Then Finn decided he wanted to jump off the diving board. Peer pressure is amazing. He jumped once, then wanted to go again so I made him hit down. But then the whole safety concern became too much for me so I directed him back to jumping off the side. I was afraid he would scrape his back up on the board.

What is a Ninja Turtle's favorite food? Why, pizza! Of course!

The Compton kiddos: Ally Mae, Clara Grace, and Anderson

Hank!

Carissa and Chasity and Billy's baby Abigail. She was gearing up for a cry here! (Billy and Reagan in the background)

Sweet Whitley Joe and silly Tucker!

Watch out!!! Finn has a squirt gun...and he knows how to use it!

Abigail getting her feet wet...

Cake Time!!!

The child who refuses to eat cake wanted to be first in line!

BUT WAIT! He actually is eating cake! A BIG day!

Whitley Joe's turn to jump off the diving board!

Now Tucker's turn...with a little encouragement from Mom!

Two more great friends! Jeni (Whitley and Tucker's Mommy) and Amy (Hank's Mommy)!

A great picture of the Pedigo family

Clara Grace and her daddy Stephen

Dana and little Ethan

Dana is EJ and Ethan's mommy! It has been fun to celebrate birthdays and parties with her since our boys are the same ages!

PRESENT Time!!!!! I have to take a moment to say that I am very proud of Keagan. I had no idea how he would behave during the opening of his presents. You know, 4-year olds lack tact and respect a lot of the time. But Keagan was very excited and gracious with each and every gift. And (with a small amount of prompting) thanked his friend individually after opening the present. He even enjoyed opening and "reading" his cards! He had a great time, and I loved to watch him and all his buddies while he opened his presents.

With three more great girlfriends: Renea (Abbie's mommy), Carissa (Isaac's mommy), and Chasity (Reagan and Abigail's mommy)

The birthday party was a huge success. Keagan had a great time! Josh and I were truly impressed with how well behaved all the kids were, and how easy of a party it was. But, of course, every party has a pooper! And at the end (luckily!), as we were cleaning up, we realized who that pooper was: The birthday boy himself! It didn't last long, but it did happen!

Breakfast on the awesomely special birthday plate: chocolate chip pancakes, per the birthday boy's request

Last night Josh and I rigged up a little balloon surprise for when Keagan woke up on his actual birthday this morning. When he awoke I heard the door open and then nothing. Then his little sleepy voice said "What the heck!?" This is a phrase we do not condone in our house, but at 630 this morning it was pretty funny. And then we wished him a happy birthday and he, being his sweet and cheerful morning self, squealed back "Thanks Guys!"

Lastly, Keagan got a new chair for his birthday. We assumed this would go over well, and Finn would now have full reign of the little chair (poor second child...he never got a little chair. But, shhh!, don't tell him...he got a big chair for his birthday, too!)...but noooooo, he demanded to sit with Keagan in the new chair!