9 years old! This is the last year that he's a single-digit age. I can't believe it; it's even harder to believe that we're half-way through our time with him. As parents, we only really get about 18 years with our kids...18 years to hold them close and learn to let them go. 18 years to instill our wisdom, faith, and knowledge in them all while allowing them to find their own. It's all going by too fast. I try to cherish all the moments, but they all seem fleeting. For now, I will continue to enjoy all the goodnight hugs, endless chatter (that can be exhausting sometimes), and complete trust. I will encourage him to embrace the joyous moments and teach him how to let go of the hard. I will show him the value of kindness and the power of courage. I know I won't be perfect, but I will love him unfailingly. So how did we celebrate his birthday?! All month long! With my parents, Nichole, and Kate in town, we had some pre-birthday celebrations (see the Just July post) and plenty of pre-birthday treats. This year, his birthday was on a Saturday...and we celebrated all weekend long! The Tanner cousins got to come spend the night on the 26th. They played hard all afternoon! They stayed outside riding the OneWheels, motorbike, swinging, jumping on the trampoline, and eventually playing capture the flag. Addie would hide a bandana in the house and they would sneak in to try to find it. Saturday (27th) we had his birthday party. This year, the summer Olympics coincided with his birthday so we decided to do an Olympic themed party. We chose 3 track & field events (standing long jump, discus throw, javelin throw), 3 teams sports (volleyball, lacrosse, basketball), and 3 individual sports (shooting, archery, and of course, taekwondo) to participate in. With each event, each kid (minus Addie and Carter & Everly, who joined us for the party) would show his competency in one aspect of the sport so that he could "make the team". It was fun to watch them engage in each sport. I would say the discus throw and maybe shooting and archery were the favorites. For taekwondo, Jonas taught all the kids a basic punching combo. In the end, they all earned gold medals and a golden treat bag.
After the activities, we had lunch. Because the games are in Paris, we opted for croissant sandwiches and a fruit & veggie tray that honored the Olympic Rings. We all enjoyed our lunch before Jonas opened gifts. The Tanners got him a fun pocket knife and Laurin (and the kids) got him a Nerf vest that allows him to carry his ammo with him. Jeff and I got him a utility knife, camp stove, and camp pot set for his 72 hour kit. We also got him a Lego race car kit that allows him to build 10 different types of cars to race down a cardboard track. We ended the party with cake and candles. I thought I would be finished with themed birthday parties...maybe next year? Still, it's always worth it to see how much fun they have. That evening, Jonas requested a steak dinner so, since it's just Jeff, Jonas, and I, we headed to Texas Roadhouse.
As if that wasn't enough, the next day (Sunday, 28th) we had a family birthday dinner with all the siblings, Jeff's parents, and Katie & Greg. He requested ranch chicken and cheesy rice with cherry pie for dessert. Jacob and Amber got him a new basketball, Dallin (& Audrey) got him Uno No Mercy game and a future date to an escape room, Gma Penny gave him some $$ and a Twisters game, and Katie gave him more $$. He's at that stage where toys don't really excite him anymore...and what he usually wants is more than what one individual wants to pay so the birthday money he receives helps him get that item. All in all, it was another epic birthday celebration for one epic young boy!
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