The Welcoming Committee

 If you visited our home this summer, this is the sight that would have greeted you on arrival.  A sweet little Southern entry complete with ferns and Old Glory.  And a welcoming committee.

 Our welcoming committee is usually comprised of three little boys peeking out those windows ready and waiting to throw open the door and run out to greet our guests.  But this summer, we also had a more subdued set of greeters. 

One morning, as I was putting out the flag and watering the ferns, I noticed a little brown bird scoot out from under the right side fern when I started watering it.  I thought that was curious and went back inside.  The next few days, the same thing happened each time I watered that fern.  Then I noticed a bunch of pinestraw laying in the top of the fern.  Almost like it was a little roof for someone. 

I decided one morning to very carefully see who might be needing a roof inside my fern.  I slowly pulled back the fronds expecting to see some eggs.  Imagine my surprise when I saw three tiny little birds!  My heart about jumped into my throat.  I started shaking I was so surprised!  They were just curled up sleeping away.  Their feathers hadn't begun to show up and I guessed they were maybe a day or two old they were so very tiny.  The bluish covering over their eyelids hadn't faded.  I called Andrew to come see and he jumped back in surprise just like I had.  We were both giggling over our discovery. 

 

We were careful not to look too often, no matter how tempted we were.  When Brent got home that night, we made a few pictures.  Momma Bird was watching us very closely I'm sure, but she never made a sound.  In the picture below you can barely make out a tiny yellow beak that's popped open waiting for some food.  

We had such fun knowing that we had babies in our fern.  While I visited Brin, Brent said one little fella fell out of the nest, so he scooped it up very carefully and put it  back inside.  A few days later they were gone for good.  It was a sweet little surprise for this summer.  I hope we were good hosts and that the momma will come back next year.  Who knows?  Maybe she read our sign and decided to make it her "home sweet home" too.

A Star Wars Pool Party

Friday was our Grand Finale to Coleman's fifth birthday!  Andrew and I took cupcakes to his class at lunchtime, and Ms. Stephanie had brought him a bunch of balloons!

Then we hurried home to finish preparing for the big party at the pool that evening.  Andrew had been a huge helper that week getting things ready with me.  Just like at his fifth birthday party, C3PO and R2D2 made an appearance.  Those are the favor bags for his guests on the fireplace too.

As the guests arrived, they hopped right in the pool.  We had the place completely to ourselves!

Our sweet friends the Armstrongs came a little early and Stephanie helped me get everything set up while David made sure no one drowned.  Brent was coming right after work with the pizzas, and I wasn't sure how I was going to set everything up and watch three yahoos.  We are so thankful for great friends who don't mind helping out!  Here are the decorations we put together.  You can click on each picture to see it larger if you want.

After they ate supper, we sang to Coleman and had cupcakes. 

Then it was time to break the pinata.  Here are all the kids lined up and ready.

Coleman got to go first.   He has the batting part of tee ball down!

We lined the kids up youngest to oldest for our batting order.  We only made it to the third little girl before it broke clean apart!  Andrew stuffed it that morning for me, and he filled it REALLY full.  So it was very heavy and ready to bust wide open!

Next we let him open his gifts.

And then everyone got back in the pool for a little bit.  Here's a cute last shot of Jon Jon and Whitley enjoying some pinata candy. 

Coleman had a great time at his party, and I think his friends did too.  I love planning their parties, but I must say, I am glad that next year we'll be celebrating in Disney World again! 

Family Party

 On the Sunday before his birthday, we invited the grands to come celebrate with Coleman.  They came for a hamburger supper with all of his favorites.  Pasta salad, baked beans, chips, pickles and burgers cooked by Daddy on the grill.  Yum!

 He chose a strawberry Green Lantern cake this year.  And doesn't he look like a big kid?!

 Then it was time to open presents!

He got some fun Spiderman water toys from his cousins in Tennessee.

Gigi and Papack got him a glove and some balls for tee ball next spring.  When he first opened it, he very quietly said, "My very own!" 

As Nana later said, "Coleman puts the Happy in Happy Birthday!"

 He was thrilled with a Lego Star Wars kit from Nana and Pop-O.

More Star Wars toys from Granny and Grandaddy.

Jonathan really enjoyed Coleman's gifts too!

He even loved the bubble wrap from one of his gifts!

Aunt Mer Mer, Uncle Roger and Brin sent him a Batman costume!  Oh was there ever excitement!

After lots of jumping up and down while hugging the suit, he finally posed for a picture.

And then we tried it on.

Here he is giving a very serious Batman look.

And of course everyone else wanted to try it on too.  Coleman was very kind to share with his brothers.

We made a picture of the birthday boy with all the grands.

And Andrew wanted one too.

It was a really fun celebration!

Turning Five

 Coleman's birthday was on Thursday this year, so he didn't have preschool that morning.  We celebrated with a fun breakfast of his choosing.  I could not believe his choice, but here it is:  green eggs, ham and a bagel.  He ate it all up very happily!

Then he opened his birthday shirt.

He decided he wanted to go to the Lego store for his birthday outing.  So we loaded up with his birthday money and headed down there.  Andrew had some money in his wallet too, so he was able to get something also.  When I made this picture, Jonathan was climbing on the little train behind me and had no interest in coming down to say cheese. 

After a supper of spaghetti and meatballs (Coleman's choice), it was FINALLY time to open presents! 

After he opened the smallish ones inside, we told him there was one more waiting for him on the driveway.  Check out this excited face!

A brand new bicycle with no training wheels!  He learned to ride like a big kid two weeks ago and was thrilled to get a new bike!

We put on his helmet and let him ride around a while and then went in for baths.  Then we had our cupcakes (chocolate with peanut butter icing) and sang "Happy Birthday."

I wanted a picture with my five year old before he went to bed. 

And so did Andrew.

This was just outside his door when he woke up.  We covered the doorway with streamers the night before his birthday and it provided tons of fun all day long for everyone.  I don't think they lasted until Friday at suppertime though!

It was a really fun day for our "cream in the Oreo" boy.  I'm sure you're not surprised that we were nowhere near finished celebrating though!