Happy 9th Birthday, Blake!!

On May 5th, Blake turned 9.  I am so glad he is not in the double digits yet ... my momma heart wouldn't have been able to handle it!  So now I have an entire year to prepare for the big 10th birthday ;)  Blake had a very busy birthday.  We weren't sure when we would host his birthday party, between baseball, hockey, swimming lessons, dance practice and a dance recital, lacrosse and a lacrosse tournament and soccer ... we didn't have a lot of free time!!  Fortunately, we have early dismissal Thursday's!!  Reese doesn't have school on Thursday's and Blake and Emerson are out at 11:51 am AND Blake's birthday was on a Thursday, so it all worked out although we were sad that a few of our family and friends couldn't make it.  We had the party the afternoon of the 5th and it went well!  I was so worried we'd be rained out but thankfully we weren't.  We had the party at the park and I think it might have been one of the best parties to date!  The kids played on the playground, ate lunch and cake and finished the afternoon off with a baseball game!  All Blake wanted to do for his birthday party was play baseball, so I'm glad we were able to grant that wish :)  Below are a few pics from our morning before school and from the party:

Opening gifts from Mom and Dad and Em and Reese

Nuggies for his sisters ;) (Reese didn't have school that morning, hence the pj's!)

Ready for school :)

Party in the park - the handsome birthday boy!

Just a bunch of monkeys, hangin' out!

Cake time!!

Most of the party crew :)

Batter up!

Eating lunch on the fire truck ;)

3 cuties, Ava, Reese and Nathan

Blake requested either a Jays cake or a Cubs cake ... DQ didn't have a Jays cake so Cubs it was :)

Opening presents

Waiting for their turn to bat!

Grandpa playing bat catcher, while Dad pitches it in!!

Em also loves a good game of ball!

 After the party at the park, we headed home for a quick dinner and Grandma's famous carrot cake before Blake headed to lacrosse and Reese and I headed to school for a Mother's Day tea.  Lindsay and the boys, Mom and Dad and Blake's buddy Dante joined us!

Some downtime before lacrosse!)

Blake's request ... hot dogs!!!

Cutie patooties!!

The final cake of the day :)

 Happy 9th birthday to our boy!  Blake, you make your Dad and I so proud every single day.  We love the young man you are growing into - kind, thoughtful, caring, driven, smart, funny and athletic! You stand up for your friends and aren't afraid to do so.  You have a strong sense of right and wrong and always try to do the right thing. You are a strong student, a wonderful big brother and a great friend!  Love you to the moon and back, our (not so) little man!