Things I love about Ethan

A note to Ethan...

Happy Birthday my sweet EThan angel. You are growing up so fast I can hardly believe it. You are such a little grown up in so many ways. In some ways it's unfair that you had to grow up so fast with the challenges there have been in our family, but you have been so mature about everything. You are still so innocent and sweet in a lot of ways though. There are still a few words that you say incorrectly that I will never correct and I'll miss them when they are gone!

There are so many things that I love about you, I think I'll just start to list them until I get dragged away with something I have to do. I could go on and on. Here are a few reasons I adore you in every way...

1. I love how you always compliment me.

2. I love that you love your brothers and always help take care of them.

3. I love when you really laugh -- for real, not the fake one as much!!

4. I love our conversations.

5. I think you are the most handsome boy around.

6. You remember everything! It's constantly amazing me.

7. You are so determined. You can do anything you want to do.

8. You are very stubborn. You won't do anything you don't want to do!

9. You are very mature and grown-up for your age. You have had to deal with a lot more than most kids your age and you have handled it extremely well.

10. You pick out the best jewelry to surprise me!

11. I love going on dates with you.

12. I love playing games with you - even when the rules change as the game goes on!

13. I love going on trips with you.

14. I miss you when you are away at school or playing with a friend!

15. I love the way you come in my bed in the morning and wrap your arm around my head to cuddle yourself back to sleep.

16. I love having sleep-overs with you, even though you kick a lot!

17. I love visiting about how our sleep was every morning.

18. I love when you are watching a movie and something strikes you funny. It's the cutest thing ever.

19. I love (mostly) how you think water will fix anything. You are always doing something in your sink. It drives me crazy, but it's darling how much you love it!~

20. I love watching you ski. I'm so proud of you.

21. I love going to Lake Powell with just the two of us. It's my favorite Mom and Ethan time in the whole world~!

22. I love how you take care of me and anyone in the family if we get hurt. You rush to our aid with your Dr. kit. (and a cotton ball of water to fix it!)

23. I love checking in on you every night to see what position I will catch you in this time! You are the funniest sleeper!

24. I mostly love when you become the one in charge and decide everything we have to do and where we have to go! You are so determined and serious!

25. I love that you have an amazing sense of direction. You pay attention to everything and always know where we are. It's especially funny when we are going somewhere that we go a lot and dad drives. He sometimes takes a different route and you always think he is lost!!

26. I love that you call your Grampy and ask him to take you on lunch dates almost weekly. And that you hand me the phone to 'verify' the information. (sometimes I get false information so the 'verify' is important!)

27. I love listening to you say your prayers. You always think of a friend or someone that you should pray for.

28. I love how much you love your Grandma Pete. She was your best friend for a long time. Most kids don't get to have such a great relationship with their great-grandma!

29. You get so excited over the cutest things.

30. You are becoming such a great reader!

31. You are so loving and sweet.

32. You get your feelings hurt, and it embarrases you.

33. I love watching you play and roll around with Mason. It makes me so happy that you don't even see that he is different and you love him and play with him like you would any kid.

34. I love that you teach others about Mason and explain things like they are normal.

35. I love that you were so excited and involved with our adoption of Ezra.

36. I love everything about you, but mostly I love that I know how much you absolutely love me and your family!

37. I think I love that you do what you want to do! You never do something just because someone else tells you too. If you don't want to you'll say so. (I'm hoping this trait carries on into high school!)

38. I love how forgiving you are.

39. I love how you get excited for Mason to be resurected and so he'll be perfect like you. You never give up hope for him and it's inspiring to me. You think that every year on his birthday -- "this is it. This is the year Mason is going to be able to walk on his birthday, I just know it.." You have so much hope.

40. You are a super smarty pants.

41. You say the funniest things.

42. You are the coolest kid!

43. You LOVE little kids and it's so great how you have NEVER been the kid to act out against your younger sibling in a mean way. You just keep asking me when we are going to get another baby! You're not done yet I guess!

44. It's funny (and I hate it) how you can't just use a little soap or shampoo, you use the ENTIRE bottle. EVERYTIME! It's like the morning, you can always count on it.

45. I love that you are an avid tooth brusher! You do not want to get cavities and you never forget to brush!

46. I love that you still say words like 'renember' and 'grav'. It reminds me that you are still just a kid.

47. I love that you are a daredevil! You are cautious to be sure you're safe, but that's it! You are fearless to try new things. If your nervous to do it -- I love the giggle that comes as you are about to attempt it!

48. I kind of love that you have a strong opinion about what you want to wear. It's not so fun when the bus is here and you change your mind over and over!

49. I love that you refer to any older person that you like as "Grandma" or "Grandpa." Even the nurses you like at the hospital.

50. I mostly love your hugs and your kisses everytime you leave or I leave. PLEASE never stop doing that!

I could go on and on and on, but I have mommy things I have to to. Happy Birthday my baby doll~