Finn is four!

Last month, we celebrated the fourth(!) birthday of our "medium boy," our Finn. And oh, what a joy he is.

Finn rarely asks for things, so when he does, especially when it is adjacent to his birthday, well, we often oblige. The boy with the March birthday wanted to go to the beach. And as we would have it, the weather that week was absolutely beautiful, so this birthday wish could be realized. The day before his birthday, Nicholas took the day off of work, packed a picnic lunch, and just the two of them went on a special beach date with hiking and rolling in the sand and being in the sunshine.

On his actual birthday, after breakfast, he opened his gifts from us – a Lego set with lots of small Lego cars, a second pair of knitted handwarmers, and a set of nerf guns. The look on his face when he opened his handwarmers was priceless. Cooper picked out a Lego batman figure for Finn, and he loved it, as well.

Later that day, my father-in-law and his girlfriend, Kate, came over to celebrate with us and to have dinner together. They gave Finn a Zelda book, dinosaur puzzle, and dino egg excavation kit, all of which were eagerly received.

Finn's birthday dinner request was burgers, so we had those on sourdough buns, followed by a sourdough cinnamon orange cardamom cake. And the weather was absolutely beautiful, so we ate dinner on the deck for the first time this year. The sweetest day celebrating our sweet boy.

A few things about Finn, at age four:

• He still loves wearing capes. And the knitted handwarmers I made for him? He wears them nearly all day and sleeps in them as well.
• He changes his outfit several times a day, and loves layering multiple shirts (and sometimes shorts over pants for a very cool look).
• He adores his baby brother. Holding him, playing with him. And whenever I tell Finn, "I love you," he usually responds with "I love Arlo," with a giggle and a twinkle in his eye.
• And he and Cooper are best friends. Romping through the woods, scootering and biking for hours, playing with swords and shields, building with magnetic tiles or Legos together...I love how much of their childhood is spent together.
• He is loving and snuggly, and will almost always work his way onto your lap without you realizing it. He loves books and being read to, and often approaches me, book in hand, asking for me to read to him.
• He absolutely loves puzzles, and it's not unusual for me to find completed puzzles in several rooms throughout the day.
• He loves waiting for Nicholas at the window or in the front yard, eager to run to him after a work day, yelling, "Daddy!"
• He says "leg-u-lar" for regular, and "yuppie duppie" for yes, when he's being funny.
• He loves singing the Doxology together every night before bed, praying, and holding Arlo's hand as he falls asleep
• Nearly any household item can become something to implement in battle (see the hanger, or should I say bow, in the photo below).

Four feels like it's on the edge of not quite so little, and also still little, ya know? Every day feels like gift, and I cherish the feeling of his little hand slipping in mine when we walk, or the way he blows kisses. Finn, we are so glad we are your parents and we thank God for you. We love you, buddy!