happy 4...

When your birthday is on New Year's Day, it is inevitable that it is going to be swallowed up by holiday celebrations and family that just saw you at Christmas so won't be able to come for your birthday.  So when a chance comes along to celebrate big, you have to grab it.  And that is exactly what we did for C this year!  We were in Edgerton for Christmas, and being that we were able to spend almost a week there, one of the days we set aside especially to celebrate C's birthday.  He was super excited, I mean what could be better - celebrating your birthday on the farm with the whole Roskamp family (we do know how to celebrate quite well, if I do say so myself =)!  Even though it was a few days before his real birthday, we called it his birthday party day, and he was just fine with that.  And what a party day it was!

 first up was scooping snow with Boppa in the tractor...

and then playing on the snow piles they just made...

and sled rides from Uncle M and Dadda...

 and just having fun in the snow (cousins!!!).

Then came doughnuts from the Edgerton Bakery....so delicious that they were consumed before any photographic evidence could be taken.  And believe me, if you had a bakery doughnut in front of you, grabbing the camera would NOT be what you would do first!

And of course there was other farm fun to be had throughout the rest of the day...playing in the shed with the pedal tractor and bikes and other wheely things, playing down in the basement with all the toy tractors, reading Aahma's big stack of kids books, and playing with aunts and uncles and cousin E!!!

But the main party was in the evening.  Things were started off right with homemade pizza!

  Auntie A and Uncle M made the pizzas...

while all the kids were entertained by Boppa's glowing Apple devices (enough in the house for one for each!)...

until we made them clear off so that we could eat!  SOOOOOOO delicious.

And what is a party without presents, right?  First up one from Uncle M, Auntie A, and cousin E.

(can I quick pause though and tell you how much I love this sweet boy?!!)

what is it...

awesome alphabet letters!!!

Auntie A made C a set of fabric alphabet letters - 2 alphabet sets and his name, all in a handy dandy bag with a big C on it for his name (which I think might have been his favorite part!  my favorite part is that there is enough letters to actually spell things out with the 2 sets and his name!).  

He loves these - thanks so much Auntie A!

Next up one from Boppa and Aahma.  They gave him a super cool electronic apple (no not one of THOSE Apples =), that has all the letters to push and all sorts of alphabet games.  We didn't get a picture of him opening it, so instead I will show you a photo of the lovely gift givers...

 who gave up their 39th anniversary to focus on their grandson.  Thank you so much Aahma and Boppa!  (And C LOVES the apple!)

Last was the gift from Uncle L and Auntie J.  He couldn't really open this one, so we told him to sit at the kitchen table and wait...and well...I will let the photos tell the rest:

Auntie J is a very talented musician and music teacher, and she is also a very talented cake decorator!  (remember the dino cake she made for W?)  She made a phenomenal Lightning McQueen (both boys are obsessed with Cars!) cake for C!  The details are incredible and she got the shape and character spot on.  I also love how she changed the McQueen's number from 95 to 4 for C, and also put his name on the cake.  And C's reaction?!!!  Precious and priceless.  And so excited!  He hasn't stopped talking about this cake.  Thank you so much Auntie J!!!  We love you!

The cake was admired by all...

"but can we eat it?!!!"...

yes! (but NO ONE volunteered to cut that cake!  we made the baker herself do it!)  And I have to say, it was a very delicious cake.  S even said it was pretty good for chocolate cake, which, from him who does not like chocolate cake, was a big compliment. =)

Happy Birthday C!  And special thanks for the super special day for our big boy!

You might think that his actual birthday, a few days later, was pretty dull compared to his birthday party, but we did our best to make it a fun day.  One big bonus C gets with his birthday being on New Year's Day, is that Dadda will always be home for his birthday!  And that is pretty great in C's book.  We also have special neighbors who will always come over to help celebrate too!

 gifts from Dadda and Momma...

best one being head lamps for everyone (seriously, they played and played and played with these!)...

 and C's yearly request for banana cake.

Happy 4th Birthday C!  We love you so!!!