For months leading up to his birthday, Luke was so excited - this was a big one - 8 years old! He had talked about what type of party he wanted, who he wanted to invite, and of course, what kind of cake he would have. As his birthday got closer and the world was still shut down, it quickly became obvious that there would need to be a change of plans. It was clear there would not be a traditional party, or a lot of our other traditional birthday activities, but we wanted to make sure that Luke's day was special, and that he felt loved. The night before his birthday, we sat on the couch in the living room and told him the story of his birthday, and reminded him how excited we were when he arrived.
Luke has really been into football lately so that seemed like a perfect theme. I was able to get a football party kit and Tim and I got everything set up the night before. Luke is like his mama and doesn't wake up so well, even on his birthday, but once he got his eyes all the way open, he was really excited about his first celebration of his big day. After opening presents, I made his favorite waffles, and we spent some time just talking about what an awesome kid he is. During the day he had several calls from family, grandparents, aunts and uncles, etc. It all made him feel so great.
Alexa...his favorite present.
Even Ruby got a surprise.
Mid-morning Luke's second grade teacher, Mrs. Bertuzzi, came over to drop off a card and candy bar. Luke has really loved being in her class and was super excited to have her come to his house. He was especially excited that she brought Charlie who barked hello from the back seat.
Later that afternoon Sonny and his family stopped by to wish Luke a happy birthday. They had only seen each other briefly since school was canceled and they had the best time together out in the front yard It was such a sweet birthday visit.
We asked our neighbor if he would bring out his DJ speakers for a little socially distant dance party in the cul de sac. Luke saw him setting up and got excited about the party, but was so surprised when he found out it was all for him. The kids all danced around, wandering to different parts of the neighborhood, and enjoyed some birthday rice krispie treats from our yard.
After the party ended, Tim went and picked up dinner from Mooyah - burgers & fries - then we had tres leches for dessert. At the end of the day, Luke told us that it was his best birthday ever. In fact, he still talks about his awesome DJ dance party, the cake, and all of the calls and visits. I had been so worried that he would feel disappointed on his birthday, but it really did end up being such a happy day. He felt loved and important and that is all that really matters on your birthday.
Luke actually started celebrating a few days early...while we were together with my family for Easter, we celebrated these two best cousins.
Luke was able to celebrate one last time when Erika and Brycen came down to wish him a happy birthday. Erika gave him a fish - a beta fish that he named Memo. The rest of his birthday had been super fun, but getting a fish might have been the highlight.
Ok, I know that every parent thinks their child is amazing, a genius, and the cutest thing that ever lived, but honestly, Luke is really such a special kid. He is so easy to love, and genuinely just wants to make others happy. I love that he is old enough to participate in making a birthday poster, it is fun to see what he thinks about himself. There were a lot of new interests and favorites this year. Honestly, this kid just totally has my heart and I absolutely love being his mama.
Over the past year there have been so many awesome, funny, and tender moments with this kid. I haven't been as great at keeping track as I have in the past. In fact, I have committed to do better because I love reading and remembering all of the little things. But I do have a few, and they are all so typical of my boy:
*During one of Ruby's more silly times, he told her "Ruby, you really need to take things more seriously in life.
*He told me that Drake said that he was never going to get married because it would be too embarrassing to have everyone watch. But Luke has been trying to tell Drake that he should plan to get married. He said that it is a lot better if you have two people because then you make more money, and also, if you're a boy and you don't get married, you an't get a baby. Love that he has it all figured out.
*After helping me pull weeds one day he asked me if it made me happy to have the yard look so nice. Then he said "it makes me happy when I make other people happy".
*We got a ping pong table and he and Tim play almost every day. He has gotten so good and loves when he is able to beat his dad.
*This year he discovered BYU sports and became a super fan.
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