nine is fine

Dear Garrett,

Nine years. Nine years of wide grins and creative endeavors. Nine years of passionate curiosity and unadulterated joy. Nine years of you. Happy birthday, my boy!

Though you sometimes seem bent on driving your father and I crazy, what with your frequent inability to reign in your now wildly swinging emotions, you are a real treat to have in our family. You find it a burden at times being the oldest, but I'm glad that you are. When you are able to let go of yourself, you are great older brother, persuasively trying to mediate squabbles and help hurt feelings. Your younger brothers look up to you, and I hope that you always do your best to be a good example to them.

The things you love vary from moment to moment, but you still hold true to Legos, paper airplanes, creating things out of items that others toss in the trash, and anything science. You read voraciously, and are especially drawn to non-fiction. Over the last year you've been introduced to handheld video games and bike riding, both of which you've also grown to love. You are still an incredibly (and, given your heritage, oddly) social boy, and find friends wherever you are. You have the ability to talk non-stop, and you are brimming with wildly creative ideas.

I love you, Garrett. I'm so lucky you are mine. Always remember how much you are loved, and then share that love with those around you by thinking of and always serving others. If you do, you will continue to be a blessing to many.

Love,
Mom

***

Here is how we celebrated!

Blake was able to take the day off work, so Garrett opened his presents in the morning. He cleaned up! A paper airplane book; a Nintendo DS game; a Cincinnati Reds shirt; scouting stuff, including a canteen, a whetstone, and a real Swiss Army pocketknife (!); a BYU t-shirt from Grammy Nancy and Grandpa Dave; and a story writing book from Grandma Joyce and Grandpa Gary.

In the afternoon six of his friends came over to party. We did a bit of a repeat of his 4th birthday -- free-for-all water fun, this time in our back yard. These boys ate it up. He came away with some fun gifts, including big squirt guns for future backyard water play.

 What a great group of boys!

For dinner Garrett requested Eli's BBQ, and we were more than happy to oblige (that place is good!). He claims it was a great day, which is exactly what we were aiming for.