Thankful she's three!

Today my little girl turned three. The birthday started early, I think she was too excited to sleep. Daddy got up with her and Micah and I tried to sleep, but all I couldn't ignore my little girl's excited voice talking about how she was three now and that today was her birthday. I quickly got out of bed disappointed that I had already missed the first few minutes of excitement and we got her special day started.

Eden's been waiting to be three for soooo long. We had her party combined with Micah's a little over a month ago but even before then, "when do I turn three? Octover sixteenth!" After Eden opened her presents I tried to make her requested caterpillar cake. I was going to put decorated cupcakes together like I've seen done everywhere, but that would've been too easy. I added almost a cup more water than I should have and forgot to add the oil. Such a disaster, and from a box no less, that's embarrassing.

After church, Eden opened up all her birthday cards. She got some tattoos from Grandma and I'm proud to say I have one on my foot, daddy has one on his hand, and I think Eden has one on her foot and three on her arm. Ink by Eden, just kidding.

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 We headed to the zoo where Eden couldn't wait to ride the chicken (it's a rooster I know) and Micah enjoyed his first carousel ride.

Micah was still mad in this picture that his ride had to come to an end, but I'm just happy we're having a family picture. Grandma and Grandpa Belland joined us and it made it really special for the kids.

I know Eden's out of focus in this picture, but her attitude is the goat pen is just a hoot. She thinks she owns that place and that somehow by feeding those goats, they owe her a friendship or something. She's hilarious.

This was also Micah's first time in the goat pen. I don't know if I've ever heard so many delighted squeals come out of a little boy, but I loved every second of it.

I kept coming back to this picture because it's just hilarious. Apparently Eden and I thought something was just over the top, and my heart just swells when we share those moments.

Micah kept signing "more" after we'd walk away from an animal he liked. It was really cute, and clever, I think, to ask for it like that.

Just Mike looking like a lost little boy. Actually, I was just trying a different setting on my camera and thought he looked uber cute.

Speaking of little boys... is that normal?

So, my the requested "pink and purple caterpillar with blue ears" birthday cake or cup cakes was a total flop, but I did draw one with a little frosting tube on a store cake. She liked it and requested the piece that had the entire caterpillar on it. Sound like a win, win for me.

The funny thing was, we sang to Eden, with candles and all before her cake was cut. When she got full of frosting, she requested a pink candle on her cake and for us to sing again.

Micah enjoyed the whole bit. He's a good sport lil' brother.

See all her tattoos in this picture?

But more importantly, I think this was the fifth or sixth time we sang. We'd sing, she's blow out the candle, we'd hoot and clap and she'd get a serious face and say "one more time".

It went on and on, I'm thinking we sung maybe nine times. But she had so much fun every time and why say no. I love seeing the joy that children have over such simple things.

I still can't believe she's three. I thought that I'd made it through the day without being emotional, but at bedtime we had a tender talk and my memory was just flooded of her being a baby, then one, then two, and now three. I took special note of the time today that she was born and had the days events three years ago in the forefront of my mind. I'm nostalgic, but love the present. She's so beautiful, and I keep thinking of what my mom said to me the other day on the phone about her "who knows, maybe you're raising a little Mother Teresa".