And Then He Was Three

On February 1st, 2014, sweet Asher, you turned three.  By this time, no longer a baby, you had grown into a boy.

We were living in our new home.  Adjusting.  At three you were learning.  Learning how to manage your thoughts and feelings.  Learning how to communicate on a whole new level.  Learning how to be a big brother.

At three you loved playing outside, turning anything into a weapon and talking.  At three you were talking allll the time.   You wanted to be heard, your questions to be answered.  You felt that you were one of the adults and you had something to contribute to every conversation.  While a bit frustrating at times, it was an endearing part of you and a peek at who you would be some day.

When you turned three we celebrated in our home with friends, cupcakes and mud in the backyard.  And then with family and a carrot cake that you helped mommy make.

Asher, you continue to challenge us in ways we have never known.  While we're supposed to be teaching you, you are actually teaching us.  Every single day.  You are precious to all those who know you and we cannot wait to see the man you become someday.

When You Turned Two

Asher, my boy, when you turned two, life was so sweet.  You were my constant buddy, going everywhere with me.  You made us laugh, kept us on our toes and always, always wanted to be doing what we were doing.  Cooking, working out, in the mix of conversation.  You were far beyond the skills and personality of a two year old.  I could have sworn you were at least three.

We celebrated you turning two with friends, more friends and family:

Some of the things you loved at two were:

Music.  Whether it was guitar with daddy, drums, singing or just playing music in the house or car. You LOVED music and you were not shy to perform.

Golf.  You had a few different sets of golf clubs, mainly toy clubs at the time.  You were happy just running around the house or yard hitting practice balls constantly.

Your buddies.  You loved, loved, loved, your friends at this age.  Playdates, time at the park.  And you and Nolan.  There's a special bond there.  I can't wait to see what you two are like 30 years from now.

At two you were running fast and learning even faster.  Your words morphed into sentences that morphed into questions.  And your humor and personality were really starting to shine.  You were also starting to show your serious and studious side.

We had no idea what life would continue to bring us but when you were two, we couldn't imagine it getting any sweeter.  And then you continued to grow...

The Big ONE

It's been over a month since our last post and it's been over two months since Asher's actual birthday party and I'm just now sitting down to post about it.  The bigger Asher gets the more I want to soak up every moment because it's going by so fast.  Things like blog posts and laundry wait a little longer these days.

On Saturday, January 28th at 4pm, we celebrated Asher's first birthday with a house full of friends and family.  I spent hours the month before preparing and planning and loved every minute of it.  It was a great excuse to be creative with Callie (my BFF :)) and an awesome way to reflect over the last year.

The theme was flight, including airplanes, transforming our house into an airport and a plane themed birthday cake to boot - made by the one and only, Auntie Shana.

*Most of the paper decor, compliments of CallieB Designs.

I took a picture of Asher each month, on the same blanket to watch him grow!

Goody bags for the guest, collected at baggage claim.

Bomber jacket, compliments of Great Aunt Patti and Uncle Steve,  shades compliments of the Newtons.
Ready to fly!

Our tiniest party-goer, Ms. Quinn!

Asher was walking a couple weeks before his birthday and here he is, showing off his skills!

Singing Happy Birthday! 

YUM!

These three babies were all born within a week of each other!  Good friends (babies and mommies :))

And Nolan and Asher are almost exact three months apart.  True buds.

We had close to 40 people in our little house and while there was some debate as to whether hosting that large of a crowd was the best idea, I have to say the chaos was amazing.  If you go back up to the picture of Austin and I giving Asher his cake, there's something missing from that shot.  Our point of view.  From where we sat, picture more than 30 people huddled in our kitchen, singing Happy Birthday to our little man.  Our hearts were full and we are blessed.  It was a pretty cool moment.

While the decorations were a blast to create and I loved making some of the snacks, my favorite part of all the prep was taping pictures to our empty dining room wall.  There were over two hundred and I smiled each time I pressed one into place.  I left them up for a month after the party, until they started falling down on their own.  To see Asher grow before my eyes absolutely took my breath away.  Reliving moments of his first year through photographs is something I will cherish forever.

Asher, at one year you surprise us every day with your growth.  Walking is no longer enough, you must run wherever you go.  Your list of words multiplies each morning you wake up.  You have become our buddy, that likes to go where we go and do what we're doing and I can't tell you how much we enjoy every minute of it.  We love you, Boo Boo.