Peter's birthday...

You could say that Peter's birthday celebration started the Saturday before his birthday, since that was the day Daddy made it home and stuck his head around the corner of our screened in porch, haha :). We were thrilled, especially since we had thought that he would only be able to make it back for a day or two. He ended up staying until Wednesday :).
Peter's birthday, which I said was on that Wednesday, was actually that Tuesday, the 23d, haha :). (Am I great with dates, or what?!) ;) Mommy and Daddy's original plans were to go strawberry picking, but the strawberry farm wasn't open that day, so we chose to go take a picnic lunch and take a hike over the old Peak railroad :).

 On the road as we head out to celebrate his birthday :).

 Daddy and the birthday boy :)...

 

 Here I am taking a picture of Tori taking a

 picture of Daddy taking a picture of me taking 

a picture of Tori... haha! It gets better every year ;).

 Birthday boy :)!

 No, she wasn't taking the show for a

 while there, why do you ask ;)?

 Behind the scenes ;).

Ready to see what is on the other side of the fence :).

I thought the whole train aspect fit for a boy's birthday, even if he doesn't know it yet ;). Even if there was no train around ;). The railroad was destroyed in 1876 to stop Sherman's men on their route, but was re-built in 1904. Now it is being included in a trail that will, Lord willing, cover SC from the upper west corner, to the lower east corner! It was a lot of fun, and it was beautiful, not too hot, either, which was a blessing :).

The rails happen to be over a river ;). Some of us 

happen to be afraid of both heights and water. 

And yet, we all enjoyed it :)!

 Love :)!!!

 I love getting to be with my siblings all the time!

 This is really pretty :)...

 Birthday boy photo shoot :).

 Emmi wanted so badly to see turtles, but they 

just looked like rocks to her, poor baby...

 First time standing on a bridge, let alone an old train rail path ;)!

 Love her :).

I believe that is a Pearly Crescent, but I could be wrong. 

Daddy helped me with this one, if I hadn't cropped 

it you would see that his hand was three inches away,

holding up a leaf :).

When we arrived home, we started making Peter's birthday cake, a very special one :). It was so much fun! I'll share a picture later :)...
Daddy and Abbi and Emmi then went out to get the pizza for supper. Peter was happy to play with a balloon for a while, while Tori and Mommy decorated the house for his actual "cake and presents party", but was more than ready to eat by the time the pizza got here...

 "Little Brother" loved the balloons :).

See? They haven't even made it home yet, 

and he sat himself down ;).

Peter then opened his gifts, and he loved all of it! We have never seen a one year old get so into his birthday before, haha! He played with every toy as it came out of the paper, peeking into the packages when Mommy asked what was in the next one... He was adorable! I was thrilled when he loved the lamb I knit him (inspired going off the bible verse "He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep." John 21:17 :).). We are joking it was because I worked on the pieces in front of him, and he caught me once while I was sewing it together, haha ;)! He asked for it every time, so we guess he was thrilled he finally got his hands on it and I didn't hide it ;).

 Cards :)!

 "I get to tear it with permission?!!!!"

 "Help me out here...'

 "Aha! That is a perfect fit!"

 What is this?"

 

"I really think...

...that I am excited!" ;)

 The first in our family to own a smartphone ;).

 Look at his little hands putting the nails where they go :)...

Concentrating very hard :).

He equally enjoyed his "cake"... this little boy wouldn't eat more that a couple bites of solid food at a meal just a month ago, but he finished off almost all of this "smash cake" that evening. He LOVED it! Although some of us had pound cake, also, he thought that his first taste of watermelon was the best thing in the world, and needed nothing else!!!

 Isn't this neat?!

 A TRUE "Fruit cake" :)...

 Peter's own little "smash cake" ;).

 Excited :)!

 He is too funny...

 ...and adorable :).

 We hung this monkey on the back of Abbi's chair for her 

"monkey birthday" last year, and I think it has been on

every birthday person's chair since then :)...

 Looking up to Bethi :)...

It was a wonderful day, spent celebrating a precious, precious gift from God, with the whole family together, and lots of fun and laughter :). Love this little boy...