Nathan - 3!

Nath talked about having a "fire-truck" birthday for about 363 days before it actually took place (and that's only a slight hyperbole).  As of last Thursday, the fire truck birthday is a thing of the past.

The birthday boy enjoying a chocolate ice cream cone a few days prior to the big day.

Admiring his birthday cards and stickers that came in the mail from great-grandparents, grandparents, and aunts and uncles (note the necessary fire-truck shirt).

Cake!



This is Nath's new fake smile - cracks his dad right up.
Nathan was so excited about the fire engine cake that he never gave a thought to gifts...he's got older siblings, though, and they busied themselves in the laundry room with the door shut for a while before emerging with this green birthday banner and several packages...

 one of which held this boat crafted from felt and Styrofoam.

 Here are all his birthday treasures and the Very Useful Box he received to put them in.

 From the grown-ups he got a "real" fishing pole - see how high it reaches!

We went fishing at North Lake Park that very afternoon.

(Nate's a dandy little caster...whenever he had to wait for Daddy to help Willem or manage his own line, Nate kept busy reeling in and then, Whiz, casting right back out again.  He kept Daddy ducking!  ;-)

Here are a few more peeks at the baby you've maybe noticed crawling around (photos by Leah).

 Where's Will?  Also fishing, of course.  He caught the only two fish of the day.

 I think I have a photo of each of our children in a swing.  Eli's turn.

The day ended with each of the kids chipping in 75 cents of their spending money to buy us all a ride on the North Lake Park train.  All-aboard!

Fire-trucks, fishing poles, and a family train ride!
What a fun birthday!
We love you, Nathan!