Happy Birthday Elijah, Love mimi and grandpa

Happy 5^th Birthday, Elijah!

It’s really hard for Grandpa and me to believe that you are 5 years old now!  You have added a lot of joy to our lives over the past 5 years.  We have felt blessed this year that we have seen you 3 different times.  Soon after your 4^th birthday, your family packed up and flew out to California for Christmas.  We were very excited for you to come.

You arrived on December 23, 2015 and helped us decorate a little Christmas tree.  Christmas Eve was so fun.  You baked cookies with Aunt Julie to leave out for Santa.  You met your California cousins, Hana, Fiore, and Blume Boatman along with their dog, Buddy.  All 6 of you, kids dressed up to act out the Christmas story.  You played Joseph and did such a great job. Christmas morning you discovered that Santa had left you a Millennium Falcon from Star Wars.  You were pretty excited.  You loved all the presents you got.  But you really giggled when you gave me a funny present…a Fart Blaster!  What?

You were able to stay a week at Christmas and we had fun.  We sang Christmas carols, made a Gingerbread house, and played Pie Face. You did not want to play because you might get whip cream in the face! We went out to our friends’ house at Stout Farms and you and Maddie got to ride horses. You loved it!  We also went to Auburn to visit Grandma and Grandpa Adamson.  You helped them pick lemons from their tree.  You also got to go see Star Wars at the theater while Mimi babysat Maddie and Nolan. Uncle Bryant gave you some lessons on shooting his 22 rifle and you hit the target! You loved to take walks with Grandpa through the orchards. Before we knew it, it was New Year’s Eve.  You helped us celebrate with a fun dinner and New Year’s Eve toasts!  Then it was time for bed and you flew home to Tennessee the next day.

We loved skyping with you and your family each Sunday during the year but we were very excited when you drove out to California in July to visit us for 2 weeks.  We packed a lot of fun into that visit.  We had campfires and made s’mores.  We had a barbecue and fireworks for the 4^th of July. We went to the Ward barbecue where you got to ride horses again and play games and swim. We celebrated Mimi’s birthday, your Mommy’s birthday, and Nolan’s birthday! We went to the beach and Uncle Bryant helped you boogie board for the first time. I loved reading books to you as well as playing games, painting treasure maps, being detectives and solving mysteries.

After you went to Boise, Idaho to visit your Eaton cousins, we met up with you in Provo, Utah for your cousin Kasette’s baby blessing on July 24, 2016.  We especially enjoyed going to Temple Square with you and your family.  You really enjoyed learning about the pioneers. You have always been a boy who likes to learn about the gospel.  You loved sitting and looking at the statue of Jesus in the Visitor’s Center. Before we knew it, we were kissing and hugging you good bye again as you headed on home to Tennessee.  Along the way home, you got to visit Mt. Rushmore, Winter’s Quarters, and Nauvoo.  You loved it all.

Your Mimi retired from teaching school so Grandpa and I were able to drive to Tennessee to visit you during your school break in October. It was fun to spend a week with you.  We had a campfire and made s’mores (we really like that, don’t we?).  We gathered acorns and watched you on your trampoline.  You rode your bikes and ran around the yard like crazy! I loved going to your Karate class and watching you learn from your Sensei.

Our most fun time I think was at the Safari Park.  We fed those crazy animals!  It was kind of scary when those ostriches put their big heads in the window to try to steal more food!  Remember when the camel grabbed the bucket of food right out of Grandpa’s hands and gulped all of the food right down? We were also kind of brave and fed carrots to the giraffe.  Yuck! He licked my fingers!  Ha ha!

We loved going out to dinner so we could have some of those famous Chips and Cheese that you kids all love!  But we really had a great time at your Nana and Poppa’s house.  They had dinner for us and then Poppa gave us all a hayride through his fields.  That was super fun!  We loved seeing your school and your classroom but we hated saying goodbye again.  We live too far away from each other.

You are a wonderful boy, Elijah!  You are silly sometimes but I love your imagination.  I love that you are learning the gospel and singing Primary songs.  I’m glad that you have friends and cousins to play with.  We love your hugs and kisses.  You have brought so much happiness to Grandpa and me.

Have a very Happy 5^th Birthday! 

May the Force be with you!

                                                                                                    

 Love,

Mimi & Grandpa Adamson

Nov. 30, 2016

Happy Birthday Elijah

I am constantly in awe that I was blessed to your mom. It's hard to believe it's been 5 years since your daddy handed you to me and I was officially a mom. You have brought me more joy than I ever imagined. You've also caused more frustration than I ever thought possible from such a small person. Lately, you've been such a little stink! You have a smart mouth and love to aggravate. I'm going to be honest in these letters each year. I won't lie and pretend you're always an angel. With that being said, you do have some very sweet qualities. You still ask me to cuddle you and to hold you. You say the sweetest things. A couple months ago we had the misfortune to lose a baby in my tummy. I was so sad and you were too. You finally looked at me and said, I know why our baby had to die. Then you said because it wanted to wait and come with our other baby next time. I like hearing your logic. And when I was the saddest, you tried so hard to cheer me up. I love that about you!
You go to school everyday and you really love your teacher, Ms. Kim. She is so nice and you say pretty. You've made some really good friends too. Madelynn goes 2x a week with you. I love that you take care of her at school. On her first day she started crying at lunch so you went and said, there there, you are okay. School is fun. Ms. Kim said you always help Madelynn when she is sad. I imagine you'll always be a good big brother and protect all your younger siblings. We also bring home a little boy in your class 3 days a week who has down syndrome. You are so good with him and gentle. So while you are a stink, you are a tender little stink.
I love you so much Elijah. I couldn't imagine my world without you. You bring so much happiness to my world. You are so smart and ask a billion questions. Sometimes I don't know the answer to them but we look them up together. I've loved watching you grow and learn the past few years, I look forward to watching you learn and grow the rest of my life.
Heavenly Father knew to send you first because you are the best big brother in the world. He knew that you would forgive me for all the mommy mistakes I make. He knew you would patiently help me to navigate mother.
Always know that I am here for you. No matter what, I am your mother. I want what is best for you. I will fight silent battles with you. And I will fight the loud ones too.  I will be by your side. Your father and I take it seriously that we are to teach you all you need to know on the earth to return to your Heavenly Father. I want us to be an eternal family. You won't always like the lessons you have to learn. I hate to say it, but life is hard and has a lot of setbacks. But we are here to help you overcome all of them. We are here to push, or pull you, forward when you need it. And I know you'll do the same for us. And when you are sad, I'll dry your tears the same way you've recently dried mine.
I wish words could convey love. Because I love you so big.
Love your mommy.

According to you:
You currently want to be an army man.
Your favorite color is red and green.
Your favorite show is star wars.
Your favorite game is operation
Your favorite toy is darth vader bear.
Your favorite boy is star wars rebel.
You are really good at running
Your best friend is Elise.
You want to vacation to England.
Favorite ice cream is chocolate.
Your wish is to fly.
Your hero is superman.
Your favorite thing to do with your friends is to play pirates.
Your favorite holiday is Christmas.
Your favorite person in the whole world is mommy.
Your favorite TV show is Star Wars Clone wars.
Your favorite song is A Long time Ago (I know that my Savior loves me). 
 If you had $1000 you would be a star wars bike.