Evan, his party, and more...

We had a party with several family members here at the house, and it was great. Simple, fun, and beautiful weather that allowed us to be outside much of the time! I only wish I had taken a group picture.

Pretty professional looking cake, eh?

Okay, so I tried to plan the party time around when Evan is usually happy and awake. And he was...until it was cake time. He really started to melt at that point. And that is why A)he looks drunk (he seriously was nodding off as he was eating his cake) and B)the other kids got to open his presents while he sat happily eating cake.

Reflecting on Evan’s first year…Let’s just say that it’s a good thing I took lots of pictures and wrote a lot of things down. Otherwise, his first year would be largely a blur in my mind.

I remember when I was pregnant with Evan, countless people told me that going from two to three kids was WAY easier than going from one to two. Well, that may be the case for most people, but it was definitely NOT the case for me! The first few months were a big adjustment for me. And it didn’t really have anything to do with Evan himself; he was a great baby. It was just the fact that there were now THREE of them! All at different stages, all with different needs, and all with a mom who is way too much of a perfectionist and too hard on herself. In the end, Evan coming along grew me in many ways. It created a greater need AND desire to lean on God. I think I talked about this before…He is sufficient. And I am so lacking. This year has also grown me in the area of patience – something I struggle with. Yes, kids teach patience, better than anything else in the world! And lastly, it taught me that sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself (and/or your family) is lower your expectations and give yourself a break. The house doesn’t have to be perfectly clean, dinner can be super simple, it’s totally okay if other people witness your kids at their less-than-best, and needing a break every once in a while does not make you a bad mom. I’m guessing that this lowering of expectations is a hard thing for many, many moms out there, especially type-A’s like me. But it can be a really good thing. Nothing is more important than spending time with your kids and living an example of love.

Evan is truly such a joy. We have way too many videos of him giggling at the silliest things – I love how easy it is to make him laugh! Evan is also a go-getter, and when he sees something he wants, he goes for it. He’s our snuggler – many times a day when we pick him up, he’ll automatically lay his head down on our shoulder and wriggle his arms between himself and whoever’s holding him. If he wasn’t so heavy, I’d hold him all day! I love those moments. It is so much fun watching their personalities develop and see how each of our kids are so different, yet also the same in other ways.

I can’t wait to see what God has in store for Evan’s life! We love you, buddy, more than we know how to say.