Turning 5!

Today is our second child’s fifth birthday. Nevin was born on this day 5 years ago partly because it was fall break from seminary for my husband. Nevin’s delivery was induced to keep his size more manageable after big brother weighed in at 9 lbs., 3 oz. So I had some say in when he arrived. The plan was successful, and Nevin weighed in at a much more comfortable 7 lbs., 3 oz. Five years later, one would never guess that he started out 2 pounds lighter than his brother. He is a very solid little boy. He has always had sort of a linebacker look about him. Yet he is a sweet and loving child. Sometimes I get concerned about him feeling lost in the shuffle between a very outgoing older brother and a very self-confident little sister. Nevin is a bit more hesitant about things. But in the last year, he has really come into himself. He enjoys his friends at school and church. He loves playing with his siblings. And, he doesn’t cry about being left at school like he did for the entire first semester of pre-school last year. However, he is still the one of our three children who expresses the most concern when Mark and I leave them with someone else. He always wants reassurance that we will be back. He always tells us how much he missed us when we return. Overall, he seems pretty balanced. We praise God for Nevin and his very meaningful presence in our family’s life.

We headed south to the Dallas area for a presbytery meeting for Mark on Friday. We stayed until yesterday afternoon and celebrated Nevin’s birthday with grandparents and Mark’s brother and sister-in-law. The party was held at Jay’s and Tricia’s house. Tricia and Mark’s mom spent a good bit of time decorating their dining room on Friday, so the setting was quite festive. Mark’s mom also made the SUV cake, and it turned out beautifully (as practically everything Mom sets her hands to does). It was a lot of fun to see the cousins playing together and celebrating a birthday together. This is the first time this has ever been possible, so it was a nice treat. Nevin was quite surprised by all of the fuss. So, Mom and Tricia, I think it was worth it! I can’t thank them enough for making it a such a nice day for Nevin. He is the kind of child who expresses his gratefulness, and he did so often yesterday. He also enjoyed the presents, which he waited for with not-so-much patience. Our three children have enjoyed playing with all the new toys since coming back home last night. But the new lego set has to be dubbed the favorite.

We attended a community lunch today (fundraiser for the local 4-H). Nevin told everyone we met it was his birthday. He also told several of his school friends who we saw there about his great birthday party in Texas. He had a great birthday, and I think we will hear about it for months to come.