Today my family celebrated the birthday of one of its youngest members. Weston, grandson of my sister Linda, and son of my nephew Scott and his lovely wife Nicole, will be two years old tomorrow. Warm weather created the perfect opportunity to move into Scott and Nicole’s big backyard to play, to laugh, to rejoice over this adorable little boy.
Rather than a game of poker, Kaleb and I played blocks. I couldn’t stop smiling over his moustache!
Howdy Ma’am, would you like a cold drink?
Using the theme of Wild, Wild Weston, the house and yard had the feel of the Old West, complete with the bathroom becoming an outhouse and bandanas and moustaches adorning the guests. I loved the Wanted….Reward posters scattered throughout the house, with various cute pics of the birthday boy. I have to say, my eyes filled with tears when I thought about the truth in this clever decoration. Weston was SO wanted by his parents. They waited for this little boy with hearts full of love and hope. When he was born, it was definitely cause for celebration. And joy of joys, Weston now has a baby sister, Lola, who at four months, was an interested onlooker today.
Little sister Lola tries out the pony
We feasted on grilled hot dogs with all the fixings, and gathered in the living room to watch Weston open gifts. He was excited about all his new toys, seriously inspecting each item, ready to play long before the last gift was opened. He has the cutest way of saying “thank you” without really moving his lips. It’s more the intonation of the words, the rise and fall of sound that’s just right so that you know that is what he is saying. With his curly red hair, big brown eyes, and impish smile, he could easily be a toddler model. He is content being his mom and dad’s first born, and Gigi’s only grandson among her four grandchildren. I love the way that his eyes take in everything. He’s a thinker who considers carefully and then he takes action. He will be an awesome big brother to Lola.
The highlight of Weston’s afternoon was the setting up of the gift from his parents, a mini trampoline, surrounded by a safety net and complete with a swing connected to the side. He joined his dad, uncles, and Papa Roy and “Papa” Greg, happy to be in the middle of the action, testing the frame as the guys began set up. Eventually Weston joined the ladies and the other kids indoors, much to his chagrin, while the guys completed the task. It was not an easy job! We joked about how many men does it take to set up a trampoline. It takes a family, apparently. They did a great job and soon Weston had the honor of being the first jumper. I caught a great pic of him as he bounced, body suspended above the trampoline, smile on his face. I foresee many fun hours spent in the backyard this summer.
Go Weston Go!
Meanwhile, the adults sipped cold sodas or iced tea, visited and laughed, and watched some of the older kids play a giant sized Jenga that Jon made. It was such an enjoyable, relaxed afternoon, spent with some of my favorite people on this earth. I am blessed that they also happen to be my family. We sang Happy Birthday as Weston blew out the candles on his strawberry cupcake. Watching him as he had fun, it is hard to believe that a year ago we celebrated his first birthday as he sat in his highchair. So quickly the time flies. The baby has become the toddler and a big brother. He is already busy showing up as the person he was created to be. It will be a joy to watch him journey. Happy, happy birthday Weston!
London jumps on the trampoline
