More bday

We brought home the decorations from Grandpa's house and kept the party going!:)

It is hard for me to swallow the fact that we have a 7 year old, but the fact remains that we do! Henry has matured so much over the past year, and he is really a sweet, kind-hearted kid. I'll try to put a bit below about him. For his actual Bday (a Tuesday which means a long school day), we opened gifts as a family (he got new golf clubs bc he had outgrown his, balls, silly string, yarn, a puzzle, and a model car for him and Steven to put tghr), and we went out to get ice cream (Oreo-his fave!). It was a good time.

-He didn't really have anything he wanted for his bday and said the thing he wanted I probably wouldn't get him. I coaxed him to tell me what, and he finally said a baby brother:) I told him he was right, probably not, but God was ultimately in charge of that so you never know! Sweet boy. After thinking some more, he came up with yarn, a calendar, playing cards, and silly string:)
-Henry was baptized in September. He kept bringing it up and asking about it, so we said we would find a time to talk to Peter about it. Then he kept hounding us if we had talked to Peter. We figured we had better act on it if he was basically begging for it! Anyway, Henry has always been very sensitive about spiritual things (was saved just before turning 5) and very much understood its meaning and wanted to be baptized. All of his grandparents came, and Grandma actually baptized him with Peter assisting. We came home afterward for lunch and cake to celebrate. It was a special day, and we are so thankful for his desire to follow God at such a young age.
-Henry played basketball in winter and did great! Probably his best sports experience so far. Steven assisted and ended up being sole coach more often than he'd planned. But we all had fun going and watching. So many folks started mentioning how much he'd grown in winter-getting taller! And his appetite is bigger now. The kid I never thought would eat doesn't have trouble now! I think some of this physical growth has helped him with confidence in playing sports. He takes golf lessons every other week and has made a lot of progress here, too! It is nice to have a sport we can practice without a team, and he and Steven enjoy hitting balls in the backyard AND shooting hoops in the driveway together.
-We started a behavior/chore payment plan (allowance?) in fall, and it works great. He has loved earning money, and it has been a good way to teach him to tithe and save. Some things he has bought w his money-Hobby Lobby beads and string, then made everyone jewelry. Double-sided markers and a hard sided art book that he is constantly drawing in. Gum packs all his own! And most recently a snow cone maker, 3 flavors, and a pack of cones/straws for it. Big investment! :)
-Henry loves to play games, and card games are kind of a new discovery. He's enjoyed war, Uno, etc. He plays Bubble Gum in a Dish with the girls:) He plays with LEGOS and can get into the zone in his room for hours building. Then sometimes he will go weeks and not touch them. He loves Wild Kratts and Word Girl. He is able to process some real movies now (which I never thought his sensitive side would allow!), so he has seen stuff like LEGO movie, Peter Rabbit, Christopher Robin...there are more, but I can't think! He would rather just watch Wild Kratts than anything, though. 
-I hear him and Annie playing family, and they talk about naming their kids. The names he picks are Chris and Becky (hilarious!). He is awesome to play with is sisters and is a good, gentle friend to them. Oftentimes more gentle than them!
-Henry is such a gift giver. He loves making cards, elaborate crafts, etc, for people. Little holidays like Valentine's and Mothers day (in addition to Christmas of course) are very important to him and he wants to give gifts for them. He bought me yellow flowers (my fave color) for Valentine's day with his own money. He is always in the yard gathering bouquets of flowers and little treasures to give me. He is a sweetheart.
-He loves art and music. The right side of his brain can sometimes go into overdrive! He is also great at math and comprehension/Grammar/handwriting. He would still rather be read to than read, but if we look at his 1st grade year overall, he has had tremendous growth in this area. We are pleased with his progress! He loves to think things through and really understand-and asks so many questions in the process! Jackson in his class has become a good buddy, and evidently they have been planning a play date, so we are making that happen this summer! They've been "designing a rocket" together.

There is SO much more, but I had better stop. We sure do love you, buddy! Can't wait to experience the next year with you and watch you grown. You are a great kid.