Gabriel is now a whopping 7 years old! It's crazy that it's been 7 years since I became a mother. Poor guy was our guinea pig... as with all first children, it was a lot of trial and error! :) But what a ride so far. Gabe is my buddy. He always has been. He has been there through two more babies, several moves, all the wonderful and exciting changes in our family... there's something special about that. Like he is Eric and I's partner in crime or something! Maybe because he is 3 years older than Nyah. But he is such a great kid. He loves and takes care of his little sister and brother - which includes a fair share of teasing but is there really any other way to be a big brother?! Most of the time he is concocting really fun games and activities for them all to play and they are giggling away. Nyah and Ian don't get how lucky they are to have such a creative and energetic big brother! Gabe is SO incredibly creative. He can build anything - and I mean ANYTHING - out of paper and tape. He sees a movie or reads a book (or is exposed in any way to something that intrigues him) and he is immediately building a recreation or his own invention. Recently it is traps. We have a gopher problem and so he has been involved with our attempts (unfortunately unsuccessful) to exterminate them. So he has been building all kinds of traps from paper, rubberbands, wood, staples, whatever is on hand. They are often elaborate and always well thought out. That boy has a machine for a mind and can design and build anything he wants or makes up. It is amazing! This past week he has spent days outside with his friend next door Cole, rigging the jogging strollers so that they can ride inside them and still steer and use the brake - all with dog leashes! (Our driveways are long and sloping so it's perfect.) Gabe named his stroller Blue Fire and Cole's is Black Ninja. Haha they are so hilarious! Then Gabe added a wagon behind his and started yelling out while he rides "Big rig coming through! CAUTION! Wide turns!!" Every day it's something new. I LOVE seeing what he will come up with next.
He is also such a sensitive soul. He is really starting to empathize and recognize others' feelings. He also comes up with incredibly deep questions and insights about the Gospel and life here on earth. He does not like anything remotely scary or even too adrenaline-inducing. That coupled with the natural phase at his age of following the rules and being uber-fair, he is no wild child! And I'm sure never will be (knock on wood). For being only 7 years old, I feel like he takes up an enormous place in our family and in our hearts. Life is unthinkable without him!
For his birthday this year we did a family bbq at the park which turned our really fun. Gabe had all his cousins to run around with and lots of presents to open (very important at 7)! To explain the purpose of the blue squirrel cake... Gabe loves the movie the Nut Job right now and wanted a squirrel birthday party! Well, since I had no idea how to do a "squirrel party" I made the cake a blue squirrel at least! He loved it.
Happy Birthday Gaber Goose!! We love you bigger than the sky!!
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