Five Years Later

On September 6th, 2008 I went into the hospital with some minor bleeding.  Kasey and I played travel Scrabble and ate muffins we had picked up on the way.  We thought we would be checked out and sent home within an hour.  Little did we know that this date would become etched in our hearts forever.  

Five years later, on the anniversary of that day, I drove home from work with my boys trying to explain to Logan how much the date meant to me.  I told him how scared I was that he would be born WAY too early and very sick.  He simply said, "Don't be worried mommy, I'm not sick."  And he isn't!!  Prayers were answered and the worry was taken away!  

This year we celebrated our tough little ninja!  It was the only year we have had a non-car/truck party since his first birthday.  We had an action packed day!  Logan's friend Alli was celebrating her birthday the same day as his!  So we headed to Cosmic Jump where the kids literally bounced off the (trampoline) walls!  Then we headed home to begin the Ninjago event!

Kasey and I gave Logan a Ninjago book that is also a Lego set.  It is a tradition that each year our kids get a book that has their picture in it, the invitation we sent out, a questionnaire, and signatures of the people who helped celebrate with us.  He also received a special surprise for later that evening, tickets to Sporting KC!!

 When we arrived at the Samurai Club, Logan was outfitted with an authentic ninja suit!  Although it wasn't blue like his favorite ninja, Jay, he was happy to sport Kai's color!  He was excited to see one of his closest friends Lilly come in the door!

Then he demonstrated his mastery of Spinjitzu!

 We even had some ninja balloons watching over our training.

 The goody bags were filled with an inflatable sword, a Lego Club magazine, minifigure crayons and a Ninjago coloring book.  We also made a personalized ninja headband for each of our friends!

It was so fun celebrating our big guy!  

 Watch out Serpentine and Skullkins, Master Logan is ready for you!

 Alli may look like a sweet, innocent princess but watch out!  She is one tough cookie!

 Nicholas dominated ninja training!

 Cake baker, headband sewer, and NINJA!  Grandma B. even learned a thing or two!

 The kids were very disciplined with their Sensei.

 Logan and his fellow ninjas were ready for class to begin!

 Master Logan even got to help lead the class.

Hi-YAH!!

 In this exercise the kids had to duck, jump, and move out of the way to avoid the sword (that foam sword would cause our first meltdown of the party!).

 DUCK!

 ROLL!  Logan did an amazing double somersault to impress the Sensei.

 I think the kids favorite part of the party was the obstacle course.  They first had to use a wooden sword to chop through a paper that represented old Japanese doors.

 Then they ran across a balance beam...

 rolled across a mat...

 chopped through a board...

 and avoided a sword!

 They wrapped up their training with a recap of all the skills they had learned.

 Then it was onto the cake...

 or cakeS!!

 Logan blew out the candle in one breath!

 Then got to cut his cake with a REAL Samurai sword!

 It was a yummy treat after all of their hard work!

 Logan surprised Easton by sharing all of his birthday balloons with him!  He was very excited!

 He was so happy to get lots of great gifts!  He wanted to open them all right then but mom and dad said that it was time to rest before the big soccer game.  He had other plans though, no nap for him!

 At the game he was a bit uncooperative when I asked to get a picture with him and Papooli...

 This is the best we got...

 His attitude quickly turned around as Sporting KC scored goal, after goal, after goal!  Initially he was sad that his favorite player, Kai, had been traded.  He decided that his new favorite player is C.J. Sapong and he was thrilled when he scored one of Sporting's goals!  

On September 10th, 2008 we welcomed our 2lb. 12oz baby into the world 3 months too soon.  He was a tough, determined, feisty little man and continues that reputation today!

This is the first time I saw Logan.  Kasey had taken pictures in the NICU and brought the camera to me so I could "meet" my son.

Today we celebrated our 50 lb. 5-year-old dude!  One of the many reasons I love my job is because I get to hang out with my guy.  Today I got to bring treats to him and his classmates!

After school we headed home for a much needed nap!  After resting we headed out to find the perfect bike with Grandma B!  Then it was off to Chuck E. Cheese to play games, eat pizza, and hang out with some friends.  Logan had a great time but we might have stayed just a few minutes too long!

When we got home Logan had another surprise waiting for him!  Kasey had set up an American Ninja Warrior course for Logan to complete.  First he had to run across the quintuple steps (or dining room chairs!)... 

shoot balls into a laundry basket (little brother E pitched in too!)... 

through the tunnel of doom... 

 downstairs to shoot the ninjas that were sneaking into our house, over the couch, back upstairs, into his room!  He was the fastest ninja we had ever seen complete the course so he won the grand prize...

 PRESENTS!!!  He was so excited to finally get a few Ninjago spinners!  He also got a Ninjago book and Ninjago clothes from Grandma and Papi.

Happy birthday was sung over a yummy ice cream cake. 

Soon afterward we headed to bed to tuck in a VERY sleepy, snuggley, 5-year-old (*sniff*)!  Happy birthday Logan James!