Happy Birthday Landon

Happy Birthday Love.

 I hope your 27th year is just as exciting as your 26th.  Your 26th year started in China and ended in California, a few stops in-between, and picked up a baby along the way.  It will be a tough year to top,  but I'm sure we are in for many more adventures this year!   You are amazing and have done so much to make your goals become a reality, your life progress deserves celebrating,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you!

Today Landon woke up to this-

I know, he turned 27, not 7, but I thought it was fun. 

Capri thought making Daddy's cake was fun.

I love how she's trying to hold the spatula with her foot in one of the pictures

Landon had a 3 hour lunch with his co-workers to celebrate his birthday and they also wanted to go out before their boss returns from India on Monday.  Yesterday Landon got to meet the President of Cisco for his birthday, I guess Cisco does a monthly birthday breakfast which is cool.  After Landon finished work, we met up with the Cushman's, Samuelson's, and Hoopers to BBQ at the park.  The Samuelson's are leaving tomorrow to go back to Michagan so we had one lasts good-bye with them.  They have been fun friends and I am so glad we have been able to get to know them and learn from their examples of kindness.  They are another one of those awesome couples that the world is lucky to have! We came  home from the BBQ to open presents and the Landon cuddled with Capri.  Landon is in need of new clothes so hopefully I can talk him into going shopping tomorrow to pick out a few more birthday things.  Landon is so simple and easy going, he doesn't care about clothes and is content wearing the same things until they are about to fall apart.  In fact, I can't remember the last time we went shopping for Landon!  I just wish I could convince him to spend the money on himself.

Above is Landon's birthday treat request: chocolate covered cookie dough

Our friends Jordan and Brooke have inspired me.  They take birthday celebrations serious and have an entire "Birthday Weekend" filled with lots of presents, fun activities, eating out, and friends.  It made me realize that birthdays should be a big deal.   Landon and I have always said we don't need anything special, but let's be honest, who doesn't love a little birthday love and a day all about them?  Your family members are worth celebrating and should feel loved and special everyday, but why not one big celebration too?   Now that we have Capri I've been thinking about the traditions I would like to start and how I can make her childhood birthdays memorable.  I want birthdays to be fun for the birthday boy or girl, but also exciting for the entire family.  Lynn Jackson made up a birthday song for her family and I love it!  The Jacksons also go all out on birthdays by decorating the house (even the outside), making the day all about the birthday person, and each person at the party tells one thing they like about the birthday boy or girl.  I forgot to do that tonight, but I think Landon would have been a little embarrassed.   Last year when we were in China I had a little extra time and wrote a list of 26 reasons to celebrate Landon here and  added number 27 below.

27. I love watching you be a Dad.  It warms my heart to see you put a smile on Capri's face as soon as you're in sight.  She absolutely adores you. I love that you come home for lunch as often as you can just to hold her and squeeze her.  It's apparent that you would do anything for your girls and have been a wonderful Dad in these few short months already.  Your love for her is sweet and you defiantly have something together that no one can touch.

Happy Birthday Landon.... let the birthday festivities continue!