Damen's 9th Birthday

Our Damen turned 9 today! Where has the years gone by? He wanted to hear the story of his birth the other night and I sat telling it, feeling like it was just yesterday. Damen was our first, in a way our little Guinea pig (poor guy). We feel like we have great successes with him but other times we feel like we are failing him with him being the first and our experimental child. But going back to his birth, we were four days past his due date and with him being our first we decided to just be induced. So know this we went out to dinner the night before for one last dinner without kids. Then at six in the morning they called us to go down to the hospital (UVRMC). We got there they hooked me up and we proceeded to watch movies and sleep for the next few hours. They broke my water at 11 then shortly after I got an epidural then we waited some more until 5:15 when they checked and I was ready to go. They got all set up and had me start to push (I only pushed 6-7 times). I remember watching Steve when he saw Damen's dark hair, the amazement the pride, the emotion, I still remember the excitement. Then when they placed him on my chest and all the emotion that filled me and flooded from me and was exchanged between Steve and me. Only those who have experienced it would understand. But we were so happy to have a healthy baby boy. He was 8 lbs. 12 oz. 21 1/2" long, with lots of dark perfectly combable hair. He was perfect and to be honest still is, only falls short a few times!

Damen really is a great kid. He is such a helper and very concerned for others. He's a worker, loves to work always has. He's a thinker. From the time he was little little was asking deep questions. One I remember was "Dad if your my Dad and I'm your son and someday I will be a Dad and You also have a Dad so you are a son, then Heavenly Father has a son, Jesus, so is he also a son and has a Dad?" What 3 year old asks these questions? Well our Damen always has and still does. Oh we love him! He's so good with his sibling and is more than willing to help with them and most the time without me asking he just sees what needs done or who needs help and does it without being asked. How could a parent ask for more? We can't

So this was the year that Damen got a party. He know what he wanted for his cake a football cake with the Indianapolis Colts on it. So that's what a great kid gets. He loved it and I was happy with how it turned out too. Though he informed me that the lettering was white with blue around it and not like I did it (I guess I don't know my football fields).

The invitations had been out for a week but I had no idea what I was going to do for the party until about 2 hours before. We decided to do "Minute to Win it"Games (it's a TV show)

Here the kids are stacking apples

Here the kids are with strings tied to a Popsicle stick and then draped up over their ears, trying to elevate a candy corn into their mouth (it's harder than you think). We played lots more but the kids were mainly interested in playing football so we ended the games early and let them just have at it after presents and the cake.

However right before the party I got a call from Natalie. She told me that her brother had 2 tickets to a Bronco's game but they couldn't use them because the had to attend a funeral and asked if we wanted them. We snatched them up and couldn't wait to tell Damen. So when we were going to open presents Steve gave Damen the option of all the presents from his friends or this one present that had a piece of paper in it. His friends convinced him to open the one from us and let's just say he wasn't disappointed. See for yourself! (we did let him have the ones from his friends)

So the rest of the night Steve and Damen were on the computer planning out their trip on Saturday. He's not too disappointed, in fact he's excited, to miss the Primary Program on Sunday. But he didn't have a part anyway, so why not! Oh no one has seen two boys that are more excited for a vacation.

Happy Birthday Damen! We Love You!