Brody's 8th Easter Birthday

In 2019, Brody's birthday at the end of April fell just a week after Easter.  Because we had just celebrated Easter and it was fresh on his mind, he requested a bunny cake for his birthday cake.  Done!  Mommy made him a yummy chocolate on chocolate bunny cake complete with a masculine blue bow tie.  Eddie said my bow tie looked like a 1980s tuxedo but whatever.  Brody also got to choose what we did for his birthday while his big brother was away for Spring Break.  He chose putt-putt.  The day of his birthday fell on a Monday which is kids' night at our local Mellow Mushroom so we invited some friends to join us for make your own pizza night.  I think Brody had lots of fun celebrating his birthday over the course of several days.  Brody has always loved birthdays and just enjoys celebrating with decorations, balloons, and cake.  He doesn't usually care about presents very much although he does love a brightly wrapped package as much as anyone.  Brody has been such a wonderful gift to all of us since he was born as our biggest baby and was named the "best baby in the world" by his big brother Evan.  I remind Evan of that all the time these days when he acts like he doesn't like Brody.  Haha! 

Bunny cake for the 8 year old. 

Such a handsome 8 year old. 

Singing the birthday song and blowing out his candle.  

Everyone enjoyed the cake, but Mattox loved it the most and licked his plate clean.  Haha! 

Brody loved eating lunch at the Salty Dog Cafe on the way to play putt-putt on Hilton Head Island. 

We are limited in our putt-putt choice here, but this one has been a favorite.  The boys got put in the stocks. 

Then, they put Mom and Dad in them.  

Grayson refused to go in the stocks and preferred to play putt-putt instead. 

Mommy taught Grayson to play, and Brody showed us his expert skills. 

Mommy and Grayson

Mattox was pretty adept too. 

Pictures of the birthday boy with his pirate pal. 

Daddy helped Grayson.  

Mommy takes over driving the pirate ship. 

Grayson helped me steer. 

Just some of the fun pirate decor around the course.  Some poor man was hung in the tree and another had to walk the plank.  Pirate deaths are harsh.  

Putting professionals. 

Uh oh, Brody got in trouble again and landed in the stocks.  

I love those boys!  Parenting them really is a dream come true.  

I played this time while Daddy watched baby Maggie. 

Celebrating a good game. 

I even got a hole-in-one.  

Mattox was very serious about his putting. 

Grayson was a little upset when his ball disappeared on the final hole.  Ooops! 

Brody hanging with his two girlfriends, Ava and Amelia, and making his own pizza. 

The girls had not experienced this treat before.  Eddie helped them because the mothers were talking.  

Taking a group picture with the minion was a must.  

It was a fun birthday.  8 is great! 

Brody and the Steelers {Football 2018}

Brody played his first season of little league football this fall.  Yes, it was tackle football.  We weren't sure how the season would play out for him since Brody is not an aggressive or even athletic kid.  He has tried baseball and soccer and didn't really love either one.  We knew football would be tough on him physically, but we wanted to give it a chance.  Practices were tough for him at first because they expect a lot of the kids, and it is still very hot this time of year.  He learned to work through the heat and exhaustion and also learned to be more aggressive as he learned to tackle his opponent.  He never gave up.  Brody was one of the youngest players on his team, but he was comparable in size to most players.  He learned to play on the defensive line usually near the center where he was paired against some bigger players on the opposition.  Surprisingly, Brody really enjoyed the challenge and wanted to play another year.  It may have helped that Brody was on a good team with good coaches who gave him plenty of playing time.  They were an undefeated team and won their final championship game.  It was such a fun season for him!

Brody was such a handsome Steeler. 

He takes the field. 

Going head to head against his larger opponent. 

Getting a pep talk from his coaches. 

Grayson liked watching big brother play. 

That's my boy!  Go #1!

Run, Brody, Run!

Big brother Evan helped him with his helmet and gave him some advice.   He had his own personal coach. 

He cheered from the sidelines when he wasn't on the field. 

You can keep up with Brody on the field by his red shoes and his #1 jersey.  He was also one of the smallest kids on his team this year.  

One of the only times Brody got knocked down.  He learned quick and was ready the next snap. 

Go get 'em, Brody! 

Our #1 is ready for another game.

Down...set...hike!

Winning 27 to 0 was the normal for this team. 

He was very proud of himself. 

He got to help with the coin toss this game. 

Getting a snack after the game was probably his favorite part. 

His sweet friend got to cheer for him this game. 

Go Steelers! 

Steelers versus Falcons.  Yep, the Steelers won. 

Brody was a fighter.  Not bad for my little Ferdinand the bull. 

I love watching him in action.  This sport really clicked for him. 

Go Steelers Defense!  We were ready for our championship game. 

Brody and his team took home the first place trophies. 

A solid victory at 24 to 0.  Evan's cheerleader was proud of him.  Her uniform even matched their team.  Our town's main team colors are black and gold.  All of our schools share the same colors and mascot.