Eli is 3!!

The birthday boy!!

Demonstrating his cleanliness...

Jacob was handed every scrap of paper so as not to make a mess.

My 3 year old super hero :)

I'm the mom of a three year old! I can't believe that Eli is such a big boy and that we've now celebrated two special birthdays with him - that's more than he had away from us. Soon he will be home longer than he was not...so excited for that day, too. My favorite Eli things...

• I love how sweet he is with Mika. He gets so excited when he sees her, runs up to her, smiles real big, and says, "Oh! Baby Mika, she's so cute!"
• He LOVES being the leader and when we go for walks together, he has to be in front of the girls and I. He turns around every few steps and waves his hands at us and says, "follow me!"
• His eyes and his smile light up a room. Seriously.
• He says, "Mmmm!" after every bite of something he loves...birthday cake = BIG hit!
• He is a GREAT big brother and looks after Maci. He always makes sure she has something to play with and eat when he does, and if someone hugs or kisses him, he makes sure she's offered the same love.
• He is chatty Kathy!! This boy talks and talks and talks...he's learned so much since he came home and he's finally feeling confident with his 'big boy words' and is so proud to announce, "that's a school bus, mommy" or "I ate chicken and carrots and potatoes wif dinner" - anything he can think to share, he does.
  
• I melt when he says, "I want to cuddle you" (unless it's to postpone going to bed).
• His super awesome dance moves.
  
• The way he repeats silly things DJ says and then laughs and laughs because daddy laughs.
• That he FREQUENTLY remembers his manners without being reminded.
  
• The way his face lights up when he's being a 'big helper'.
• How organized he is - noticed it from day one and it hasn't changed a bit.
  
• The way he comes to tell me if he's gotten dirty or fallen down - "I fell down mommy, but I okay" and "Maci got dirt on me, but I okay."
• The way he wrestles with Maci...they giggle and giggle and giggle (usually until someone gets hurt and cries).
• How much he loves swinging really high and counting the airplanes that go by.
  
• I love how excited he gets about going to church to "play with his friends and Jesus."
• The way he can NOT get or give kisses anywhere but the lips. DJ gave him a kiss on the head the other day and Eli said, "Not kiss my hair, daddy. Kiss my face" and pointed to his lips.
  
• How sometimes he puts his pants on backwards and then tries to turn them around without taking them off again.
• The way he holds Maci's hand when they are walking from his room to hers.
• That his favorite song is Jingle Bells and when he sings it, it goes "jingle bell, jingle bell. You sing it, mommy."
• The leaves he brings me as a special, beautiful surprise.
• How smart he is!! He can say and identify all of the letters in the alphabet and count to 11.
• That he does exactly what he's told 99.9% of the time. He's a GREAT influence for Maci ;-)
• That he's mine!! I love living life with Elias Temesgen!!
  

Eli, you are more precious to me than you will ever know. I love being your mommy and I'm so thankful God put us together forever. I'm so excited to watch you be three!! :)

The sweetest son a mommy could ask for!!