Happy Birthday Blaze!

Today is St. Nicholas Day and Blaze's 8th birthday.

It doesn't really seem to me like it should be eight years already, but look how much he's grown:


Blaze and I on his first birthday:



Blaze now:



Since he wants a Christmas tree themed birthday, we have lots of Christmassy things planned for today, many of which our community is providing and all we have to do is show up.
Santa Claus will be visiting our common room at noon and refreshments will be provided (there are advantages to living in married-student housing. The University provides family events like this).
Then we plan to go find a Christmas tree and spend the afternoon decorating it, listening to Christmas music, eating finger foods and cake, and opening birthday presents.
This evening, the city is having a big tree lighting celebration with music and refreshments and with the mayor and Santa arriving by horse drawn carriage.

I baked Blaze's birthday cake last night. He had asked for a big cake plus cupcakes, so this is what I came up with to go with his Christmas tree theme:







In honor of Blaze's birthday, I would like to share one of my favorite Blaze moments that was captured on film during the past year.

We were canoeing at Alexander Springs. Blaze's oldest sister, Ula, is paddling in front of him.