Micah is seven!

I wanted to get a picture of Micah on his 7th birthday so we went outside and it was freezing!  He was so not interested and for some reason, maybe this age? he had a really hard time giving me a genuine smile.  Like he just couldn't and the harder he tried the harder it became.  Not to mention he was freezing!  I kept trying and kept trying and I think the pressure mounted and when we went inside he actually started crying because he couldn't smile real.  I felt so terrible for making him cry!  He really wants to please...

I asked him what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday and his daddy kindly offered him a suggestion, which just happened to be one of his own favorites, oreo ice cream cake.  Much to his daddy's delight Micah decided that yes, he would like an oreo ice cream cake.  I was happy too because I just left oreos out of part of it and it was gluten free!  Yeah!  We went to Whole Foods the next day and a lady that worked there asked him how old he was and he said 7 and I told her that he had just had a birthday.  Micah piped in, "Yeah!  It was oreo!"  So funny, how he associates the cake with his birthday so much.  What is this food obsession?  Do all kids have it?  All mine do!

So we had cake and sang to him and then he opened a few presents.  Then he had to wait a few days for his big birthday surprise.  We planned a trip to take him and his friend Tony to spend the night in Chattanooga, take a boat ride on the Chattanooga River and go to his favorite place, the Aquarium!  It was crazy and exhausting but fun at the same time.  I think Micah had a great time...

My kids love staying in hotels and they love going to hotel pools.  This was Benjamin's first time in a pool and the water was fairly cold but he still seemed to like it!  Do you see Andrew grabbing on to Micah for dear life?  He is still pretty new to swimming and is not real comfortable in the water yet.

It seemed the whole time Micah and Tony were together they played, "Rock, Paper, Scissors---Shoot!"

Buddies!

Micah at the front of the Southern Belle...

We got to go in and sit in the (warm) cabin where the captain drives the ship.  I think this was the funnest part for the boys!

Tony!  Isn't he adorable?

We ended up going into a lower level of the boat where it was so cold!  I love this cool picture of Micah looking out the window...

I'm pretty sure that the captain of the ship said that these were Heron's and their nests.  So cool!

Does anyone know what animal built these nests?  Swallows?

The aquarium!

Benjamin enjoyed his time in the ergo...

and slept most of the time we were there...  so sweet....

Going to the butterfly pavilion is always a highlight.... nothing like the wonder of a butterfly sitting on your finger...