Up, Up & Away

Happy Birthday to my favorite (and only) nephew, Ethan!  I cannot believe this little guy is six years old, but already he is such an incredible human being.  I had to miss his pirate birthday party tonight so I could take care of my own fur child and Big Dog, who had been alone all day while I was celebrating my golden birthday a few days early with my girlfriends.  But I (with the help of my parents) was able to give Ethan a pretty special birthday celebration a week early.

Ethan walked into the house last Friday and was normal Ethan.  Then he got up the stairs and saw this:

You may be asking yourself, "What is so exciting about some balloons and sheets thrown across chairs?"  And I would tell you...nothing, unless you think like a five year old who is soon to be six and who has no idea we are celebrating his birthday a week early, and then it is pretty cool.  So cool you get a face of 1 part confusion, and 2 parts excitement:

And then the question, "Why is there a fort in the living room?  With balloons?  Is this my fort?  Did you build it Aunt Summer?"  To which I replied, "Surprise!  We are celebrating your birthday a week early!"  I still couldn't give away why there was a fort with balloons coming out of it or why its opening was strategically positioned toward the TV, or why the fort was built in front of the fireplace...because as awesome as all this was Ethan had asked Grandpa to get out his 'bike' (which he has completley outgrown!) and he was hungry.

So Grandpa wasn't quite ready for this shot, but Ethan has taken to "Old Dog" like Big Dog takes to water.  And he just had to have his picture taken.  Then we took Ethan onto his next surprise, Idaho Pizza Company for a personal pizza.  And then it was home, where the mystery was revealed. 

Ethan's birthday was an Up! celebration.  My parents got him a light up globe so I wanted to do a theme about exploring- what better than Up!, complete with the movie as a gift, two books about adventure, and a globe?

Well maybe only one thing: watching Up! with Grandma and Grandpa on the couch, snuggled by Aunt Summer in the fort with lots of pillows.  (oh and maybe a robot birthday card)

Happy Birthday to the coolest kid I know.  Know that you are so loved, we couldn't imagine life without you.