Happy #9 To Jonah!

 Jonah turned 9 years old just over a week ago. It was a fun day. I was just relieved that it was his turn for a family party, so it was a little more low-key. I had a big paper due in English the day of his birthday, so I was up bright and early preparing for the day. His request for his birthday breakfast was donuts from Macey's grocery store. They do have good donuts, but that meant that I had to get up early to go pick them up. He also wanted blueberries, chocolate milk, and sausage. Super healthy.

 I let him open one of his gifts at breakfast. We got him a new soccer ball because his old one is one kick away from falling to pieces. He loves it, and it has already gotten a lot of use.

All Jonah wanted to do on his birthday was go see Monster's University. While I was busy working on my paper, Andy took the kids to see it. He forgot to take a picture, even though I reminded him THREE times! Silly man. Oh well, they had a good time and loved the movie. The rest of the day, we had cousins over playing and I let Jonah play the wii for as long as he wanted. I finally had to call them up after probably 3 hours for his birthday dinner. He chose bacon cheeseburgers, fries with fry-sauce, grapes, chips with guacamole, and lemonade. Perfectly delicious summer meal.

After dinner, we quickly cleaned up to get ready for our party guests (grandparents) and then we let the birthday boy open his gifts, because he could not wait another second.

 He got so many fun things. A book and money from Gma and Gpa Collette

 A Skylander (Terafin, at his request) and pokemon cards from Aunt Rachel and his best cousin Ethan.

 A REAL fishing pole and a promise to go fishing from Papa Bry and Gma Claudia

 A new Swimsuit from Mom and Dad (desperately needed)

 And finally... a new Nintendo DS. Magnus broke Jonah's old one (that was used and really, really old) and he really, really, wanted a new one. I found an amazing deal, so his wish came true, and I can't even describe his happiness. I took a video of him opening it, and he says, "Oh my goodness, I am going to FAINT!" It's pretty funny. He was really excited, and didn't expect it at all.

 Laylah made him some edible Angry Birds out of marshmallows

And a few photos with grandparents...

 Gma Marge gave him some money, and Gma Darlene couldn't make it to the party, but she gave him a new game for his DS. Happiness all around. He also got several cards with money. What a lucky boy to have so many people love and care about him.

 Best buds forever

 SO excited!

 Jonah requested a s'mores pie for his birthday cake. I was a little taken aback by that, but I found a recipe and made one. It was pretty dang delicious, but then again, marshmallow is my favorite food, so I wasn't complaining.

Happy Birthday Jonah!

Jonah at 9:

Ohhhh, this boy. Where has the time gone? It is so weird to me that in 9 more years, my oldest son will be leaving on a mission. 

Jonah is quite a funny kid. He can be incredibly moody, which is kind of new. He used to be pretty happy all of the time, but in the last couple years, he can be rather sullen when things don't go his way. I can't wait for his teenage years (ahem... not). That being said, it is pretty easy to get him out of a "mood" and get him laughing again. He is generally happy-go-lucky. He loves to play with friends (his best friend is still Colby, from our old Taylorsville ward) and with them, he likes to play any and all sports and games. His favorites are soccer (of course), steal-the-flag, football, baseball, frisbee, hide-and-seek, tag, and any other active run-around game. He also loves the trampoline, and playing at the playground, and riding his bike. In the last year, a new favorite activity has been hunting for snakes, as they are quite abundant in our neighborhood. He also loves to swim, maybe more than any of my other kids. He will stay in a pool for HOURS, and hates having to get out to have sunscreen re-applied (which, obviously, we need to do often... he is still a total ginger and has darling freckles all over his nose.... I'm sure he will be thrilled with that description 5 years from now ;). 

Jonah is also my child that plays really well alone and has a huge imagination. He will play with toys for hours all by himself. He also loves any and all electronics. Computer games, apps, the wii, DS, anything. He loves it. He is Baron's idol, and they play so well together. Luckily, he also loves to read, and is reading at a 7th grade level. He does well in school (when he tries) and if he doesn't feel like trying, he doesn't do so well. He is in the gifted program and it is a lot more work than his old classes, which has been a challenge for him. But, I feel like it is good for him, and grades aren't the only thing that matters. Experience matters too, and he is getting a lot of good life experiences and life lessons, so we have kept him in the class. Jonah also enjoys church (well, it's probably 50/50) but I feel like he has a testimony and knows it is true. He takes the lessons he learns in primary to heart, and he is such a kind-hearted, loving boy. He is always including others, especially when they might not have as many friends. He sticks up for others and is very loyal. I love that about him so much.

He is obsessed with Pokemon lately, and collects the cards, watches the shows, reads the books, and plays the games. He loves Pokemon. He likes to watch movies and TV, and in general, he is just a tiny bit lazy. I have to constantly remind him to do his chores. Actually, I have to constantly remind him to do a lot of things. Maybe someday all of this nagging will pay-off and he'll do it on his own (fingers crossed!) In all actuality, the older he gets, the better he is. He has become a great cleaner, and does a good job cleaning the bathroom every week. He may not like it, but he does it.

Jonah loves food, and he has grown a ton this past year. He eats a lot (more than me sometimes!) and I think the only reason he stays so skinny is because he is growing taller every day. All of his clothes from last summer were too small, and he needed a whole new wardrobe this year. His feet have gotten bigger too. I think he'll pass me up in a few years. He still wears his glasses, but has been talking about wanting contacts lately. I told him I will think about it when he turns 12, so he's got a few years to go. Jonah has also been involved in cub scouts for the past year and loves it. He has gone to a couple day camps and has had a blast. Besides that, he is still taking piano lessons, and although it isn't his favorite thing to do, he is really good and picks it up quickly. Laylah has taken a year longer than him, and he has almost caught up to her level.

Jonah is so much fun, and he is always helping us to laugh more and not be so serious. He is definitely his father's son, and they have such similar personalities. I think that is why I have a little soft spot for Jonah, even though he can drive me absolutely crazy with his stubborness at times. He is always cracking me up, just like his dad. He is such a fun boy, and I love him so, so much. I am so lucky that he chose me. I love you Jonah.