Fabulous Four Fete

The ribbons are hung up and ready to award.
Thanks Aunt Whitney!


The track is prepped and ready to go.



The pinata is hung and we're all anxious


FOR HENRY'S FOUTH BIRTHDAY PARTY TO BEGIN!




A cousin party! 9 boys and 1 girl! (and one on the way!)


Making stick horses, I mean grooming our horses, before the races.


AND THEY'RE OFF!


This is a race for Four Year Olds And Upward Which Have Not Won $16,250 Twice Other Than Maiden, Claiming, Starter, Or State Bred At A Mile Or Over On The Turf In 2009-2010.


And down the stretch they come.


Its a photo finish!


Next is For Maidens, Colts Two Years Old Who've never won a Graded Stakes.



This young group is quite feisty.



Looks like some of the horses aren't really getting out of the gate...



Some of the jockeys are having a hard time staying on their horses.



We'll just call this race a draw.



Then one of our, uhum, more experienced jockeys got in the race to try to encourage one of our novice jockeys.



It was a competitive day at the racetrack. Lots of big winners.


The starting lineup of the jockeys


Our birthday boy jockey, Henry.


Jockey Keegan.


Jockey Owen


Jockey Fisher


Jockey William


Jockey Logan


Jockey Noah


Jockey Hayden


Jockey Flynn


Jockey Mary-Alex

Now, this just doesn't seem right...to whack a horse during the races...but the Jockeys didn't seem to have an issue with it.


••••••••••••••••••••ONE!••••••••••••••••••••••


••••••••••••••••••••TWO!••••••••••••••••••••••


••••••••••••••••••••THREE!••••••••••••••••••••••



Over here William.





Such effort!


William got it!






Time for cake!
I didn't get a good picture of the cake this year. It is a cupcake cake in the shape of a horse. Ommy always does such a great job on Henry's cakes...

2nd Birthday.

Third Birthday.

Speaking of the past...#2

and#3...



I think this is the first year that he blew them all out by himself.


FOUR!


Fisher was ready to dig in.



Henry was a lucky boy and got a bunch of great presents. Thank you to everyone!



"Baby" Owen was very good helper.


I love Flynn's birthday spirit!


Time for the big outside presents. A basketball goal from Ommy and Poppy.



A horse tire swing from Aunt Emily and Uncle Jon.


And a big boy bike from Mommy and Daddy and Grandad and Betsy.






All the thought and planning that went into planning activities and the favorite activities were the unplanned ones... a truck, a box, a birdbath, and a tree...












The box...





If an Indian tribe were to give this child of mine an Indian name specially picked just for him...it would be "Always Has Smutch on Face".










The birdbath...
I think this is obviously Fisher's favorite.





....and the tree.











At the end of the day, it was all about him,


he still took a minute to say thank you to his Mommy.

Happy Birthday Henry Edward Gibson. You came into this world wide eyed and easy going. On the day you were born I called you my inchworm because you kept wiggling until you were snuggled in under my chin, and you still like to be there. Life with you has been an adventure and we have all loved going along for the ride.