Big D is 6!

Drake has been counting down to his sixth birthday for the past year. Seriously. We didn't even eat breakfast first on his day.

This kid LOVES birthdays. He is the one who started the tradition of opening presents first thing in the morning.

I think it's great because it forces me to be ready, and he gets to enjoy his new things the whole day. He got plenty of Lego time and games in before we left the house.

After presents and breakfast and games, Drake had his first T-ball game of the season.

He thought it was pretty cool that he got to start playing T-ball on his birthday.

The number on the back of his shirt is "5", and he would quickly tell people that even though his shirt said "5", he was really "6".

Already he's more focused this year than he was last year.

Here is some video footage of Drake in action:

After the game we had lunch, then it was more Legos, more games and more playing. We also went to the library to sign up for the Summer Reading Program, which all the kids were excited about.

For dinner (and fun) we decided to take the kids to a local fun zone, since we'd never been and Drake has been talking about Chuck E Cheese for months.

This is the closest we get to anything like Chuck E Cheese in our town.

The kids played on a big jungle gym thing while we waited for our dinner.

Then we all enjoyed a nice, healthy meal.

Then each kid got a cup of tokens, and the rest of the time was spent in the games and arcades trying to get tickets so they could buy an "awesome" prize at the end. To be a kid again.

By the time we got home it was very late, and Graham and Avery had both fallen asleep in the car.

So we put those two to bed, and Drake had his own little celebration with me and Shad.

I like only having to bake once for two birthdays, and Drake just likes anything sweet.

Drake has always been such a solid, obedient kid. He remembers everything, and his mind is constantly going. Case in point: at the end of the day, he was already asking how many days until his 7th birthday.

He's as steady as they come, and I'm glad he's our oldest because he is definitely a good example to his brother and sister. Drake is a wonderful blessing in our family and I'm constantly amazed at his insight and his inherent goodness.

We love you Drake. Thanks for being our son.