There he is--my baby boy--just turned four. {Yes--Aidan and Mia's birthdays are only 2 days apart. In fact, they shared the same due date, but Aidan came late and Mia came early!} Isn't my Aidan handsome with that one trouble-marker's dimple! When I was pregnant, Robert and I had the hardest time coming up with a name for him. I knew the name Aidan was becoming popular, and for that reason I was hesitant. One day I found an old Rich Mullins CD, and one of the songs was dedicated to his son, Aidan:

In college Robert and I saw a lot of well-intentioned Christians minister to people with such a heavy hand. It's our hope for our children that they can reach out to people in mercy and grace. After hearing those words, I was sold. AIDAN it would be.

Here he is telling me: "Four Mommy, Fooouuuuurrrr!"

Oh, I forgot to mention, I made the shirt... of course. You can order a tie embellishment on a onesie to match a pair of boy boots or shoes.

There he is, a blur. The only way I was able to get the pictures above was through good old-fashioned bribery. I'm amazed no gummy worms are dangling out of his mouth. Aidan also means "fiery," OH MY GOODNESS, how aprospo!

Lovely fall colors

This is one of my all time favorites. This is what I want for my children--to find fun and solace in a small patch of nature.