My Dallin

Tomorrow is my little Dallin's birthday. He will be three. As he always reminds us, he is not tiny, he is not a baby. He is a grown up. My grown-up Dallin loves to have "piky" hair and look well groomed. He will comb his hair at least five times a day, trying to make it look just right. He loves to eat candy and cheese-its. On the more healthy side, his favorite dinner is turkey (or chicken because he doesn't really know the difference) with rice and fruit. He also loves to eat chicken McNuggets from McDonalds dipped in caramel and root beer. He may be the only child I know who doesn't like pizza. As it turns out, he actually just doesn't like pizza sauce. He loves cheese pizza with garlic butter sauce though.
Dallin is also one of the funniest people I know. He doesn't make us laugh intentionally, he is just so sincere and makes such funny little faces when he tells us things that you can't help but laugh at him.
Dallin is a little ball of energy. He likes to do his gymnastics moves all around the house. He also likes to run and jump and he can't let an opportunity to wrestle pass him by. He is a chatterbox. You can't understand half of what he is telling you, not because his pronunciation is bad, but because he talking so fast and often leaves out key words, but he still wants to tell you. He is especially bad when he is tired. He ramps up the fidgetting, talking, and general complaining to keep from falling asleep.
Dallin has a good memory for things that were important to him. We can't drive by the hotel where Grammy and Grampy stayed the last time they can to visit us without Dallin yelling that was where he went swimming.
Dallin loves his family. He always wants to be with Porter and do whatever Porter is doing. He is often heard to say to me or Joe, "I want give you kisses and loves" or "I want snuggle you." He likes to be kissed and hugged back in return. When he is tired, he likes me to hold his hand and pat him "in the middle" (the middle of his stomach/chest area) to help him fall asleep.
My Dallin is a very sweet and fun little boy and we are lucky to have him. Our family wouldn't be complete without him.

Playing in the fountains at the Gateway.

Dallin on his 2nd Birthday

Dallin's first birthday.

Dallin back when we used to call him "the Chub." He was such a happy little chunk of a baby. We could tell that he was just thrilled to be on earth in the little body he was given. I think he was waiting anxiously in heaven to come down and be with us and Porter and this was his little dream come true.

I have always loved this picture. He had just eaten his first popcicle and it was over him. He seemed to think that we wouldn't notice the mess he had made of himself.

Three years, the day he was born.