This past Wednesday we celebrated seven fantastic years with our best boy!
For his birthday, Carter knew he wanted Minecraft. We are fairly slow adopters of cool things like video games, so even though Minecraft has been around forever, this was the big birthday where Carter finally got his own copy! He also requested Minecraft decorations.
Carter decorated his own cake!
Carter is at that stage of life where he is really figuring out what he loves, independent of anybody else. I feel like his #1 love right now is tinkering. This is the name we have given to Carter’s habit of touching as many buttons and/or parts on something–the computer, the printer, the refrigerator, the piano, the 3D printer, tools, you name it–in an effort to figure out how it works and how he can manipulate it. He will tinker at any time he can get away with it. We have discussed that there is a time and place for tinkering, and school is neither the time nor the place. He understands, but it is still hard to resist the excitement of discovery that comes from tinkering.
Other loves of Carter’s that I feel go right along with his love of tinkering include building things and playing video games. They sort of embrace the same principles of figuring out how things work and what he can do with them.
He earned Switch time before school by getting all the way ready quickly. 
He LOVES arcades!
He also loves learning! He is always excited to share interesting things he has learned at school, or ask about things at home. He has been very happy to be back to in-person school. It has been a big blessing for all of us!
Carter is also just fun. He likes to make things his own kind of exciting as well as participating in whatever the girls are doing.
Wearing his spy sunglasses! 
He has lost his first two teeth!
And the best thing about Carter is his big heart! He looks out for his sisters with his whole being, still loves cuddles, and wants to be like Jesus. We’re so grateful he’s been ours for seven years, and will be forever!
