Malachi's First Birthday!

A mother, who is also a photographer, can only hold back so many of the best photos from her son's first birthday. These are ONLY my 20 favorite!

He's always loved sticking out his tongue.

This is typical these days, Malachi wanting to hold my hands so he can thrust out his chest and plow forward. If I try to get him to walk on his own he just sits down in a heap and cries.

Mama loves you, Malachi! Thank you, God, for our son! He is precious!

Big kiss from Elijah. He was such a loving brother that day and played so nicely while I took pictures of Malachi! I love my boys!

I then found out one of the presents was a Birthday Boy shirt! All of this, AFTER I had done a photo shoot. Shoot!

No problem--many hours left to our day! Here's two Becker men worshiping Jesus at church!

Elijah is trying to act like Malachi! This is not a first.

The Becker Family together!

The cake--I now stick with brownies. They are much more moist and rich, and you can hold them.

Capture the moment! Does he look like the Birthday Boy or what?!

Notice Elijah opening the present while Malachi just pokes his fingers through the table holes.

The small gathering at the pool with our friends/family-away-from-home--the Stevensons! Our kids are the same ages--very fun! Notice the rain in the picture--thus we have less pictures. That is not necessarily a bad thing considering how many I had already taken that day.

One wet moment with Papa. I had to let him wear the shirt even in the pool.

Sarah, notice the colors are the exact theme of the party (and of the balloons at home). Perfect! "One candle!" Elijah likes to say.

Elijah really entered in to Malachi's celebration. He was very loving and precious. Thank you, Lord, for these two--and for Malachi's first year. May he become a man of your Word, and may He follow you at an early age and forever, no matter the cost.