Four

- July 24, 2021

My Happy One,

I say it every year, but this year let me say it louder than the others, you have grown and matured beyond what I imagined would be possible a year ago. You've crossed so many mile stone. Words explode from your mouth sometimes just for fun. You sing all the time, and my heart explodes every single time I hear it. I love driving you to school in the mornings. It's your time to control the music, as we jam out to songs like, Wake Me Up, Not My Home, Happy Dance, Way Maker, and the list goes on. I trust you not to throw things in the toilet after a year or more of fishing things out that don't belong. In fact you regularly use the toilet these days, but sleep like a rock no matter how wet your bed gets at night. Ha! Every year gets better Crash-man.

Honestly I don't know where to start as I think through this past year. You've started school and had your first run in with the police. Yep, there was this one time you decided to go for a walk, at night, in your socks, while it rained, all by yourself, right on down Hammond St. You made it two houses down before a stranger found you and we were already searching the house high and low. Once you were safe, the police had left, I sobbed. My daring boy, I have never been filled with so much fear before. For weeks after that I didn't want to let you out of my sight. Actually for the first two months of school I would drop you off and then park out front and wait thirty minutes in case you needed me. It was strange not to be together, but you have excelled in your school. You adore your teacher.

You feel deeply. Every birthday I bring out the baby albums, but this year when you saw photos of me pregnant with your brothers you begged to see what I looked like in my belly. We began talking about how I got to pick you because you grew in another Mommy's belly. When I finally found a photo of her pregnant, you got angry and offended that you weren't in my belly. Often you ask if you can have blue eyes like the rest of us. My answer always is that God gave me exactly what I asked for, a brown eyed boy. You know when I was pregnant with your brothers I hoped that one of them would have your eyes. It turns out that God heard my desire and made you exactly as I had always hoped. Adoption is different, but my love for you runs deep. I am so glad I get to be your Mom, forever and ever-my answer to you every time you ask if I’ll always be yours.

More recently I've watched you learn to talk with God. Today when the lawn mower broke with out being prompted you prayed God would fix it. Every night when you go to bed you think about all your favorite people and things and thank God for them. This, I hope you always turn to Him first. My number one prayer for you is that you would always follow Jesus, make Him your best friend.