Diapers for Three

Happy Birthday, Belka!

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 20:35:00 +0000

Belka Baby, it's your birthday!

You came into our lives as a breath of fresh air and joy and life in the midst of much heartbreak. You may be just a pet, but really -- you are the sweetest, smartest, best pup in the whole wide world! We are so very thankful that God answered our prayers with you. Happy happy birthday, our pretty squirrel. May you have many, many more years with us!

Happy Birthday, Elijah!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 05:17:00 +0000

Happy, happy birthday, Elijah!

It was so much fun to chat with you and the aunties about the day you were born, and reminisce about your early days and years. You are certainly one-of-a-kind, dear son! (And I still think that two-year-old you is entirely responsible for any white hairs I may or may not be hiding).

As your siblings point out, you are thoughtful, kind, helpful, talkative and a good eater!

You are uniquely contemplative and purposeful in your affections and plans for your future.

You are fearfully and wonderfully made.

You are a precious, treasured Gift from God, and we pray you have an amazing year, dwelling in His love.

We love you, Elijah! Happy, happy birthday!

Happy Birthday, Squishers!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Fri, 01 Jul 2022 04:34:00 +0000

So... 2021 started with most of my birthday posts for my kids being late. And then at some point, the year got away from me and... I didn't catch up. I was chatting about this with my little sister recently, and we decided to refer to this past year as my blogging sabbatical, to make it sound planned and official. Planned or not, I think I earned it! Needless to say, all my kids got older this past year. But my sabbatical is done and instead of rehashing the inevitable, I'm going to start fresh here.

Squish! You're four years old TODAY! Finally! You've spent the last few months telling people that you would be four "tomorrow." Your persistence has paid off, Little Dude.

We still call you Squishy. Though, sometimes now, you'll tell us that your name is Jonathan and your last name is Squishy, or vice versa. I wonder how long this will last?

You're sweet and rambunctious and opinionated. You and Matthew are best friends, most of the time, and mortal enemies only occasionally.

You really enjoy time with your non-sibling friends, too, and you're on high alert for the special someone who will allow you to refer to her as your girlfriend.

Your prayers still regularly require interpretation, but you offer them sweetly and eagerly and fully. May you always run quickly to the One who holds all the answers.

We tell you this regularly, but it bears repeating: You are a gift from God, dear son, and God gives good gifts. We are so very thankful that He gave you to us!

Happy happy birthday, Squishy! We love you!

Happy Birthday, SammySam!!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Wed, 12 May 2021 04:25:00 +0000

Twelve years old. What can we say?

You're quiet, good-natured, and super funny in the most random moments.

You're giving some of your older siblings who are also mathematically inclined a run for their money, but half the time, you have your head in the clouds. Pretty sure you're contemplating time travel and quantum theory while you're up there.

You're a sweetheart.

And you're super good at remembering to wear your retainer.

And SammySam, you're a gift from God. This we know — God was not caught by surprise when He made you and placed you in this family at this time in history. He knows what He's doing, and I can't wait to see where He takes you in life.

But for right now, we're really glad that you're here, with us, and twelve years old.

Happy happy birthday, Son. We love you.

Happy (belated) birthday, Talia!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Tue, 13 Apr 2021 04:58:00 +0000

So, Tally Shark...you're five!! (or, at least, you turned five six days ago. Sorry for the delayed post!)

Sweet, funny, beautiful girl, we are so thankful to have you in our family.

It's been a delight to see you really blossom this past year.

The world may have shut down, but you certainly didn't! You're laughing more often than not (what do Tally Sharks say? Heeheeehee). You love chatting with aunties and just about anyone you can find. You're a bundle of energy but also a sweet cuddle bug, during those rare moments that you're still. You're a big personality in a tiny package, and your inside voice is louder than most outside voices.

You're a good big sister and a delight to all of us.

We love you, TallyGirl, and as this next year brings new adventures, we hope you grow in confidence in how very much you are treasured.

Happy, happy birthday!

Happy Birthday, JJ!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Sat, 27 Mar 2021 04:57:00 +0000

So...you're eight.

You've been sweetly waiting for this day for a long time... and yet it kind of snuck up on many of us.

JJ, you are a love. You are kind and gentle. You are a favorite among your siblings. Your laugh is contagious. You love math, and you're a card shark. You're also a cuddle bug.

You've taken off in your reading abilities this year. (Was it just last summer that you were worried that you would never learn to read because you had only been working on spelling??) But math time with mom is still one of your favorite times of the day (and maybe one of my favorites, too.)

We love you, son. God is kind to have put you in our family. May you be blessed by His love all the days of your life!

Happy 365th Day, Matthew!!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 06:31:00 +0000

Some fun facts about this day:

-It's been 365 days since you were born

-Today, you're both a day short of being 12 months old and you're finishing your 12th month

-Tomorrow will be the first day of your thirteenth month

-We'll celebrate your first birthday three years and one day from today

-Three years from tomorrow will be one day past your first birthday

-For a math-loving family, your birthday is the most fun of all!!

Sweet Son, though there are many "fun facts" about your birthdate...but many not-so-fun facts about that day as well. The most traumatic live birth of all our kids, you really scared us that day!

Sometimes life is just hard, and we don't always see the purpose in the hard on this side of Heaven. But sometimes....many times...God gives us the sweetest gifts in the midst of the greatest pain. And though we've been through some very hard times this past year, you, our son, are such a sweet, sweet gift. To all of us.

We don't know what these next 365 days of life will hold for you...or for any of us...but we hope and pray that as you grow, you'll always know how very much we love you, and how very thankful we are that God saw fit to let you be in our family. And even more so, we hope you know how very good God is, always. Always.

Happy, happy quarter birthday to you!

Happy, happy birthday, Selah!!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 05:20:00 +0000

Sweet Selah... 13!! A teenager!!

My words feel so far short of my emotions this year, in seeing you turn 13.

We're so very proud of you.

Yes, you're still very distractible and would much rather bake or have an adventure than do schoolwork or chores ... but honestly, you're growing up with so much grace and beauty that we're a bit blown away by you.

This past year has seen many difficult adjustments -- we've watched you respond with gratitude and optimism. So many times I've told you about one more thing that I thought would disappoint you, only to be blessed by your response: "That's okay, Mom. At least we can Zoom ..." or something similar.

When I asked you recently how you were processing other hard issues, you responded, "It's hard ... but I know that God knows what He's doing."

I have to tell you, that grace, that gratitude, that faith in the midst of trying times ... each of these attributes are gifts from God, and you're wearing those gifts with such beauty and maturity that all I can do is praise Him for His kindness and goodness, expressed through you, sweet daughter.

We love you, Sweet Selah, and we're so very thankful that God made you and gave you to us. We pray this next year you'll know even more richly and fully the wonders of God's love and grace in your life.

Happy, happy birthday, dear one!!!

Happy Birthday, Kiki!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Tue, 03 Nov 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Keanna! You're finally six! You've been waiting so long for this day...

But to tell you the truth, you already seem quite mature for your age. You have a sweet, quiet disposition that often sets you apart from your louder, crazier siblings. But you have a big heart and that puts you firmly and securely back in their midst.

This has been an odd year, to say the least, but you've handled it with much patience and grace.

You've joyfully embraced your artistic side and have spent many hours drawing and coloring this past year...our walls are adorned with artwork created by you and Talia.

You love learning and are an eager student of any subject. You are joyful when it comes to chores and helping out around the house.

You love playing in the backyard with your siblings, too... but this year has exposed that both you and I have some allergies that have grown with something out there!

We love watching you grow, sweet Kiki, and we pray that as your knowledge and skills and confidence grows, you'll continue to acknowledge the good God who gave you such sweet gifts.

And we'll continue to thank Him for the sweet gift who is YOU!!

Happy, happy birthday, Keanna! We love you so much!

Happy Birthday, Danny!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Sat, 17 Oct 2020 05:32:00 +0000

Danny! You're fourteen. Isn't that crazy?!?

And what a crazy year for your golden day. (For everyone who didn't grow up in Minnesota, apparently golden birthdays happen at the age that lines up with the day of the month on which you were born. So, since Danny's birthday is on October 14, and he's 14 this year...)

Danny, we love you. This past year has found you fighting to become your own person... fighting to grow up during a year when you have spent more time at home than ever before.

There's much we disagree about these days, but I hope that you know with everything we have, we love you, and we want the very best for you, always. We are for you. Always.

And we're thankful for your love of people, your sweetness with babies, your delight in adventure...

We hope this next year finds you with peace and confidence beyond your years. We hope this next year finds you discovering richest blessings and deep treasures of truth and love that amaze and delight you for the rest of your life. We hope you grow in knowing the depth and width and breadth and height of the love and mercy that God delights to pour out.

We love you. Happy, happy birthday.

Happy Birthday, Mikey!!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Sat, 12 Sep 2020 05:09:00 +0000

It's interesting how some birthdays sneak up on you and some feel so natural. It feels like you've already been fifteen for months. And not just because you're already taller than the average fifteen-year-old.

I rarely do this before writing a post, but I had to look back at your birthday post from last year, because it FEELS like this year has been big for you. It feels like we've seen you go from an obnoxious, brooding teenager to a pre-adult who we actually enjoy being around. But your birthday post from last year suggests that we were already starting to see some sprouts of that maturity. Maybe this last year just feels longer than most. Or maybe I was a bit traumatized by the three-hour standoffs of old.

You may sometimes still pretend to be obnoxious and brooding....but then you'll spend five minutes looking at the birthday cards your little sisters made for you, enjoying every detail. So....we guess we'll keep you after all.

We love you, Son. And we eagerly look forward to seeing what God has for you. Happy, happy fifteenth!

Sweet Sixteen

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Sat, 22 Aug 2020 06:17:00 +0000

Eliana, our sweet girl, what words can express our hearts this day, as our beautiful first born child turns sixteen?

I've started this letter in my head many times over the last few weeks. I haven't held back the tears any of those times. I'm afraid this blog post is going to lack structure, as it bounces tracks from one thought train to the next. I just hope you know, sweet girl, regardless of my word failure, that you have our hearts. They are yours. We are so very proud of you, Eliana, and ever so grateful to the One who made you!

Sixteen years ago today I was in labor with you. We had the worst doctor and your daddy kept pulling out a book from his luggage to reference ... a book that had been covertly passed on to him from another dad. We thought we knew what we were doing and we didn't. Not much went as planned but we were blessed, by the end of the day, with a beautiful baby girl who would defy our every expectation over the next couple of years and then fourteen more on top of that. We were in love. And God was so very kind and faithful.

My thoughts flit back to when I turned sixteen. It had been a rough couple of years in our home and the day was spent traveling with my mom and oldest sister back to Louisiana from Galveston, where your Aunt Charity had just had to endure yet another surgery. The two main memories I have from that day were a long drive full of at-that-time rare leisure conversation with my mom and the sixteen roses she had made sure were waiting for me on the table when I got home.

I'm not sure what it is about this sixteenth birthday of yours that has my heart in knots. I cherish your youthful enthusiasm and your glowing smile as you consider this next season of your life.

You are such an interesting young lady, Eliana Joy. Your life is a strange hybrid of, on one hand, living in a pretty nice, protective community -- some would even accurately describe you as sheltered -- and on the other hand, you've had to process and grieve and live through some pretty horrible realities. You've done so with grace, wisdom, and maturity well beyond your years and often beyond mine, as well!

As your parents, we long to protect you from pain and struggles. We love growing and fostering and protecting that beautiful spark of life and joy in you. But we know, so much more clearly year after year, that some things are not ours to determine.

And with that, we are so very thankful that your life, our beautiful girl, is in the hands of the Rock of Ages, the Lord God Almighty, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords... our Abba Father. He is so very kind and faithful.

And with that hope, we eagerly grasp on to your joy as you look to your future. He is trustworthy.

We love you, Eliana Joy. Happy, happy birthday. We hope you dance!

Happy Birthday, 'Lijah!!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 05:37:00 +0000

I can't believe it's been ten years since that night.

Aunt Charity and Aunt Laura were on a train, heading in our direction.

I had never had a baby more than three days early, so it seemed like we had plenty of time.

But there we were, heading to the hospital, eight days before your (estimated by me) due date and 14 days before the doctor thought you were due!

Clearly, you had places to go and as the evening drew to an end, the only real question was whether you'd be born on August 2 or August 3. When you entered this world, the clock hanging in front of me and the other to my right said two minutes after midnight. But when the nurse read off your birth stats, she announced 11:59pm as your time of birth. She then told us that the clock on her monitor was the only one that mattered, so August 2 became your birthday.

Your double-knotted umbilical cord should have given us all the warning that we needed about your desire to tempt fate over the next few years. I'm still not sure how either of us survived your "twos" --- smart, quiet, fast and fearless, I never knew what you'd do next.

Thankfully, you've calmed remarkably and the last seven years have been smooth sailing in comparison.

So here you are, ten years old. We thank God you made it, and we thank God for you!

Happy, happy birthday, Elijah! We love you!

Happy Belated Birthday, Squishy!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Sun, 12 Jul 2020 00:35:00 +0000

So sorry for the late post, Jonathan.* I have no good excuse.

Squishy, you’re two!! And yes, you sometimes have terrible moments but 99.5% of the time you are a delight.

We’re loving watching you grow but we also savor your sweet, squishy cuddles and love.

We love that you always sing, “I love you.”

We love how you eagerly fold your chubby hands when it’s time to pray.

We love how you love your siblings, from the biggest to the smallest.

We love how much joy FaceTime brings you, and how the phone is covered with kisses and cuddles when your aunties chat with you.

And we love that you self-initiated potty training during the great shelter-in-place orders of 2020. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have initiated that this year otherwise!

Most of all, we thank God for all the ways that you have brought joy and comfort to our lives. You are a blessing. “The Lord gives.” Have a wonderfully blessed year, Squishers. Happy, happy birthday.

*I use the name “Jonathan” as that is technically his name, but he most typically responds to some variation of Squishy, a Finding Nemo reference bestowed on him by his siblings. But just in case this moniker wears over time, I wanted to make sure his given name was attached somewhere to this post 😘.

Happy happy birthday, Snappy Sam!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Wed, 06 May 2020 05:36:00 +0000

I don't feel like I have a lot of words this year, but I'd be amiss not to share a few about you, Sammy, today as you turn eleven years old.

You've always been a pretty chill kid. I remember when you were just hours old, you laying beside me as we dozed together, resting up after a fairly easy labor and delivery (at least as far as labor and deliveries go)! I woke to find you awake, content, just staring at me with your baby grey-blue eyes. Always adorable, you were and are as sweet as can be.

You're steady like your dad. I can always count on you for a joke at exactly the right time (or to be deeply amused at the humor around you), but you also regularly surprise me with your depth and heart. You trust big things to God in prayer -- much more faithfully than most.

You're a treasure. A gift from God. A balm to the aches and pains of this world.

We love you, Snapper. Keep snapping.

Happy, happy birthday.

Happy Easter!

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Sun, 12 Apr 2020 19:00:00 +0000

Happy Birthday, Talia!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 04:07:00 +0000

You're four years old today, our Tally Shark!!

I know this year is different. It's sweet, but it's hard, and I'm sure that someday we'll look back and talk about this time for all its distinctness.

But no matter how we look back on this time,

I want you to know that today, you are a sweet gift. Every day, you are a sweet gift. And we are so very thankful for you.

Your personality has really blossomed this year. You have this funny way of being oh-so-quiet (while smiling with every ounce of you) and then launching into full stories out of the blue.

You remind me regularly not only what your favorite color is, but what everyone else's is, as well.

You are already planning your wedding to your sweet friend, Micah.

You bring me oh so many flowers -- usually dandelions -- and you smile so sweetly when I tell you that you are my favorite flower.

You love to learn and to draw and to play the piano, and you love talking about your good friends and your aunts and your teacher.

You're a delight, our TallyGirl, and we love you bunches.

Happy, happy birthday, our Sweet Girl!

You're Seven, JJ!!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Fri, 27 Mar 2020 04:51:00 +0000

Happy Birthday, Jeremiah!

It's been a good year for you, J.J., and I can certainly imagine your next year being just as good if not better.

You are a good, sweet kid. You love your mama and still make sure to give me my cuddles, but this year, you've also set your eyes on another sweet young lady, of whom you'll boldly say, "We're in love. We're gonna get married!" Of course, I applaud both your taste and confidence.

You have the best belly laugh. I was remembering earlier today your toddlerhood...we'd imitate fake laughs ("Hahaha, hohoho, heehee!") and lately, your boisterous laugh has had me cracking up and thinking back.

You're working hard on your reading skills and your math skills have skyrocketed this year. You also love piano lessons and Speech!

You and 'Lijah are great buddies, but you also are a sweet big brother to the little ones.

We're eager to see what yo

ur future holds, dear son, but in the meantime, we'll hold you close and cherish these days. You're a gift from God, and we are thankful!

Happy happy birthday, J.J.! We love you!!

Happy happy birthday, Butterfly!!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 06:21:00 +0000

Selah, you're 12.

We tease you that you've been practicing being a teenager since you were eight... but really, you're a pretty sweet young lady!

You bring so much joy and laughter to our house. You're always up for adventure. You excel at friendship and baking and getting your schoolwork done.

I love that your favorite types of shoes have wheels, and you take great joy in all that sparkles and lights up our world.

I've seen you maturing and in doing so, you're sweet and thoughtful of those who are younger than you. You seek out wise counsel and have found good role models.

We pray that this year brings you a depth of joy and peace and love and kindness that exceeds all that has come before. We love you, Butterfly, and we thank God that He saw fit to put you in our lives!!

A Note from Eliana

noreply@blogger.com (Eliana) — Tue, 03 Dec 2019 23:32:00 +0000

Hi everyone! This is Eliana (y’know… the first one?) sneaking onto the family blog (with permission, of course) to make this post. =D

So… I myself have been blogging since February, and I just redid my site and made it pretty, so I thought y’all might be interested in taking a look. It is at ElianaTheWriter.com now. You can find the welcome post here if you’d like a summary of the new stuff.

Let’s see, what else do you need to know? Oh, I post weekly on Saturday mornings, and I mostly write about faith and family. I also have an email list where I share fun “Household Happenings” as well as some freebies.

If that sounds like something you’d like, please, go check it out! My hope is that it will bless your soul and encourage you in Christ. <3

Happy Birthday, Keanna!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Sat, 16 Nov 2019 17:08:00 +0000

You're FIVE years old, Buttercup.

I can't tell you how thankful we are for you.

You're a bit of an old soul for a five-year-old. You started TK (transitional kindergarten) this year, and I love watching you in the co-op classes. You're confident but quiet, observing those around you and soaking in all the learning you can.

We love how you soak in the world around you, and we love how you fit into our family.

We love you, Keanna, and we thank God for His sweet gift in giving you to us! We pray that your next year is wonderful and that you always know how very, very loved you are!

Happy Belated Birthday, Danny!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 03:00:00 +0000

So as this year’s tradition continues, I am more than two weeks late writing your blog post!

Regardless, I don’t want the next family birthday to arrive before we get the opportunity to wish you a very happy year via this blog post.

Danny, you’re a good kid. You’re sweet and thoughtful; you’re an early riser and you’re oh so good at remembering to make coffee for your tired parents on your designated coffee making days.

You regularly check in on others to see how they are doing, and I do believe you know more of the people who go to our church (and have had more significant conversations with them) than anyone else in the family.

You also still love video games. Nothing new there!

We hope your teen years treat you well, Danny, and we hope you know how very loved you are. Most of all, we pray that your peace and confidence will be found in the perfect and all-sufficient love of God.

We love you, Danny! Happy, happy 13th birthday!

Happy Birthday, Wazowski!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 05:23:00 +0000

Maybe this is just the year of the late birthday posts. Or maybe it has just taken me this long to finally admit to myself that you are actually FOURTEEN YEARS OLD. That is craziness, Kid. I'm pretty sure I never okayed that.

On one side, we know that you come by your stubbornness and smart-alekyness naturally. (And we both know which of your parents you are NOT allowed to attribute those attributes to!). Thirteen saw these skills alive and thriving.

But on the other side, this last year has also brought a sweet and responsible side of you that is nothing but admirable. We've seen you really step up in your academics and other responsibilities. It's really nice to not have to battle with you on those fronts.

Your guitar playing is now quite enjoyable to listen to.

And the fact that Squishy counts you as one of his very favorite people speaks volumes. I suspect the feelings are mutual.

Mikey, you may very well be the child my mama prayed that I'd have one day. But honestly, that just repeats that you are clearly a gift from God, even when our, uh, debates continue much longer than is humanly natural. You may drive me bonkers (I know, I know -- it's not a drive; it's a short putt. Much thanks to my dad for giving you great quotes to carry on), and I may regularly threaten to give you away, but dude... we love you. So very much.

We hope and pray that this year is remarkable for you, that you delight in the delight of God, and that you know His irresistible love more and more each day.

Happy, happy birthday, Mikey!

Happy Birthday, Eliana!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Thu, 22 Aug 2019 04:44:00 +0000

Soooo would it be absolutely shocking if we actually got your birthday post posted on your birthday?? Let's see if we can make that happen...

Fifteen years since that day you were born. Fifteen years. Just about here, all the phrases that all parents have said about the quick passage of time rush through my head. But I'm pretty sure I've said them all before, in previous years.

Sweet, beautiful girl... you have grown up so much this last year. I know you were writing a lot before this year, but at some point, you may look back at this past year and see that this has been a big transitional year for you. In a lot of ways you really blossomed from having writing as a hobby to being a writer. (And not necessarily just because you were published three times over this summer)! (Pssst...if you haven't checked it out yet, you can find Eliana's blog at elianathewriter.com).

You are quite possibly the most self-driven, self-disciplined, goal-oriented person I've ever met. There are many things that you accomplish that make me sit back in awe. There are times that I worry about you burning out, with all that you push yourself to do.

But I love that you purpose to embrace God's new mercies for you, each and every morning. Even as you have developed thinking far beyond your years, your spiritual growth has been even more evident. Your love for the Lord, and your love for others, your patience, kindness, and goodness... those traits shine through not only in your writing, but in your day-to-day actions and reactions.

We praise God for His kindness to you and through you.

We pray this next year blesses you, encourages you, brings you peace and joy that will last your lifetime and more.

We love you, Baby Girl. Happy, happy birthday.

A Very Merry UnBirthday to you, Elijah!!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Sun, 18 Aug 2019 22:12:00 +0000

Hey Elijah-

At this point, I'm so late writing your "happy birthday" post that it's far too late to virtually wish you a happy birthday!

Sorry, kid... I'd write a list of excuses for my tardiness, but the idea of making excuses in your unbirthday post is amusing, to put it mildly. Because at 8-to-9 years old, your and my biggest battle right now is over your inherited uncanny ability to make excuses for any and all behaviors. I hope one day (many years from now, as I picture most of my kids finally digging though their birthday posts of years past) that you read these words and laugh and say, "Haha! That's so true! I used to make excuses ALL the time...I'm so glad I've conquered that tendency!" And I hope that I'm right there, identifying with you in the conquering, too.

'Lijah, 'lijah, 'lijah...we love you so much. You are a delight. You have so many words. And so much heart. And so much wisdom and steadfastness.

A few years ago, you were really troubled over not having picked a future wife. You talked about it, prayed about it, and sought counsel from your Sunday School teachers for months, before a beautiful, kind, smart, amazing young lady caught your attention and devotion. I remember you telling me about her, and her devotion to another young man... When I worried about your unrequited love, you encouraged me and said, "That's okay, Mom. I just plan on being a really good friend to her and if it doesn't work out for her to marry [that other sweet, wonderful young man] maybe she'll decide to marry me instead."

(You still do that -- I heard you yesterday, working hard to see the good in a hard situation. You were battling for the right attitude, and I love and respect that about you. So much.)

Back to your devotion. It didn't take long -- though it did take a few months, which felt like a really long time back then, I know -- for you to win the attention of your intended. Thus blossomed a precious, precious season of notes and declarations of love and affection, and even some photographic evidence of hand-holding between you and your love.

As your mama, and considering the mama of your intended is a good friend to me, I both absolutely loved seeing this side of you and feared the potential heartbreak should this relationship falter, for either or both of you, simultaneously.

The surprising reality is that years later, I still feel the same way. Because even though your relationship has weathered times of more or less communication, times of more eyelash fluttering from across the room and times of seeming disconnect and unawareness, your expressed heart and intentions remain the same. In fact, this year I heard rumor that you intend to begin saving for a ring!! ::swoon::

You amaze me, Elijah. And I don't know the future for you. I can't promise you that things will work out exactly how you hope. But I do know the One who made you to be the incredible, steadfast, deep young man you are. Keep grabbing on to Jesus, our precious son. God loves you, and He alone can carry you through in a way that effectually matters for all eternity.

A very merry unbirthday to you, Elijah. We hope that this year is the best one yet, for you!