Happy Birthday Timothy & Cameron

Happy Birthday Timothy and Cameron!!  How has five years gone by so fast?   I would define the past year as the silly years.  You both so easily escape into your own world, be whatever and whoever you want to be...we hope you never outgrow that desire to be who you want to be!     One of my favorite parts of the the day is our morning bible studies on the way to school.  Being able to take the most simplistic question like "is God a magician?", and turn it into a lesson of faith.  You both happily break our #1 rule everyday, no more growing allowed!   And as you both grow older, we see how different you are, yet how you both need the same things from us...encouragement, love and grace.  But it’s the grace you extend me in my wide range of faults that has taught me so much about real grace and the grace of our Heavenly Father.  In the midst of my frustrations toward your stubbornness, you still desire to only be in my presence and have my ever loving arms around you. 

Timothy, at 9:41am this morning you turn 5 years old.  Oh, and how long you have been asking when you will be 5 years old...in such a hurry to grow up.  Your day to turn five is here and how excited you are to be a Big Boy!   At only 5 years old, you have come to be a rock of security for your sister, your friends and the adults in your life.  A born leader.  That certain air about you makes people want to be in your presence, follow you and soak up your energy and love of life.  Playing is at the top of your to-do list everyday, playing all day, every day, only stopping long enough to eat and sleep...to which we have to drag you away to even do those two essential things.  Whether it’s building Legos, playing soldiers, building paper airplanes or perfecting your batting skills, finding something to play is effortless for your ever growing imagination.  You have a gift with numbers and amaze us and your teachers with your math skills seemingly without instruction.  Maybe because numbers are absolute...with rules and regulations.  You often pride yourself in knowing the rules and following the rules, most of the time.  And there never seems to be an end to all your questions, exhausting your Daddy and me most of the time, wanting to know every detail of every little thing.  But we know the Lord has crafted you for greatness and we know that knowledge seeking part of you will help you exceed your wildest dreams.  I love when you want to lead our family bible study, I love that you invent crafts my bible study can do and I absolutely love when I hear you say God is the biggest and the most powerful good guy ever!  We look forward to helping you overcome your struggles of perfectionism, fears of being alone and accepting that you can’t win at everything.  Remember, winning isn’t everything.  Our prayer for you is that you continue to challenge yourself, arm yourself with the word of the Lord and be steadfast in your young faith.

Cameron, at 9:42am this morning you turn 5 years old.  Sometimes I have to stop and remind myself it’s only 5, not 15.  Because of your independence and emotional capacity, you often surpass me in your maturity, reason and logic.   Your love of music is your trademark, singing every chance you can get...sometimes even singing the right words.  I love that you are always at my side, offering assistance in any way, just to be a good helper. You have such a heart for meeting needs, making your brother a top priority.  And what a generous spirit you have, giving out your hugs and kiss freely to those who win your love. Your smile is infectious, your sass is incomparable and you can melt our hearts with the wink of your eye.  Cheetahs, superheros and unicorns make up your list of must haves, requiring books upon books of each to keep up with challenging your ever growing intellect. But art is your most favorite thing to do, our memory boxes are overflowing with all your creations. From drawing, coloring, painting or building a house out of an egg crate, there never seems to be an end to your creativity.  I look forward to hearing all about your day at school and you happily indulge me with every single little detail. Even when there isn't that much to talk about, you find a way to talk and talk and talk...so much like your Mommy.  The Lord has gifted you with wisdom to learn from other's mistakes, but we pray that you know it's OK when you make mistakes.  You can't always be right, as hard as you might, but no one is perfect.   I know you will have no problem capturing your dreams, hoping your strong  determination will carry you through any rough waters.  We pray the Lord will continue to put words of praise on your lips and a song in your heart, my beautiful little girl.