Sunday, February 7, 2016

Happy (belated) Birthday, Grey!

Our sweet baby Grey,
You are THREE years old now! No longer a baby at all actually, but your daddy and big brother and sister and I are having a hard time not calling you that. You are still our baby and always will be. Grey, you bring so much joy and laughter and complete happiness to us. You are the one that made our family whole.

I think this is the first birthday letter that I haven't written on the actual birthday, because honestly, little one, being a working mom of three is busy. And a lot of nights I lie in bed and tell your daddy all of the things that I've done wrong for the day. But, I can't be perfect for you or your siblings as much as I want to be, because I am human. And the guilt of it and sadness it makes me feel sometimes is consuming, but what I want to teach you in this year's birthday letter is that I can be freed from that guilt and sadness when I tell God about it.

It is an amazing, almost miraculous thing to feel God's love and forgiveness and acceptance and freedom. And I had felt all of those things before you were born, but God showed me all of them in a deeper, wider, broader, bigger way with you. I love you so much that at times I think my heart might burst. And God loves me more than that. And He loves YOU more than that. As much as you are my treasure, you are more so His. As always, my birthday prayer for you is that you will know him intimately in your life. That you will feel the wonder and awe and majesty that only He can show you. And that you will devote your life to Him and the callings He has for you.

I love you more than a blog post could say, Grey. Some of my favorite things about you right now are...
your belly laugh - it gets everyone in the room laughing.
your silly and goofy nature - I think you're the class clown of our family!
your love for your mama - I LOVE that you always say "mommy hold you" and that you always want me to put you to bed or carry you or sit with you
that you snuggle in bed with me in the morning - You love to get under the covers and suck on your fingers and lay with me.
your adoration for books - We often find you reading in your room by yourself and you have memorized several of  your books and will "read" them to us!
your independence - You love to play and do things by yourself...but you still let me do lots of things for you so I feel needed;)
how you love the outdoors - Even though your mama is not an outdoorsy type, I can still appreciate it in you...you want to be outside ALL THE TIME!

I can already see the charming, funny, smart, handsome man God is making you into. I am so thankful to be following my greatest calling in being your mother.

I love you, Grey! Happy 3rd Birthday!!

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