Eight!

Last weekend was his birthday. Eight years old...I seriously do not know how this happened. I think back to all the times he was a baby and I was told to "Enjoy every moment, because they grow up so fast..." and I feel his childhood slipping away. I cannot stop it, it's like trying to stop water running through my fingers.

This boy changed our life, forever. What a gentle introduction to parenthood he was and continues to be; he loves to please, he is a peacemaker and a rule follower, sensitive, kind and thoughtful. Yet my heart breaks for him as I see some of the struggles he has had to face this year, the problems he has encountered and had to deal with on his own. To feel helpless as a parent and not be able to fix the problems, to know that at times he can feel so alone. A new school and trying to make new friends, it has been hard. He is not one to impose himself on others and he plays it safe. He feels so deeply, I know that this will at times be both a huge blessing and sometimes feel like a curse.

My prayer for him this year is that he will grow in boldness. That he will feel safe and loved and find his voice. That he will worry less about what others think and first and foremost be sure of what he believes to be true and right, so that he can be confident and unshaken. There needs to be much prayer and I feel challenged...

We did not have a party this year, but he asked to see a movie with his cousins and have a sleepover, so that is what we did on Friday night. We took them all to see Journey 2: The Mysterious Island and then we went out for pizza. It was a late night with children talking way past their bedtime. I love the relationship he has with his cousin though, I love that they can talk for hours and that they really 'get' each other. He truly is the closest he has ever come to having a brother. I loved hearing their little voices and wondering what on earth they could still be talking about as 10:30pm rolled around. So sweet!

On Sunday we had a couple of other friends over for lunch so that the kids could play together and his birthday would not feel forgotten. Just the two families we are closest to, but our little house here felt very full, the children by far outnumber the adults now. It has been fun to watch all these children growing up together and starting to see the people they will become. We all have adventures ahead of us.

Happy Birthday to my wonderful boy!