Dear Carson,
You have been over the top excited about your birthday this year. You are thrilled to be turning 5. And I love to watch your enthusiasm because it just fills your entire little body. You are exuberant when you are happy-- it lights up your whole face, you jump and dance and wiggle around and just glow.
Every year I am a little sad around your birthday; because you are the baby of the family and it is a little hard for me to watch you grow up and not start thinking about your "lasts." (Like yesterday was your last day of preschool and I was kind of a wreck). But, I also love every single minute of seeing how you have changed and grown over this last year.
You are hilarious. I have written down so many quotes of things you have said over the last year. I call your Grandmama almost daily to share the funny things you say and do. You make me laugh all. the. time.
You have an enormous imagination. I love to listen to you play independently with your toys. You create these elaborate story lines with characters and dialog and so many details. You assign names to almost every thing you come across-- toys, rocks, trees, pillows, blankets, bugs-- literally everything has a name. But your very favorite toys are Puppy and Jumpy. You sleep with them every night, include them in your games, and in general, take very good care of your special friends.
You ADORE your Daddy. You love me too, for sure. You tell me all day long that you love me "super much," and you like to sleep snuggled up beside me. But you have a special closeness with your dad. You love to "fight" with him, and visiting him at work is one of your favorite things to do.
You loved school this year and did so well, both academically and socially. You get along with everyone and are consistently kind to others. You name every single person in your class as one of your friends. Your teachers have so many sweet things to say about you and your daddy and I are SO proud of how you behave when you are away from us.
You still have a pretty large dose of stubbornness and defiance in you :) You are usually easy-going and affable, but there are times when you are absolutely impossible. If you do not get your way you can be insane. We will look back on it one day and laugh about your stubbornness-- but for now you keep things just a little bit wild. You struggle to listen and follow directions if it goes against something that you really want to do, but we're working on it.
You love to hug and kiss and be held. You like to sleep super close and snuggled up. You love going to church and school but you also really like being home with me and Carver and Daddy. You make friends everywhere you go and you will talk to anyone. You like to ask questions and meet new people and you have joy that is just infectious.
The best part of this last year has been your growing interest in God, and Jesus, and salvation. You ask so many good questions and you already have such faith and love for Jesus. You have a heart for Jesus, I can see it already. You are seeking for sure and I can't wait to see how you continue to grow this year. I am convinced that God will use you in mighty ways.
This year the word I am praying over you is compassion. Not because you struggle with this, but rather because I think it is one of your very best qualities and I hope it continues to grow in you. You care so much about others. You love me so well. You are an encourager to everyone-- you tell me, or Carver, or Daddy, every time we do something good or well. You are a cheerleader and have a genuine love of people. This is such an incredible character trait. I pray that you will continue to be compassionate, that your heart stays gentle, and that you never stop your exuberance for life and the kindness you show to all people.
You are gift. The absolute best kind of gift and I am so incredibly thankful for you. When I look at you my heart is FULL to the brim with love. You encompass so much of what is good in the world and you give me such hope for the future. I pray that you grow and learn and seek more and more about life this year. That, above all else, you know and love Jesus.
You are so loved. By me and Daddy. Carver and your "big" and "little" cousins. By Grandmama and Granddaddy and Nana and Papa. By Uncle Lyle, Aunt Courtney and Uncle Michael and Julia. And even by my friends-- who all love you too. You are exceptionally special and our family-- immediate and extended-- is so blessed by you.
Happy Birthday Carson!
I love you to the moon and back a thousand times over.
Love,
Mama
