Thanking the Lord for A Sweet Gift

Happy first birthday, Javen! A year ago today, you made your entrance into the world, and with every one of past 365 days, we have fallen more deeply in love with you.

It has been a year in our family that brought a new precious life and also the loss of a precious life, a year in which we have seen and experienced how the Lord gives and takes away and have been reminded to love deeply but hold loosely.

Even during some weeks, days, and moments of tears and sadness over the great loss of your Aunt Mallory (who loved you so very much, by the way), you have been a constant source of joy to us and have helped us to smile even in those moments when we didn’t think we could. I hope Aunt Mal gets to look down from heaven on you today to see how much you have grown and changed since she last got to see you and love on you. I know it would make her so happy to see you today, and I wish so much that she was here to give you a birthday snuggle.




We are looking forward to this next year that will bring so many changes for you as you grow and develop. We will get to watch you learn to walk and talk . . . we will get to begin teaching you so many things . . . you will become a big brother . . . . we cannot wait to see what your future will hold, and it is our prayer that above all else you will grow to know and love the Lord and will live a life that serves Him to the fullest, that your love for Him will overflow to everyone around you.

In closing, I just want to share some of the (many) things we most love about you:

-How I can never get anything done around the house when you are awake . . . your eyes plead with me to sit down and play with you, and I can never resist.

-Your precious smile that lights up your whole face – and the frequency with which you display it!

-Your silly personality, and how you have figured out that you are funny and can (and love to) do things on purpose to make us laugh.

-How you love your Daddy, how you crawl to the door as fast as you can when you hear his key in the lock every night, and how you immediately start reaching one arm up in the air when he walks in the door, begging him to pick you up to touch high things (you love when he picks you up to touch the ceiling, fans, or lights, or anything else high in the air).

-How you love your Mommy, how your favorite place to be is in my arms, how all is right with your little world when you are nestled in Mommy’s embrace, how you still wake up every night for a feeding and a sleepy snuggle with your Mama. So many treasured 3a.m. moments we have shared!

-How when you wake up in your crib, you sit up or stand up to peer through or over the crib slats toward the door, waiting and knowing that we will soon appear in your doorway . . . and then you start bouncing up and down with pure joy when we do.

Happy 1st birthday, sweet son. We love and cherish you, we love being your Mommy and Daddy, and we are grateful to the Lord for His kindness in entrusting you to us.