To Beau Elias, on your 6th Birthday

Dear Beau,

Happy 6th birthday! I tell you, as our oldest child, I see that time just continues to fly in rearing children. It seems each year goes by faster and faster with you and this year was no exception. There are several things I want to note about this past year with you and my prayers for the coming year.

Some little things of note but things I like to look back on anyway are that your favorite colors are blue and green STILL. If you can find a way to make whatever you're doing, creating, wearing etc., blue and green it's a winner. You like running and climbing on EVERYTHING, so much so that you often have to reminded or reprimanded for jumping/climbing on things you know you're not supposed to be on. You have so much energy! I wish I had more than a fraction to keep up, but I am amazed at how you're always on the go with seemingly endless amounts of energy. You like to act out scenes from shows you may have watched (you currently enjoy Ben10 and all the characters from that) or even just creating your own plots. And this year you taught yourself how to ride a bike! Just before your birthday, I might add. We were so proud of you and, in typical Beau fashion, you were making ramps to jump off of and daring exercises with your bike seconds after you mastered it.

You and Cora are playing so much better. You two are becoming closer playmates more and more each day and I look on with such joy in the moments you two are depending on one another to create fun. She looks to you for direction and cuddles when she's sad. You are a sensitive little boy, and that can be demonstrated beautifully when Cora needs you to love on her. I see a strong, leadership quality in you and not only that, but a protective nature. Continue to nurture these God-given qualities Beau; you're a fantastic big brother when you allow yourself to be. :)

You also are such a great big brother to Sylvie Kate. Now that she's coming more mobile, she gets into all sorts of fixes and you're there to help her out! I catch you plenty of times crawling on the floor with her and you were so helpful in her desire to learn to walk. Sometimes I have to remind you to be gentle with her though, as I don't always think you remember how small she is; you see her as an equal playmate which can be nice, but also if you're not careful, can cause undue hurt. Continue to show her the love of Jesus; you mean the world to her.

You've finished kindergarten. We made it! It was an adventure to see what homeschooling would look like, but we took it on. I've seen all the progress you made and it is unbelievable how much you learned! You now can read, add double digits, write short stories, know all about animals, and Texas and US history as well. You had such a look of accomplishment on your face when we finished this year; I'm excited to see what first grade holds for us!

You continue to be so proficient in the word. I see time and time again confirmation that the Lord has given you a gift in understanding and being able to recall scripture. We get comments all the time from Bible class teachers how you are very outspoken in class and are always adding to the discussion. I continue to pray for this to grow in you, but also that you see scripture as not just stories and words to read, but testimonies and a promise fulfilled; these words are active and moving and they are a beautiful display of God showing us that He is who He says He is and that He does what He promises to do. Let that realization flow over you buddy and paired with your knowledge, there is no telling the reach you could have for His kingdom.

Something it seems we still have to work on though with you is how to be self-controlled. You feel everything. If someone hurts, you feel it, if someone is joyous, you feel it. This can be a beautiful attribute in ministering to others but I notice how often your biggest emotion comes through your anger. You can get so angry so quickly and it often becomes destructive, whether through you throwing something, saying something, or hurting someone. I wish you could see that the ones you feel the fiercest love for are often the ones you hurt the deepest. Beau, when you start feeling a welling up, please remember you have a choice, that the Lord has given us a spirit of power, and that you can choose to let this anger rule you OR you can choose to overpower it. I want you to know in saying this I don't expect perfection, nor does the Lord, but He (and I) do expect you to desire to overcome your anger and walk in expectation that you will. Trust in God's promises and see that He can and will come to your aide when you feel you can't do this on your own.

Beauster, you fill me with joy. Your passion inspires me, your giggles make me smile, your hugs melt me, and your prayers bring me to my knees. I love you so very much buddy, and know there isn't a day that goes by that I don't thank the Lord that He let me be your mom. Happy 6th birthday, my tough, fierce, bold boy.

Love,
Mom

To Cora Fair, on your 3rd Birthday

Dear Cora,

You are turning three! What a fun year this has been to watch you grow. You are becoming quite a girl and this year has shown to be such a year of advancement for you. I've watched you continue to grow in your personality and I can't wait to see what this next year holds in store for you. There are some things I'd especially like to remember about you at this stage.

You are my creative child. You could spend your days just painting, coloring, and drawing. Anytime someone pulls out crayons, paints, paper, or even just a pencil, you're wanting to draw. You sing and dance all day long. Whether it's a hymn, a song from preschool, a song from the radio, or one you've simply come up with on your own, you're singing all the time. Your dad and I often smile when driving in the car because we can hear you singing while gazing out the window. You come up with your own dances and anytime you hear a good beat, you're swinging your hips. You giggle when anyone else dances silly and jump in. I love that about you. I love that you can always find a reason to sing and always think there's something to be created. I hope you never stop thinking that.

You love to read. If I were to set a huge pile of books in front of you, you would spend your day asking someone to read to you then flipping through them yourself. Your my child that I can read to for hours, and you never tire of it. You adore reading with your siblings as well. You enjoy reading your Bible. We'll read through your daily story and you'll ask if we can read it again. Anytime you see a picture of a book on anything, you assume it's a Bible. I'll often find you in your room, flipping through pages, retelling stories as much as you can. It's such a sweet sight.

You are such a smart girl. You even started writing your name; an unbelievable feat! You have loved watching your brother do schoolwork and so often want me to give you work as well.  I'm so amazed at how quickly you learn and your vocabulary is quite extensive. It is so exciting that you love to learn.

You are a girly girl. You love to run in your room in the mornings and decide what to wear. You like dresses and getting your hair fixed. You like shoes and make-up. Sometimes I catch you playing in my make-up and we have to make a quick trip to the sink to wash you. You'll find your brother's chapstick and will put it on your lips over and over again. You adore getting your nails painted. I've had to discipline you a couple times for getting into my nail polish after telling you to let it be. But you relish the times when you sit in my bathroom and we pull out all the different nail colors and you get to decide which to put on that time. I am so excited that you're so girly; it makes me very happy to think of all the girly things we can do together as you get older.

You got your first haircut this year. It made Mama sad to see your baby hair gone, but I'm so excited to see it begin growing again. (We had it cut because it was falling out in patches; you were totally healthy, just a weird late phase of baby hair falling out.)

You're a prayerful gal. You know what it means to pray and you remind me to pray. You'll join in at prayer time whether it's at the dinner table or in your bed. You tell me that you love Jesus and girl, that makes my heart soar. It's a constant prayer of mine that you come to know and serve Him. My training with you is focused on turning to Him and going out and telling others about Him. Know that He created you, and that He created you for a purpose. This life is not your own and it's so fleeting; use the talents and qualities He's given you to further His kingdom. There will be times that I let you down as a mother and for that I'm apologizing for the past and in advance for the future. It breaks my heart to know I have and will do this but Cora, that's why it is SO important for you to know there's a God, the one true God, that will NEVER let you down. Turn to Him; He's waiting.

You are your daddy's girl. You squeal with delight when he comes through the door after work. You will barely let him out of your sight when he's home. You wake up in the middle of the night and come in our room simply (I think) so you can snuggle up to him. You get all dressed up and ask him to tell you how pretty you are (and he happily obliges). Remember though, "Pretty is as pretty does." I say this over and over to you to remind you that although indeed you are a beautiful little girl, that it won't matter much unless you're beautiful on the inside as well.

You are such a good sibling! You have LOVED being a big sister to Sylvie Kate and I can see your maternal instincts when you interact with her. You adore your big brother and look to him with such admiration. There are times that you two play together and it's the sweetest sight, but there are also times that you two fight and attack one another and that's when I have to step in. In the end though, you look up to Beau in the best of ways, and copy so much of what he does and says.

You potty trained this year! And so quickly! You were potty trained a few months after turning two and I can only think it's because you were so laid back about it. You let me know when you were ready and in a matter of a few days it was a done deal. Thanks for helping Mama with cutting down on diaper cost! ;)

You've started wanting friends. It's interesting to see how you interact with other children and what role you take on in the group. Because of your desire to see other's happy, we watch closely to make sure others treat that quality in you well.

Cora, I love you so very much and love being your mama. My prayer for you in the coming year is to continue learning of the Lord, continue absorbing the world around you, take in all the beauty God gave us, and then breathe it out by creating something beautiful. God loves seeing your attitude towards life; you wake up smiling.

Happy birthday precious girl, I love you.

Love,
Mama