Another page turned

It's been six years since my first son made his slow but dramatic entrance into the world.

This journey of motherhood has been life-changing and wonderful. And Gabriel has shared every moment of it with me. I do my best to teach him of God and life and being a man of good character, but all the while he is teaching me so much more about motherhood, patience, forgiveness, and grace.

This year, Gabriel has:

:: continued excelling as a drummer. He made his public debut with special music this past fall, first at our local church and then at the church in Pittsburgh we were a part of until moving up north. To say he loved those opportunities is an understatement. The boy is waiting anxiously for the day he gets to play on the worship team.

:: taken on more of an identity has Daddy's Helper. Whenever Daniel has projects now (especially outdoor ones), Gabriel feels very keenly that he ought to be right out there with him.

:: learned to play backyard baseball/wiffleball. He decided he really liked it and is very intent on playing T-ball in the community league this summer!

:: officially started his schooling here at home. He is a great student and a quick learner. I've been enjoying my year of being able to tailor our work to most take advantage of his interests and abilities. And Gabriel loves the Friday Program he attends weekly.

:: participated in his first organized sport: basketball! He is a decent athlete and has grown a lot as a basketball player.

:: his first loose tooth! At first he was very alarmed by it and I realized I hadn't done a very good job of explaining to him that not all loose teeth are a sign of poor tooth care (oops!). After reassuring him that it's all a normal part of growing up, he is now looking forward to the tooth falling out so he can get a surprise under his pillow.

:: grown into a genuine assistant to me here at home. Whenever he's not here, I realize how much he does to help me: emptying the dishwasher, making beds, sweeping the kitchen, putting away laundry, and more. It wasn't that long ago that I felt so very far away from having a child old enough to help. Those years really do go by in the blink of an eye.

We love our Gabriel-boy, with all his quirks and personality and unique abilities, and are so thankful to celebrate another year of God's goodness and faithfulness to him. Happy birthday!