Twelve years ago on this very day, God allowed your mother and I to welcome you into our family. You were the first to be added to our number. I'm so glad God picked us for each other. I love being your dad.
You are a good big brother. You love your younger siblings and regularly seek out opportunities to interact with them and condescend to their level in order to be part of their lives. You love leading and determining the course of action for a Saturday afternoon with your siblings. You love being outside and when the weather permits, you can often be found outdoors as much as you are allowed. You love spending time by yourself reading and reviewing photos and stories usually about pick up trucks or from past wars. You love tacos and trips to Kansas City to see the orthodontist.
You keeping getting taller and taller and regularly outgrow pairs of shoes before they are worn out. Your feet are growing faster than their ability to run around. Finneas is going to have some nice shoes waiting for him when he gets as big as you since your feet have moved on to larger boots before the old ones wore out. :) You like exercising and trying to do pull-ups on the bar we bought you last Christmas. You aspire to preach, to lead, to be a husband, to be a father, to leave a legacy, and to live faithfully.
I am proud to be your earthly father, your spiritual brother and your friend. I like you and I like being around you.
You are a fantastic artist. You are growing constantly in your ability to capture perspective on paper. You are a good student, working hard to gain knowledge and grow in wisdom. You always enjoy baptisms at church, remembering yours and wishing you could do it all again because of the joy of remembering your experience. You often raise your hands in genuine worship while gathered at the local church on Sunday mornings. You are passionate and have strong feelings but have yet to develop equally strong abilities to steer them. You are growing in this, however. You are learning as the Holy Spirit gives you the gift of increased self-control. You are a good son and I could not be prouder to be your dad. You often ask to carry my backpack after church, partially to help and partially for the feeling of doing something difficult that makes you feel manly. You enjoy wine on cheeseboard feast days and you enjoy participating in plays that you and your siblings write and perform for mom and me in the basement.
You take God and life seriously and are learning to take yourself less seriously. You are learning how to laugh at yourself and are finding life more enjoyable in the process.
If the years of you living in our home is to be approximately 18 in total, then you have just completed the second set of 6 years. 0-6 and then 6-12. This means you are embarking now on the final 1/3 of your 6 years under my roof. Years 12-18 will be a time of great change and development. You will continue to grow in wisdom, stature and favor with God and with those around you. I am praying for my abilities and wisdom in parenting to grow along with you. You will be the first 12 year old child I have ever had. You will be the first 18 year old young man I watch leave our home someday.
I love you. I am grateful to God for you even now as I type this. My eyes begin to well up with tears of joy and gratitude in thinking about you. I have treasured these days and will continue to. I love having you as part of my life.
Happy birthday, my son.
Here's to turning 12 and to many more years to come.
I love you. Always have, always will. No matter what. Forever and ever. World without end. Amen.
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