Four

Dear Sam,

Happy Birthday!  We are so blessed that you are a part of our little family.  Four years ago, you came into this world to make a difference and that is something that you have done in my life as well as your daddy's.  We are thankful beyond words for your sweet little life.  You rock our world in lots of ways!  Here are some things about you that make you who you are:

1.  You are extremely passionate about everything.  

We love this about you.  You don't do anything half-way.  You give your all in everything you do.  That means that you give your all when you are playing baseball, pirates, coloring, painting, helping mom cook, playing the wii...you also give your all when you want your opinion known.  You don't back down.  This is hard sometimes, but it is also something that I love about you because you really don't care about what everyone else is doing.  You want to do what is right.  I hope that you always walk in this passion.  Your dad and I pray that this passion is directed toward Christ one day.  We pray that you learn to do everything you do as unto the Lord.  

2.  You care about other people.

Sam, you don't want anyone to go astray.  You are very interested in knowing that others need to do what is right and you care deeply that your friends do not get into trouble.  You want to make sure everyone is on track.  As your cousin Caleb says, "you're gonna be the boss one day."  You probably will.  We have to make sure you understand that you are not the boss quite often.  Just the other day, you walked up to about five 10-12 year olds who were hanging on the playground equipment and told them that they needed to get down because you needed to climb there.   AND THEY DID.  While we are working on certain actions, we know that you are a natural leader and we pray that your care for other people causes you to be a compassionate leader as you grow. We pray that you learn to put other people first and that you care about people's hearts.  This year, you are really starting to understand that Jesus died on the cross to wash away our sins.  There was a night around Easter that we were sitting in Starbucks, talking about Jesus, and you asked me if I thought that the people around us knew that Jesus died for them.  It was such a sweet moment for your dad and I to see that you want others to know about Jesus.  

3.  You love to sing, you love to play sports, and you love to use your imagination.

A lot of the time, you do all of these things together.  You make up songs about baseball and golf.  You play baseball and golf A LOT!!  We love watching you grow in these areas and love watching you enjoy yourself.  We pray that you always find joy in everything that you do. 

4.  You love to talk.

You always have.  We love to talk with you about all sorts of things.  You ask a lot of questions and you want to understand why things are the way that they are.  You like to teach others what you have learned and aren't afraid of what they think of you when you tell them.  You amaze us in that you'll talk to just about anyone about anything.  You have really grown out of your shyness and have started to open up to most everyone.  We love to watch you and listen to you!

Sam, you are such a joy.  You challenge us on a daily basis.  You make us think.  You have made us grow so much over the past four years.  Your dad and I have learned more than we ever could about love, selflessness, patience, grace, attitude...trucks, monster trucks, sharks, dinasours...faith, dependence on the Lord, and joy.  Thank you for all that you bring to our family.  We can't wait to see what the Lord has for your life.  We love you!

Love, 

Mom