Harry Beau,
Today is your 3rd birthday and what a sweet day it is! You are now, and have always been, one of the most jubilant people on the planet. Your smile takes up your entire face and your eyes completely disappear - you almost glow when you begin to grin. It’s a gift to all who know you.
Your life started in a weird age. One of isolation and fear, but God knew what He was doing and you are so perfectly fearless and outgoing. You’ve actually never met a stranger and call all humans your friends. Whether we are at the grocery store, the park, or any place in between, if there are other people there, you will assume they are your friends and you will treat them as such; the kindness and willingness to spread big love that comes from such a small body, is one we should and could all be jealous of.
You’ve got a wild curiosity about you. Everything is “what’s this?” and “where’d that come from?” You are bold in most situations and even climbed right up in the dentist chair like you owned the place, despite never having done that before. You surprise people often with your willingness to try all sorts of things. And you scare me a bit when you attempt stunts that even your big sister is hesitant about. You got a swing set for your birthday and as Daddy and I were talking about what types of swings to include, we both agreed that you’d be “big boy swinging” in no time. It’s hard to believe, but it’s definitely true.
You LOVE Mickey Mouse and your first trip to Disney World was this year. It was a wonderful success. When you saw Mickey in our hotel, I think you could have gone home and considered the trip perfect. But when you realized how fun it was to ride all the things, you couldn’t get off one ride fast enough to run to another. You are most certainly a thrill junky!
You’ve taken quite well to Tennessee this year. You even have the slightest hint of a southern twang when you talk. It’s going to be so fun to watch your speech and vocabulary grow - and see if the south rubs off on you more or less than your Floridian mama. Just this morning you were running around the yard barefoot and shirtless in the “beast cape” that you got for your birthday. A blue velvet cape and a bright yellow dump truck was the perfect image of who you are these days. Too bad my phone was completely MIA and there is no visual record of any of it.
Your daddy and I are looking forward to what this next year brings to you and are so thankful for the gift of joy that you have been to us and this world. We pray that you will grow to be a strong and tender hearted man of God and that the joy with which you came into this world would never be burnt out of you. That your light would continue to shine bright for the Lord and that when the day comes and you have a family, that you can lead and shepherd them with humility and grace. Happy Birthday, little man. We love you!
Love,
Mama & Daddy
