Happy 9th Birthday Nate....

Nine years ago God blessed us with our second son, Nathan John. He is still amazing me everyday with his unique mind. I love this boy deeply and I dedicate this post to my Nate.

.....you get super excited for your birthday

(actually you get excited for all of our birthdays too!)

.....you wanted to open your gifts first thing in the morning

.....you and your brother always get each other a gag gift

(this year Noah got you a pack of napkins...so funny)

.....you loved swimming this summer

.....you love to play outside

.....you always seem to find a way to get super dirty

.....you built a balance beam in our back yard

.....you are a member of the Dangerous Boys Club

.....you enjoy playing board games

(especially chess and the game clue with Noah)

.....you love to watch Shaun the Sheep

.....you are still totally into Legos

.....you love the lego mini figures

.....your favorite movie is "The Lego Movie"

(surprise surprise)

.....you are in the 3rd grade

.....you have always been homeschooled

.....you are an emotional creature

.....you love going back to PA to visit family

.....your excitement is contagious

.....you are usually the 2nd kid up in the morning

(today you were up first of course)

.....you still like to dress up in costumes

.....you love going roller skating

.....your favorite color is green

.....you love to ride your bike

(especially around the neighborhood with Noah)

.....you like to play the Wii

.....you eat 2 eggs and a bowl of cereal every morning for breakfast

.....you are a literal thinker

.....you love to read the kid detective series "Nate the Great"

.....you still have hearing sensory issues

.....you eat PBJ everyday for lunch

.....your favorite jammie pants are way to short on you

(the infamous platypus jammies, but you refuse to get rid of them)

.....you pray for certain people everyday

.....you love babies

(it is so sweet to see you with baby Aaron)

.....you have a special bond with your brother Noah

.....you love our movie night with popcorn

(every Tuesday night!)

.....your favorite flavor of ice cream is chocolate

(with chocolate peanut butter cups)

.....you are a great brother

(you and Luke butt heads, but you guys are still buddies)

.....you work on Scripture memory every day

.....you have a fun sense of humor

.....your best friend is Josiah

.....your favorite drink is water

.....you like to play go-fish with Lauren

.....your laugh is the best

.....you eat lots of new things these days

(your oral sensory issues are getting much better)

.....you are still the only kid in our family with freckles

.....you have a tender heart

As the years move along, it is such a blessing for us to watch you grow and mature.  With each year you gain independence and we breath a sigh of relief as you practice self control over your emotions and your actions. You have such a sweet tenderness about you, but at the same time we see you growing in strength.  We are so thankful for you, and pray for God to do a mighty work in your heart. One day we hope you will be a strong godly man and that you will serve our Lord Jesus Christ with your whole heart. 

Happy Birthday Nate

I Love You,

Mommy

Happy Birthday Nate.....

8 yrs. ago God was gracious in giving to us our second son, Nathan John. As each year passes, we rejoice in the blessing that this special boy is to our family. His smile still moves me inside, and I am growing in understanding of what a unique mind he has been given. I dedicate this post to our Nate. 

.....you have been counting down to your birthday since the summer

.....your excitement is contagious

.....you love surprises

.....you had me measure your height after you woke up 

.....you are our only child with freckles and you are very proud of them

.....your favorite shirt is your Tie-dye 

.....you love to chew gum

.....your Daddy cuts your hair

.....you have a fun sense of humor

.....you are the most ticklish person I know

.....you are very good at math

.....you love M&M's

.....you are still totally into legos

.....you still amaze us with your creations with and without directions

.....you love being a part of the Dangerous Boys Club

.....you have always loved water and of course love to swim

(and especially enjoy going down waterslides)

.....you still read to me everyday

(one of my favorite things to hear)

.....you are going through a difficult season with sensory issues with your hearing

.....you get very bothered by certain sounds

.....your patience is constantly being tested by Luke

(who makes sounds that heavily annoy you)

.....you amaze Daddy and I with your progress

.....you pray hard for certain people

.....you are still obsessed with babies

.....your favorite flavor of ice cream is chocolate

.....you always pick out a lego book each week when we go to the library

.....you are still playing the piano

(and I love to listen)

.....you are so sweet and tender with your baby brother Adam

.....you eat 2 peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwiches for lunch everyday

.....you love your big brother Noah and have always had a special relationship with him

.....you put up with all of his big brother antics

.....you love it when Noah makes funny faces, he gets you laughing so hard

.....you bite your fingernails

.....you build Lauren's lego set for her

.....you love playing hide-n-seek with your siblings

.....you have your own pocket knife

(given to you by Noah, who wants you to be more dangerous)

.....you used to be so scared by Thunderstorms, but recently have become much more brave

.....you really wanted to go to Chuck E Cheese on your Birthday

.....you were so excited to stand in the ticket blaster

.....you can sometimes get overwhelmed easily

.....the highlight of your summer is going back to PA to visit family

.....you love to play the Wii

.....you are still super affectionate and loving

.....you can have a wicked temper if pushed too far

.....your favorite color is green

.....you said you felt like a King on your birthday

.....you were told that you have autism this past year

.....you never feel sorry for yourself

.....you love pizza

.....you make people happy

.....you stand up and give oral presentations at our Co-op group

(and I so enjoy watching you talk to a group of people)

.....you still sometimes prefer to be alone

.....you enjoy doing stuff on the computer and figure things out by yourself

.....you and Luke are buddies and wrestle together

(when he isn't annoying you)

.....you think that Lauren needs to have a baby sister

....your vocabulary is growing and your speech is improving all the time

.....you are a strong visual learner

.....you love to watch Shaun the Sheep and Pink Panther

.....your favorite cereal is Peanut Butter Capt'n Crunch

.....you are usually the second kid up in the morning

.....your practice your memory verses every morning

.....you hate wearing socks

.....you love mud

......you are still a literal thinker

.....you went to your first baseball game a few months ago

.....you love to ride your bike around our neighborhood with Noah

.....you and Daddy have a special game you play at bedtime

.....you still prefer water over any other drink

.....you went on your first Dangerous Boys Camping trip this summer

It's hard to believe that you are 8 already. When Daddy and I think back over the years, we can't help but be in awe of the mighty work God is doing in you. You are so lovable, and have a sweet tenderness about you.  As you mature, I hear you often saying to me, "I don't need your help."  I keep backing off, watching you grow in your confidence and independence....it's quite a sight. You and your little sister share a special bond in the way you pray...so fervently and with so much faith. God has used you to teach Daddy and I so much.  We pray for the grace that it takes to raise you, and are  prayerfully pressing forward, eager to see the godly man that God intends for you to be. 

Happy Birthday Nate

I Love You,

Mommy

Sweet.....

I love this photo of Nate and his Daddy. He wanted to show his Dad something "cool" on the iPad before he left for work one morning.