Luke

Sweet Luke,

Happy 2nd Birthday!! I am continually humbled by the privilege we have in being your parents. And, thankful. Thankful that we serve a God whose plans are so much greater than mine. The day I found out I was pregnant with you...well, it was certainly tainted by my fears of 3 little ones so close in age. Your brothers were not quite 20 months old and I couldn't fathom another little one. And, here we are, celebrating your 2nd birthday and I marvel at how one little person can bring so much joy, laughter, love and completeness to our family. *YOU*, sweet boy, are what we were missing all along!!

Even though I've missed a lot of sleep these past two years, I have enjoyed almost every minute of getting up with you in the night. There were times when I was frustrated but that was just the tiredness talking. Usually within a minute of putting you in my arms, I was grateful to have one more night of rocking with you. As I look at your older brothers and how quickly life changes, I realize my days of rocking in the middle of the night with you are almost over.

You love everything truck, tractor, construction related. You watch the road everywhere we go for "truck-trucks, lo-los (loaders), 'bines and tats (tractors)". Quite certain that you can do anything the big boys do, we see you jumping off the furniture, walking around drinking full bottles of Gatorade (without hardly spilling a drop) and climbing on their bikes. One thing you especially love is reading books. We will often find you sitting in your room or the boys' room, looking through books for long periods of time. In fact, you refuse to go to bed at night now without a couple books in your crib. I love that you want to be anywhere your daddy is...I pray you and your brothers always look to your daddy the way you do now.

We love you more than words could say, sweet boy. Praise God that His ways are always better than ours!!