Today after church we gathered at Samuel’s house for a party to celebrate his third birthday. He was born on this day, December 1, in 2021. I remember the moment well, and my joy over his young life has only grown since I first held him. Thankfully, he still lets me hold him, though not for as long as in those earliest years. He’s growing fast, and he squirms away from me now. But he still asks me to play with him, and I always happily oblige.

Samuel had a construction vehicle theme for his party, which featured tacos (at his request) and a birthday cake, along with all kinds of gifts and games. We joined with his parents to get him a super-cool digger that he can drive himself. He liked that a whole lot more than the clothes we got him. 🙂 Still, he showed gratitude for everything he received and was extremely well behaved the whole time. It was a remarkable day for a remarkable little guy.

I lamented on the way home, “I don’t think those boys will ever know how much we really love them.” Sonya replied, “They will when they have grandkids of their own.”

That’s worth the wait.