Happy Birthday Daniel

So I am a few weeks behind on events.  No surprise with my now 3 year old running around.  Did you catch that, yes I said 3!  I know it is so hard to believe Daniel is 3 years old now.  He is getting so big so fast.  Everyday it seems I am putting more clothes away that are to tight, to short or all around to small.  He is so smart and funny and is turning into an amazing young boy (notice I did not say man, we are not rushing that one).  He is no longer mommy’s baby, but insists he is a big boy.  He is very opionated and knows what he wants and is not afraid to make it known either.  I am so proud at the big boy he is becoming.  Some of his personality traits that have become very apparent this past year: He is a charmer, a flirt and loves to make people laugh.  He will put a show on for you like nothing you have ever seen.  He still gets shy and holds on to our legs when he doesn’t know someone.  He is so smart and picks up on things very fast (sometimes way to fast for my liking).  He is such a joy and brings smiles and warmth to everyone he comes in contact with.

For his birthday (March 9^th was his birthday, told you I am way behind) he got to have an Alvin and the Chipmunks party.  The cake was amazing (thank you Audra and Mikaela once again) with a stage, all the chipmunks and instruments.  You wouldn’t think it would be hard to find Chipmunk’s themed party supplies but it definitly was.  There is nothing out there.  Daniel’s favorite part I think was playing with all his little friends.   While we were singing him Happy Birthday he sat there and rolled his eyes, he is so dramatic! You can see video of it below (thank you Ryan for all the pictures and video). 

It was such a sweet day. 

On Daniel’s actual birthday he got to pick what we had for dinner and if we stayed home or went out to eat.  He wanted to stay home (he is really turning into quite a homebody) and wanted us to bring dinner home.  So we asked him what he wanted to eat, for those of you that know Daniel you might have been able to guess his answer – Chicken wings, the kid loves ranch chicken wings.  So I picked up Quaker Steak and Lube on my way home.  Before dinner  Mark asked him if he wanted to pray, here was Daniels prayer “Dear God, thank you for my birthday and thank you for my family. Amen”  Melt my heart!  He is such a sweet boy.  That brought tears to my eyes and made this mommy heart full! 

 

I thank God everyday for this gift of this sweet boy.  For those big brown eyes and little chocolate fingers. For the gift of getting to be Daniels parents.  Everyone says how lucky Daniel is to have found his forever family.  I say how blessed and lucky I am that I get to be his mom.  It truly is a gift that keeps on giving.  On his birthday I take a moment to stop and remember the woman who had to make the decision to give her son up for adoption. A decision that had to be in my mind the hardest decision of her life. A decision that not only changed her world forever but changed ours.  Because of this decision we get the joy of waking up to this sweet face, the sweet giggles, the sweet hugs and kisses and the sweet dance moves (oh the dancing makes me laugh just thinking about it) every day.  A decision that I will be forever grateful for, as she gave us the best gift of all. The gift to get to be Daniel’s parents.  The gift to hear him say the words “I love you with all my heart”, the gift to hear him call us mommy and daddy.   God sets the lonely in families and when you answer that call he gives you the best gift of all.  He knew Daniel would be our son and he knew he was the perfect one for us to all our own.