Dear Anthony

My Anthony James;

There are days when you will do everything in your power to drive me up the wall and we do nothing but butt heads constantly. There are also days when you will do something as selfless as share 1/2 your brand new package of silly-banz with your sister. (who then proceeds to lose them, causing a major melt down that comes in the form of sobbing because I told you you had to stay in bed 10 more minutes!)

I love you so much. I love watching you grow and change and mature. I love watching God start to stir your heart. It melts my heart to see you reading your bible and trying hard to memorize.

God is going to use you my son and I pray that you will let Him. That you will listen to His voice and heed His calling in your life.

If there were anything I could change about the past months it's that I wish I could have spent more time with just you.

I miss that.

The special time you and I have just the two of us. Sometimes life gets crazy and your brother and sister require more attention and you get left out. I hate that, for I know that you love being able to spend time with me, to do something that's just us. To sit and cuddle and read stories together, to chase and play and build and explore.

You are growing so quickly, that there are days I forget that you are still little. That you are a boy and like to be silly and crazy.

I love you my oldest child. I have loved you from the moment I knew you and I will always love you. I know there are days when you might not believe that because we have done nothing but argue but it's true. God blessed me with you and I am thankful for that. God knew exactly who you were going to be and who I was and He blessed me with you my sweet, sweet boy.

I love you Anthony and I pray that you will grow closer to God in the coming year and that we will make time for just us in the midst of school and siblings and crazy, busy days.