Today is our Bug’s birthday.  Our living room is decked out in yellow balloons and yellow streamers, because yellow is, and has been, his favorite color, by far, since before he could talk.  And, like his color preference, Nathanael has a lot of very obvious and distinct personality traits.  He continues to be a big fan of white chocolate, anything lemon, and grilled cheese.  He is (almost) always excited to help with any home improvement, car repair, or mechanical “fixes” around the house.  He is the most likely among his siblings to ask questions about our morning devotional, or about a math assignment, or about how something works, or about why something happened.  He always – ALWAYS – hangs back with whoever is lagging behind when we’re going somewhere together, often quiet and unassuming in his personal conviction in this.

As a twelve-year old boy, there are obviously still growth areas, though even in these he is consistent in his propensities.  He is quick to have a witty comeback in any situation (even, at times, inappropriate ones…hence, the need for growth).  He still answers the question “I wonder what will happen if…?” by doing, rather than by reasoning, much too often.  He is generally of the opinion that if something isn’t working, more force will fix it.  All things that sometimes don’t work out so well for him, but he is learning to rein in these tendencies.

I admit, there are days when I still miss my little toddler boy reliably plopping down next to me in the morning, demanding snuggles before he would start his day (how could I not miss that??), but I absolutely love my twelve-year old Nathanael, and all the years we’ve had in between.  He is an exceptional gift and a wonderful joy to my heart and to our family.  I am truly excited and grateful to be able to celebrate him today.