Elliot's second birthday.... random photos from his birthday party

Bubble Guppy HEAVEN

Elliot sure is spoiled by two of his Aunties!   His Auntie Jen bought him the Bubble Guppy bus for his birthday.   THEN he was surprised by Aunt Stacy at his birthday party.   Aunt Stacy bought him the Bubble Guppy School.    So what has Elliot been doing for HOURS today?   Driving his Bubble Guppies to school and dropping them off.   He even put them in his new shopping cart and drove them all to his kitchen set because...as Mr. Gruper says, "It's time for lunch!"  

Family Day!

On Friday, Mark and I took personal days so we could celebrate Elliot's birthday!    We had a great day!   We went to the Hershey Car Museum first.   Elliot was in heaven!   So many fun things to look at!   And then.... he discovered that the ground floor was busses!   Did I spell that right?   HA!   He thought it was just TOO COOL!    I see us going back there again!

The weather was quite fall like!   Sooooo breezy and just too cold for the zoo.   We decided to do Chocolate World together for the first time ever with Elliot.   We rode the ride twice and then picked up some goodies for his party!

We spent the rest of the day playing and getting ready for his birthday party.

What a great day!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Elliot!

My dearest Elliot,

It is the eve of your second birthday as I sit and type this letter to you.   I find myself thinking, "Wow...what a year!"   and "Where do I begin?!?"   My first thought is, "Time flies when you are having fun!"   As your mommy, I find myself falling more and more in love with you every day.   I remember when you were first born and how smitten I was.   I found myself wondering, "Will this feeling fade?   Will this feeling change?"  For me, the answer is 'no.'    You constantly amaze me.

C.S. Lewis once wrote, "Joy is the serious business of heaven."   I'd like to add to this and say that joy is also the serious business of parenting.  

This year has been a year of growth for you.   Your vocabulary, especially!   You love to talk.   You're able to tell us what you want and you make your own choices.    You know your body parts.   You can identify pictures.   You have great balance.   You are amazing with a ball!  You've got a great arm, kid!    You love to run, climb, walk, and dance.    And sometimes you take a break from these things to remove your socks and shoes.   You're experimenting and pretending a lot.    I love to watch you analyze and imagine.    You're learning to draw/write - it's so darn cute!   You greet people with hugs and kisses.   You are using the potty more and more each week.   You're in love with books.  You're never without a car/truck/train.   And still, after all this time .... one of your favorite things to do is to take a rest with your head or your hand on my heart.

The other night, you took my breath away.   We were watching one of your favorite movies (Finding Nemo) and you had your hand on my heart.   I pointed to my heart and said, "What's this?"   You replied, "HEART!"   I then said to you, "Do you know you are my heart?"

You let out one of your beautiful laughs and said to me, "Duh, mommy!"

I then asked you to point to your heart.   And you did just that.   You pointed to your heart and you said, "Mommy."  It literally took my breath away.   You are without a doubt, the love of my life.   For the past two years now I have told you every single day that you are my love and my joy.

"His banner over me was love."  (Song of Solomon 2:4)

My biggest hope and dream for you aside from happiness, is that you always follow your heart.   You are already overflowing with God's Grace.    You don't earn grace, and you don't "deserve" grace; you simply receive it as God's loving gift, and then share it with others.   You are barely two years old and you already do this.   You have such a beautiful spirit and I know it will only continue to blossom.  

I know in time years from now you are going to come up against some tough stuff.   Heck, you might even come up against some tough stuff in the next year as we begin to face the supposed "terrible twos"...  And as redundant as this may be, I want you to know that Mommy and Daddy will always be there for you.   We are always in your heart.    Follow your heart, sweet boy.   It will take you to the most extraordinary places.   Never regret loving someone, never take someones love for granted, either.  

Listen to your heart.   It's where your values live.    Everything you are learning about God from us, your family, and your Godparents rests in your heart.    No one will ever be able to take that away from you.  This upcoming year you will be learning more about God and prayer.   God delights in the prayers of His children - prayers that express our love for Him, prayers that share our deepest burdens with Him.  "The unfailing love of the Lord never ends!"  (Lamentations 3:22)..... nor does the love your Daddy and I have for you.

Elliot, you are the love of our life.   We are so blessed to have you as our son.    You bring us so much joy.   I have been thanking God for you ever since I first heard your glorious heartbeat in March of 2011.    I thanked God even more two years ago when I finally met you face to face.   You have changed my life for the better.    And just as you have grown, I have grown.    And we will together continue to do so.    You are my greatest blessing.  

Happy Birthday, sweet boy.    My love.   My joy.  

I love you with all my heart.

Love,
Mommy.