Stuart Graham

 Stu-Bear, it's your 7th birthday today! I love looking back through pictures because they show me how very much you have changed, and how very much you have always been just who you are.

You were such a sweet, cuddly baby...

 who eased into this sweet, cuddly, curious crawler...

 ...who eased into this introspective, curious, wonderful toddler...

 ...who eased into this curious, funny, wonderful little boy...

 ...who is easing into a funny, introspective, sweet, tender, growing up little man.

Stuart, God has given you a soft heart. Soft hearts are the very strongest there are, son, because soft hearts are moldable to Jesus. Soft hearts go into hard places and make them better with their quiet strength. Soft hearts look at the sad and hurting and strive to help them heal.

Oh, that you will grow to understand what strength there is in having a soft heart! That you will grow to understand what a gift Jesus has given you. That you will grow to understand that following Jesus with your whole life will allow you to reach into the hardest places and help the most hurting. That is what we pray for you, our tender protector.

Happy birthday to our growing up Bear. We love you so.

Emmett Boy

Emmett boy, what happened?! You will tell us, "I am FIBE now," and I am not sure I can quite accept it yet.

These 5 years have been a bit of a blur and through the blur has been our affectionate, take charge, content, wonder-filled little boy to brighten our lives.

 I cannot bring myself to say that I don't want you to grow up. I do...I want you to continue growing and learning and becoming a more complete picture of who God made you to be. But I don't want these days to go by too fast.

 You still love Star Wars and the light sabers. You also LUB stuffed animals and penguins in particular. You love your friends and can name every single one and what their preferences are. People matter the most to you and we love that quality in you, Buds.

God has wired you to need to be around people. We pray that you will continue to be moldable by Jesus, that your heart would be completely captured by Him, because then your affectionate spirit will overflow and affect the world in a powerful way.

We love you so, our Emmett boy. You fill our hearts with joy and laughter. Happy birthday, wonderful son.