Two!

Happy TWO YEARS our gift from God. We are BLESSED!

Benson, I am going to write this letter to you, others can read along, but it's really to you.

When mommy and daddy found out we were pregnant with you we were excited, joyful, and really, if we're honest, a bit scared, too. You see, we knew your life would bring lots of joy but also lots of big changes.  And we were right! 

You were a world traveler before you were even born. You've been to N-pal, India, Eth-opia, Kenya, and Switzerland.  This year, you will travel to Finland for Christmas and your Auntie Gretchen's wedding. You have also flown to Mississippi and California, and have been to Arizona, as well. We pray you will have a heart for the nations and a heart to see people around the world know Jesus. While we were in Kenya, at about 10 weeks in my womb, a missionary named Benson said I should name you after him. To make a long story short, upon our return to the states, we decided it would be so. Even though we wouldn't know for certain you were a boy until a couple of months later, we had in our hearts that you were indeed a boy. 

And we are so glad you are!  You are ALL BOY, too.  A strong, capable, intelligent BOY.  Your favorite things to do at this point in life are to play with balls. You prefer shooting baskets, dunking the basketball and hanging from the rim ;), kicking a soccer ball or any ball, playing catch, jumping - and you do these things well. Really well.  When I was pregant with you, I had a feeling you would be a gentle giant who was an athlete that drew people to you for your skills but won their hearts for Christ. I hope that is true, because I really see you have a lot of natural athletic ability. It's a little bit amazing, even. Even now, when I see you excelling in these areas, I ask God to help keep you on the level ground and use those abilities for His glory, not your own.

Eating his first sugary treat on his 1st birthday - banana cake!  Look at that moppy hair!

Even more amazing to me is your heart for others. You LOVE to share. All I have to say (usually) is "Please share with so and so" and you gladly forfeit your toy.  You love to be a helper and a servant. If I ask you to help me do something, you light up and usually do it right away. It's almost like it brings you great joy to help and bless people. I like that about you!  You LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to give kisses and be kind. You are so sweet, you share your toys with Katelyn, you lavish her with love, and you are so gentle with her! You adore your baby sister and I just know she will always feel blessed and cherished to have you for a brother, just as we do in having you for a son.

Photo Credit Kimberly Sanderson

Wearing mommy's flip flops and jumping (wasn't working out so well... but it was fun!)

You aren't talking a whole lot, but you say quite a few words and comprehend even more. When we ask you to point to objects in a book, you have most of them right away. You just prefer not to SAY the words!  You seem to be more interested in honing your athletic skills and I'm okay with that as long as you speak someday soon :) You do say many words, just not a lot. Your favorites are sun, sit, sorry (sa-Eee), please, thank you (gank you), eye, shoe, bubble, balloon (mamoon), moon, one, foof (some sort of counting), uh-oh (usually when you are doing something you're not supposed to, this is our signal to find you!), cheese, whoa, mmm, wow - these are my favorites :).  You still love your NUK, but are becoming less and less dependent on it. You love to eat cheese, bananas, mac-cheese/tuna/peas, milk, anything Italian, water, watermelon, peaches, and so much more. You love wearing our shoes to clomp around the house in. Water is one of your favorite play-things, especially splashing in puddles.

You live intensely, whether it be playing, loving, even when you are upset, it's INTENSE. You don't like to sleep a whole lot, in fact you never really have loved it. I think you'd rather live life and you definitely don't like missing out on being with PEOPLE if you can help it!  We're working on helping you earn perseverance and patience. You get frustrated if things don't work the way you want them to, but almost every time, if you keep trying, it works out for you!  If you can harness the intensity God has blessed you with, little buddy, it's going to be incredibly useful in your life. If you let it control you, it won't be useful. I think you will be a leader because of some of your abilities, and I hope we can help you in your intensity. I really do think you will be an incredible leader. And hopefully from what I've seen so far, you will be a servant leader (the best kind, because that's how Jesus is!).

My little buddy, you have made my life so sweet, so fun. I'm DAILY so blessed by the PRIVILEGE it is to love you, know you, and raise you for God's glory. Even on the hard days, I thank God for you. I will always love you, you will always be wanted and accepted.  You are a joy and delight to our hearts, Benson.  Even when you are sick, or teething you are for the most part a joyful son. I'm excited to see where the days in your next year of life lead you. It's going to be awesome!

God has made you glad in the joy of His presence!