Happy 4th Birthday Stephen!

1 Week Old

4 years ago a beautiful soul entered this world and his life forever changed mine.  It is with sincere gratitude that I look back on these past 4 years and thank the Lord for Stephen's life.  While so many heart heros fail to see their first birthday, Stephen has seen 4 and I know how blessed we are. 

Each year I go back and read through the blog posts from the beginning.  They tell a beautiful story of the bravest little guy I know and capture so many of our raw emotions.  They show our cries to God as well as our praises.  They bring me to tears and yet bring joy to my heart.  It has been a hard journey but also a beautiful one. 

1 Year Old

There is also so much to celebrate today!  We celebrate his life and all of the joy he has brought to our lives!  We celebrate the obstacles he has overcome and the strength he has shown.  We celebrate the impact his life has made in our world and how God has done "immeasurably more" than we could have dreamed.  Today we praise God and celebrate the gift of Stephen!   

2 Years Old

Stephen has been extra excited about this birthday and has been counting down the entire month!  As per his request he will be having a baseball birthday party!  This little slugger love all things sports.  He daily plays baseball and hockey inside my house and counts down the hours until his Daddy comes home to join him.  And yet his love for school work still tends to top most gifts!  He was SUPER excited to receive 3 new Star Wars Preschool books this morning and wanted to begin them right away. He makes homeschooling easy! 

3 Years Old

And he is still the most JOYFUL kid I have ever met. These smiles  you see throughout the last four years are daily on his face.  During his swim lesson last week a parent commented on how much he smiles and that as soon as he pops up from the water a smile is already there.  They saw the light shines through him and it just warmed my heart.  It is there and it is so beautiful!  God gave our little guy an extra joyful spirit and the light of Christ shines so brightly from his smile!

I am beyond grateful to be sitting here 4 years later with so much to be thankful for and so much to celebrate!  God has walked this road with us every step of the way.  He has been our rock and our refuge and we would not be who we are today without Him.  I am so thankful for the life and provision he has granted Stephen and I pray that he would continue to strengthen his heart and use Stephen's journey for His glory. 

Happy Birthday Stephen!!!