11

In the busyness that is my life (and probably your life), I somehow missed blogging my boy's 11th birthday. It has been almost two weeks since his big day, but it is never too late to write about one of my kids. I could go on and on. Of course, if you read this blog often, you know that!

As is the case every single year, Lukas has grown so much in the past year. I thought about leaving out that sentence because every mom says it making it one of the greatest cliches of parentdom, but it's still truth. Cliches have their purpose. 

In the past year, we have watched Lukas move from little boy to pre-teen with grace. He does things that make me shake my head, things that people don't tell you kids do because Americans are so focused on all the negatives of child rearing, things like cleaning the living room with out being asked, washing the dishes for his sister, and getting everything ready for me when we're trying to get out the door on time. This is a drastic change from the little boy he was just a year ago. I see maturity in him that I know I did not possess at the age of 11. Oh the stories I could tell you about me when I was 11! 

Lukas is a lot like me, but not like the 11 year old me. He is focused on details. He is bright, mature, and creative. He likes to sing, and I am so impressed with how well he is teaching himself to sing harmony parts with  no guidance from us whatsoever. I had to work hard to learn to sing harmony, and it never came naturally for me. He is so talented, and he barely knows it.

He's a lot like his daddy too. He loves to make people laugh. He likes manly things like fast cars and monster trucks. Performing on stage brings him to life. Put him in charge of a task, and he owns the room! He loves to help people just like his dad. He willingly tries to fill in for his dad when he's working, though that is certainly not expected of him at age 11. It is admirable, is it not?

Most importantly, I am watching Lukas mature into a believer who is starting to truly grasp the truths of his faith. He is a giver of grace, joy radiates from him, he is gentle with younger children, he is loving and kind. He is learning to apply scripture to his everyday life in ways that astound me. I can't wait to see what God has in store for this child!

Watching these characteristics grow in my boy's life this past year has been incredible. Really. Eric and I have talked about it so many times. There is no part of his growing years that I have not enjoyed. Sure, we all have bumps in the road, but I genuinely like this child. If he wasn't mine, I would still want to hang out with him. He pretty much rocks. I'm so glad that we got to celebrate his birthday with family and friends and that he was so gracious that day and so very happy and thankful. May year 12 find him growing and becoming even more of the young man God desires for him to be!