Cbug-
S
weet boy! You are eight. Which means we’ve wrapped up eight years of crazy, exciting, adventurous, never-boring years of CBUG. You made your presence KNOWN the moment I went into labor with you and you haven’t missed a beat since. I will say, though, I’m incredibly thankful that this year, your eighth year, was a bit less exciting in the health department. We made zero visits to the hospital. A rare gem in your lifetime- no stitches, no asthma attacks. Thank you for that!
You’ve grown up a lot this year. I love these pictures from one of your very favorite spots, four years apart. I love them because they show what I see each day. There is so much about you that has grown and changed over the last few years, but there is so much about you, too, that is still the same life-loving little boy.
You still love Legos and reading so much you get literally LOST and nearly unreachable when you are engaged in them. In fact, at lunch one day one of your school friends told me (like it was the coolest thing EVER): “Did you know that when Cbug reads he can’t even HEAR you??” Yeah, you might get a wee-bit obsessed. You’ve also developed a new obsession passion. Sports. Which is funny because you’ve rarely even played on a “real” team. Our “sports” have mostly consisted of jackpot in the front yard, kickball in the cul-de-sac, and my personal favorite: Air football at our newly discovered favorite park. Air football is the game you and KJ invented. No ball required. Just lots of running and tackling. Air-football, combined with the fact that every time we see a sign advertising ANY youth sport you ask me to call the number, finally led Daddy and I to decide we’d let you guys play in a small basketball league this winter. You’ve only had two practices so far and already declared it THE BEST THING EVER.
Closely related…You still love numbers. In fact one of your favorite books this year was “G is for Googol” an alphabet book of math terms. For some time you’ve assigned values to random things and developed games with them. Especially star wars characters (like these pieces of paper I found in the craft area <—). But recently you’ve developed a new numbers passion. Sports statistics. With Daddy’s help, you’ve discovered the mass of information available to you online and also on sports trading cards. You could spend hours arranging and rearranging cards by team, then by position, then by years 
played. You LOVE to learn about players, teams, records, championships of any kind. Random stats enter mealtime conversations CONSTANTLY and most of the time when you are telling me about something in these categories, I actually have zero idea whether you are accurate or not. But you speak with such confidence I dare not question. You are already counting down to March Madness and jeering me that you’ll cheer for UK. I can’t wait!
I’m thankful for one thing that hasn’t changed: You can make a friend anywhere you go. I L-O-V-E-D the day at six flags when you made friends with a man you rode a roller 
coaster with. At the start of the ride he had headphones on, obviously enjoying some time alone. By the end, his headphones were off and you were both laughing and sharing stories. Your love for people is GINORMOUS, just like your hugs. Once you’ve met someone, you are best friends. I love that about you, but I know its sometimes hard for others to know how to receive.
That, sweet Cbug, is where I find my prayer for you this year. I’m praying that your uncontrollable BURSTS of love and information and questions and conversation will be perceived exactly as you intend: fully sincere and distributed equally to beloveds and strangers alike. And when its 
received that way, that it will be contagious, bringing joy and life and FUN to all you meet. As your parents, as we strive to teach you some (cough cough) social cues and appropriate ways to display affection, I’m praying we won’t squash your desire to befriend those who need it most, your joy at sharing what you know with those who may not and your big expressions of L-O-V-E. Because I know that your unique ability to love well and effortlessly and with unbridled equality can be used as a powerful tool for bringing others to the Lord. When they feel welcomed by you, may they also come to know the ONE who welcomes all equally in big and generous and full-of-life ways. What a treasure that will be. Just like you.
