To my TWO-year-old!

You are the rays of sun peeking through a cloudy sky,
and a big, tight squeezy hug around my neck.

You are a scoop of ice cream on a hot, summer day,
and a warm blanket right out of the dryer...

You are smooches and giggles,
and like the extra sprinkles on top of a cupcake.

You are a dance party in the kitchen,
and the perfectly arched rainbow after a storm.

You are a smile first thing in the morning,
and a belly laugh as I tickle you before you drift off to sleep.

You are a reminder of happiness and joy, always,
and you are one of the reasons I chose to keep going, even when it felt too hard.

You are the warm sun, the first signs of a fall breeze,
the peace in the air during a falling snow...

You are God's promise.

You are my reason to be brave.

You, Brooks, are my TWO-year-old caboose!!  And you've been singing "Happy Birthday!" to yourself for days. :)

You are a two-year-old who literally leaves splashes of sunshine everywhere you go.  You are boundless energy and giggles and silliness.  You are wild and rough-and-tumble, yet full of compassion and sensitivity.

You love your big sister so very much, which is good because she truly thinks she's your second little mama.

You love your big brother, too, but you guys mostly wrestle and fight and push and shove and chase and climb and bite and I am learning that from now until forevermore that is just going to be the love language between the two of you.

You will tell anyone and everyone "I hungee" all.day.long.  In fact, the other day, on the way to school, you were yelling "I HUNGEEEEE!" while double-fisting donut holes.

You think it's hilarious to put food down your shirt and giggle, to put raspberries and olives on the tips of your fingers, to put your lollipops in your hair, to throw food across the table when you "No like it!"

You walk with a swagger like I have never seen in a toddler, and it makes everyone laugh.

You incessantly say HOLD YOU! with your arms up in the air... I think if it were up to you, you quite possibly may prefer to be in my arms all day long. (With a snack, of course.)

You like to arrange your friends in your crib perfectly before you will lie down and go to sleep, and you still usually snooze with your bottom way high up in the air.

You are full-of-life and easy-going and brave and fearless -- well, except for your fear of cotton candy. (?!?!)

You are the perfect ending punctuation mark on my trio of children, but also an ellipses to remind me to keep on writing and hoping and living out my story...

You, Brooks Evan, are so clearly a well-planned, perfectly-timed, incredible gift from God and I will forever be grateful for the way He put you into my life so intentionally.

Thank you for being my ray of sunshine, my boundless joy, my extra sprinkles, my smiles and giggles.

Happy, happy TWO, Caboose.

I love you enough.  I love you SO big...

~Mama

"Every good and perfect gift is from above..." James 1:17