Levi: 2 Years

Two years. Twice as many years as last year. Twice as many grins, twice as many laughs, twice as many falls, twice as many tears. And, if it's even possible, twice as much love. Sweet Levi, the Lord has given us another year together and I am so immensely grateful.

I dreamed about you for a long time. Before I married your father, before I had even met your father, I imagined what you would one day be like. I imagined your precious smile, your sweet voice, and the joy in your laugh. I imagined your likes, your talents, and your future.

 You are not what I had imagined or hoped for.

You are so much more.

I always imagined your laugh would be contagious, but I never imagined how joyful and free it would be. I always imagined your smile would reach your eyes, but I could never have foreseen how deeply it would reach my heart.

I imagined your voice would be soft and sweet, but I never imagined that words would never need to be spoken to know the immensity of your love.

You are brave. So brave, sometimes, that I just have to close my eyes and not watch as your dad flings you {what seems like} 20 feet into the air. Your shouts of delight let me know you are okay and I often open my eyes again to see you frantically signing "more, more more!"

You are bold and outgoing. You love when people sing to you or shake your hand. You love when people enter into your world and play with you. Basically, you love being the center of attention {and I indulge you way more than I probably should.} However, the moment you are asked for hugs & kisses you suddenly pretend to be shy- bowing your head and putting on a cute little smirk as you oblige. You will break hearts one day with that little routine, and I will probably scold you for it. But for now, I will treasure it.

You are a lover of sleep and a proud new owner of your own queen size bed {until we have guests, that is}. A queen size bed seems a little ridiculous for a 28 pound little boy, but when you account for the glow sticks, your blanket, 2 body pillows, and your sleeping acrobat routine, it makes a little more sense.

You are a lover of pizza, chicken, bread, & french fries. Your doctor calls it the Autism food pyramid, which makes me laugh because it's SO TRUE. The health nut side of me wants to cringe, but you are healthy and thriving and that is good enough for me. {I also sneak veggies into your food, but you don't need to know that part.}

You are still a master of spinning Frisbees and often times have 4 going at once. If you don't have a Frisbee handy, you will spin Tupperware lids, bowls, or anything that is disc-shaped. You are extremely observant. You study each Frisbee as it spins; correcting mistakes if it doesn't spin long enough and finding just the right spot in front of the window so that light explodes off the walls around you.

You are a hoarder of glow sticks. Glow sticks in the bath tub, glow sticks in your bed, glow sticks with dinner, and glow sticks on the way to school. Over time, having served their purpose, the bright glow of your "sticks" begins to fade and they become dull and lifeless. But to you, they are just as beautiful. Even though they have nothing else to offer, you still treasure your "sticks" just as much because your love is neither selfish nor superficial. Your love is deep, whole and unassuming. Your love reminds my sinful heart daily that we are called to love even in the moments that the glow fades.

You are such a hard worker. Every sound, every sign, every point, and every daily task you work so incredibly hard to achieve. Even when you fail, you continue to try over and over and over again. Sometimes for hours, sometimes for days, sometimes for weeks, and sometimes for months. But when you finally achieve something, and you will achieve it, it is such a glorious moment that makes it all worth it. What a picture of perseverance you are, sweet boy.

You are animated, you are energetic, you are quizzical, and you are comical. You are passionate, you are determined, and you are incredibly stubborn. You are rough with your toys, but gentle in spirit. You are easily angered, but quick to forgive.

You are celebrated. You are prayed for. You are treasured. You are loved.

You are you;

More than I ever imagined and so much greater than I ever dreamed.