Half way to 5...

Collin Ryan today you are exactly four and a half years old!!  My  first born is nearing 5.  You are our handsome treasure indeed, the little boy that we had been praying for and dreaming of for what seemed like forever.  You were worth the wait handsome, most definitely worth the wait...

You seem so grown up these days.  Mature beyond your age.  You  look older, act older, and most people are shocked when we tell them you are not even 5 yet!!  And yet there are many stinkerish moments sprinkled throughout our days that serve to remind us that you are indeed still 4.  :)

You are really enjoying school!!  You are always excited to go and we are equally anxious and excited as you share sweet stories about your day when you get home.  I talked to Ms. Pam (your teacher) yesterday and she said you are "so quiet and shy" in school.  I assured her that may change.  :)  She also mentioned that you always do what you are supposed to do.  Apparently you are "cautious of the group of boys who are already comfortable and need to be reminded to quiet down and stop running".  I am pleased to hear that you are a "rule follower" and pray that you continue down that path.  We do hear most often about your new friend Katie.  Ms. Pam even mentioned that you two play together a lot.  She said Katie is a "do anything kind of girl, not a girly, girl".  It seems as though the two of you are enjoying one another's company.  No matter who you choose as your friends, remember all of our talks at home about how God requires that we be kind to everyone and treat other's the way you would like to be treated!

Collin, you are everything we could have dreamed of in a little boy, the exact one we wanted.  You are sweet and spicey and so very lovable.  You like to keep your momma (and your daddy for that matter) on her toes.  You seem to enjoy keeping me busy with the little (or often BIG) messes that you create for me around the house on a hourly daily basis.  Our little Dennis the Menace.  You are sure to shower me with many unprovoked "I love you mommy"s throughout the day.  It happens often and yet it melts my heart every. single. time!  I will never grow tired of hearing of your love me, please don't grow tired of telling me.  Just when I think that there is no way I could love you any more than I already do, I wake up to a new day, and I find many reasons to fall in love with you all over again.  I pray that one day you will have a little boy of your own.  One who is the spitting image of yourself.  There is no way to explain our love for you.  We try our best to show you every single day just how very loved you are.  You probably won't understand the great magnitude of it until that one fine day when you set your eyes upon your first born.  It is then that you will truly understand...

Happy half birthday handsome treasure.

We love you to the moon and back...