Sumner's 11th Birthday

Sumner was able to celebrate his birthday for the entire summer! While that may sound AWESOME, the reason for it happening was not so awesome. He had surgery back in January to repair his eardrum.  When he was a baby, he had tubes, and one of the tubes didn't come out like it should have, resulting in an infection, and a hole that accounted for 65% of his eardrum.  We saw several doctors over the past few years to get it fixed, but because of the location of the hole and the size of the hole, we kept getting referred to other people.  We finally ended up at Shands Hospital in Gainesville with Dr. Chen. Unfortunately, the surgery wasn't 100 percent successful. When we went back for his follow-up there was a tiny hole still there. She put a patch on it in the office, hoping that would close it up completely. But when we went back a month later the hole was bigger, so we had to schedule a second surgery.  By this time, it was May.  And she told us he didn't need to get any water in his ear until the surgery, and then he wouldn't be allowed to swim for at least 6 weeks after surgery. Basically, he wouldn't be able to swim for the entire summer. It was a bummer, but things could always be worse, so we tried to make the best out of a bad situation.  Since his birthday is in the summer, his party usually revolves around water. He opted to postpone the big party with friends until he got the "all clear" from Dr. Chen.  Therefore, we had his birthday party with friends at the YMCA pool on August  19th.  He had a lot of fun! So many of his friends came out to celebrate him! I think it was worth the wait!

But, we did celebrate him on his birthday, too.  I went all out and made a pretty awesome scavenger hunt for him. We all enjoyed doing that as soon as he woke up on his birthday.  We ate lunch at Your Pie (his pick). His grandparents came to see him. His real birthday always falls during VBS week.  His VBS teachers went out of their way to buy cupcakes and sing to him.  We also celebrated him with the Sumner side of the family a few weeks after his birthday!

It is hard for me to wrap my mind around him being 11.  So many "lasts" are upon us, and all I can think about it how in my mind I was just planning for the "first".... For example, VBS...  Next year will be his last year participating and it feels like he was just down in the nursery area, too young for VBS, but got to go because I was a volunteer.  And it is really hitting hard since he skipped a grade in school and is technically in middle school. This gets confusing to him because we didn't skip him at church. Matthew and I just didn't feel like he was quite ready for the Youth Group! Even his birthday party.... At a certain age, kids don't have big parties anymore. I think we are about there if not already.... And I swear it seems like yesterday I was in my mamas living room cutting out decorations for his first party.  Halloween is coming up, and I thought last week that he may be too old for a costume this year.... Again, I feel like I was just at my mama's house putting his banana costume on him at 4 months old just to take a picture. Oh gosh, I have to stop or I am going to be crying so hard I can't type....

It is all about perspective, right? That's what I am constantly preaching to Sumner, so now I need to preach it to myself. I am praying God will help me change my perspective by helping me look back on the past and the memories with fondness, not with sadness and longing.  And just be grateful for the times we've had and look forward to what the future holds.  

I know it may seem like we go a little overboard with birthdays, but I just cannot help it. Life is such a gift and we often take it for granted. It is important to me to shower the ones I love on their special day so they ALWAYS know that I do NOT take another year with them for granted. I pray my children look back on their childhood birthday memories and smile thinking about how much their mama and daddy loved them and loved celebrating them!

Dear Sumner,

You are my first born. You made me a mama. You are so special in more ways than I can count. You are unique and one of a kind in the best way possible. My prayer for you is that you remember God made you like he did for a REASON.  You are important. You have value. God has a plan for you.  So many of the characteristics you portrayed from when you were a newborn, baby, toddler, and small child are still with you today. It is fun for me to know what I know now, and look back at those personality traits and see how God has already used them, and I look forward to seeing them be fulfilled as you grow.  You have always been so smart, so kind, so sensitive, so intelligent, so inquisitive, so observant, and such a hard worker.  I remember when you were only minutes and hours old, you were so alert and observant. Your tiny eyes were looking all over the place as if your brain was trying to take it all in.  The nurses all said they had never seen such an alert and observant baby! You are still that way to this day.  You also never liked to sleep....  And you still don't.... I jokingly tell you God must be preparing you to have a career or a life one day that doesn't allow you much rest. :) Whatever it is God has called you to do, I pray you listen and obey. I pray you always put Him first in your life. I pray you love him more than anything. I pray you find your peace, joy, comfort, safety, and identity in Him alone. I am praying hard for God to send you the wife He created for you. One who will love God like I pray you will, and who will love you and cherish you for who God made you to be.  Thank you so much for being such a sweet child. Thank you so much for loving me like you do. Thank you so much for being the protector you are.  I can never tell you how thankful I am to be your mama! I love you as high as the sky and the ocean is deep and more and more and more!