Celebrating a Life

Our house looked quite festive this Sunday as we celebrated Jacob's birthday with family and friends.  We hung paper lanterns in the dining room....

and attached pennants we made out of scrapbook paper throughout.

We also made a chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting that turned out quite delicious.

Letter to Jacob from Mommy on March 26, 2011

My dear son,
Eight years ago, on a beautiful spring day, I held you in my arms for the first time and fell in love. Today you are all of eight years old and my heart is still completely and forever yours. You are like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day and we cannot imagine our lives without you. I am always amazed at how self assured you are for one so young and I can already see in you glimpses of the great man you will one day become. How I love your witty, slightly sarcastic sense of humor and your great laugh, they light up my days. You are energetic and full of life, and I enjoy watching how you delight in playing sports with your dad for hours on end.  You are so artistic, always creating something, and your knack for finding beauty in the simplest of things is very refreshing.  Above all I admire your great love for God and stand in awe of how powerfully He is working in your heart.  Recently you shared with me how you believe God has called you to be a missionary to China and I know that since then you dream of learning Mandarin and helping the people in that country come to know the One who died so that they could live.  These are all good and noble dreams my love but never forget that it is only through Him alone that all this can be accomplished.  If He is your all in all then there will never be a task too great for you, for nothing is impossible for Him. On this day my greatest wish for you, my sweet Jacoby, is a life filled with His grace and His love.
I love you more than words can express and I hope you have a very Happy Birthday.
Your Mommy