orbit of the mooneys: anders is 3.

dear anders,

i'll always remember you like this:

but you are not like that anymore.

you are now three and i love you more every day. you are an encourager through and through.

"oh way to go, haze!"

"you did it, lena, good job!"

"it's okay, mom, your back will get better"

you are curious and smarter than you let on to anyone. you like to figure out how things work, how they fit together. when you figure out all the words to a song, you announce and you are proud and we are proud too, son.

you're wearing a 4T in clothes and a 10toddler shoe....as usual, you're up there on the charts. you love music and i've never see your right foot still when tunes are playing. tap, tap, tap, right on beat. you love the banjo and johnny cash, and the kids worship song "every move i make" and one day you may tire of hearing that song, but the sun hasn't risen on that day yet.

you can sense the feel and emotions of others & compassion flows from you.

you are cultivating quite a sense of humor. you love to crack jokes & love to laugh.

you love your dad. the way you look up to and admire him, it makes my heart so full because what a great man you have as your daddy.

i am trying these days to learn more and more of you. and just a few weeks ago, God reminded me to pray faithfully for you. you can be quite a mystery at times. i want to teach you and help you and encourage you in a way that shows more of Jesus and less of me. oh son, i fail at this over and over, but you. you are quick to forgive. how can you, a little 3 year old, teach me so much about forgiveness and grace?

and of course, you like to just knock things down. it's cliche to say that you are "all boy", but it is just so true. trucks, "huhplains", cars, race cars, motorcycles, dumptrucks, excavators, soccer, football, basketball, spiderman, trains...just some of the things you love.

so for your 3rd birthday party, we asked friends who had fun vehicles to park in our front yard. you. loved. it.