It's hard to believe my first born son turns six years old today. I remember every detail about the day he was born, the day I became a mother, the day that changed my life forever. What a gift. Being Gabriel's mom has been better than I ever anticipated and harder than I ever imagined - a strange juxtaposition of pure joy and deep anguish ... joy at the little boy who is growing up before my very eyes, and anguish in all the many, many mistakes I make in raising him.
His smile lights up my life, his laugh is intoxicating, and his energy is unparalleled! Gabriel is all boy all the time. He as two speeds, full throttle and asleep, which keeps me active and on my toes - I never know what to expect. He is kind and genuine, and sensitive, he is very outward with his emotions and cares deeply for those he loves. Gabriel is a really good friend, he loves school and sports, he is loyal and cherishes his friendships, he is creative and imaginative (which also means he tends to have his head in the clouds!), and he is getting really good a putting Lego sets together :) He is currently into baseball and his "all boys" gym class ("no girls, yay!"), he loves to ride his bike and scooter, play on the Columbia campus and cheer for the Lions any chance he gets, and even though he has his fair share of fighting with his brother, he clearly loves Judah deeply and looks out for him like a really good big brother.
We joke that Gabriel is our "lawyer" - remembering minute details, asking lots of questions, finding (usually valid) exceptions to our rules, and testing his boundaries. Gabriel also loves to talk .. and talk and talk. He likes to share the details of his day, often recounting them in specific detail. He also likes to be right, and points out when we are not :)
What else can I say about Gabriel? He is athletic, long and lean. He is always running .. I guess that is not surprising! I remember describing him as a baby in my blog posts and calling him "long and lean" and recalling his "running" on the changing table. Gabriel opens his eyes in the (early!) morning and is ready to go, plows through his days always looking for the next activity, and doesn't stop until his head hits the pillow at night. As he is getting older, it's been fun to transition out of toddler and preschool activities and start enjoying "older boy" activities. I think the next five years are going to be really fun!
Happy Birthday, Gabriel Hilton Goodwin, thanks be to God for this sweet man child I have been abundantly blessed with. We love you more than you will ever know!
With love and gratitude - Mom and Dad
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