13

Oh, my heart.
I took some pictures of this birthday boy and my heart stopped.
He looks so much older. He was my baby. My first.
He will always be my first.
The first little flutter inside my womb.
The first little cry recorded in my brain.
The first little smile that made me melt.
Oh, Sam. I've been thinking about you a lot this week.
Remember when you used to have really bad leg cramps?
And we would pray so hard that they would go a way?
And they did.
Remember when you lost something? This happened a bunch.
And you prayed so hard that you would find it?
And you did.
Remember when we were going to that space camp and it was snowing really hard and I was lost? And you said we should pray?
We found the place and we were safe.
Just last week. You needed a paper for a really important test and couldn't find it.
You went to school and asked me to look at home, but I had given up. I was sure you had it somewhere in your back pack.
Sometime in the morning I had a really strong impression to look under some books in the living room. I found your papers and ran them to you at school!
And later you said you were praying so hard that I would find them.

Sam, I think the Lord is trying to tell you something. He does hear and answer your prayers.
All these experiences have built a strong testimony of prayer for you.
And me.
I'm sure there will be other experiences and more testimony growing. And that is why I'm so excited for these up coming years. Dad and I will do everything we can to help prepare you for your life's mission.
If you keep praying really hard, Heavenly Father will continue to help you too. I can't wait to see the man you will become.

But you will always, always be my first baby. Loves.
(Three year old Sam. One of the first pictures I took with my "new" 3mega pixel digital camera! Do you remember when digital cameras blew your mind?)