When I wished Justin Happy 12th birthday on Friday he looked into my eyes and wrapped his arms around me and said "Thanks". A flood of memories came rushing into my head of significant moments I have had with him......like hearing his first little cry soften as the doctors placed him in my arms, looking at his perfect little face and welcoming him into the world. He captured all of our hearts and brought a sense of peace into our home. Lauren, Ashley and Tyler fell in love with him immediately and would fight over who would get to hold him and take care of him. I had to make sure I got time with him while they were at school or playing with their friends.....or I would never get the chance! One of those times I was sitting on the couch just holding Justin and watching him sleep, and then a song came on that brought tears to my eyes. It was "For The First Time" by Kenny Loggins. The chorus has always stuck with me and whenever I hear that song I am taken back to that moment."For the first time I am looking in your eyes
For the first time I'm seein' who you are
I can't believe how much I see
When you're lookin' back at me
Now I understand what love is...
Love is... for the first time... "
Then came the moment when he was blessed and I got to hear my sweet husband speak words of love and wisdom to our son.
Something for me to cherish and put in my memory bank to retrieve on days like this when life seems to be moving so fast. You think they will stay this way forever and then all of a sudden you are celebrating their first birthday and you wonder where time has gone. I can still remember looking into Justin's eyes, wishing him happy birthday and remembering the connection we had when we met each other for the first time and wondering where that first year had gone.
There is a funny story about this birthday cake. After we had his birthday party and had cleaned everything up we sat down to watch TV. Then we heard a big bang in the kitchen. I asked one of the kids to go check and see what it was. Justin had reached his tiny little fingers up onto the cupboard and pulled the cake pan onto the floor. In the short little time from when we heard the bang to going in to check on him, he had managed to bathe himself in cake. He had it all over the kitchen floor, in his diaper, all over his hair and face, and even in between his toes. We all started laughing and I grabbed the camera and started taking more pictures. I guess he really liked his cake!
From that first day when he joined our family until now I have enjoyed so many more moments with him. Playing duck, duck, RUN (that's how he liked to play it) taking him to the hospital to get a cast on his leg when he was 2, getting his first pair of glasses that he really didn't like wearing, taking him to pre-school and feeling like he was growing up too fast, going to Disney World and seeing the wonder in his eyes as he saw all of his favorite Disney characters, watching him go into the waters of baptism with his dad and feeling overwhelmed with emotions, laughing at his jokes, watching him take such good care of all the little babies in our ward, taking him horseback riding with his grandpa, going on Easter egg hunts, jumping off the houseboat and dancing with all of his cousins, dressing up for Halloween, watching his face light up when he saw presents under the Christmas tree and knowing that he still believes in Santa. For all of these moments I am truly filled with gratitude for what I have had so far and I look forward to all the ones I have yet to experience. And now he is 12 years old...old enough to go in to Young Men's, receive the priesthood and go to junior high school in the fall! Time goes by so fast but thankfully it is filled with those wonderful moments that leave a lasting impression in our minds and on our hearts forever. I am so grateful for Justin and for the kind, sweet, loving young man that he is.
