Keller Turns TWO!

Be. Still. My. Heart.

Today Keller James turns TWO.

Two years of sweet joy, two years of being a mother of a little boy.  Two years of lots of laughter, two years of a full and fun family.

Two years of much learning and stretching.  Two years of being broken and watching God build us all back again.

Two years of dreaming so many dreams and then re-dreaming them again with a fresh perspective.

Keller has changed our world.  He has made us better.  He has made us closer.  He has made us stronger.

We love differently now.  We see others differently now.  We are gentler.  More patient.  More thankful.

This boy has had my heart from the beginning and made me into something I had never expected.  Casey was the one who wanted a son, but since day one I have been obsessed with Keller.  I call him “little daddy face” because he is a little Casey-face staring up at me. As Keller grew so did his joy, his laughter, and the LIFE that sprung forward from him.  Even the hard days have been brighter with Keller in our world.

Keller’s second year of life has had many more challenges than we could have ever imagined with our autism diagnosis.  We have worked through it and every day I feel like we are unlocking the REAL KELLER beneath the stress, babbling, frustration, and confusion.  The real Keller isn’t autistic Keller, the REAL KELLER is full of laughter, loves learning new words, holds tight to those in his ‘inner circle,’ adores his family, and loves waking up every day to new adventures.

We are changed now and I look ahead to the next year of Keller’s life with different eyes.  I don’t wish for him to be successful by the world’s standards; I wish for Keller to be HIS kind of successful.  I don’t wish for him to be at the top of the class but just IN the class and a part of the class.  I don’t wish for easy days I wish for rich days.  I don’t wish away autism, but I wish that we would ALL be better because of autism.  I don’t wish for safety but I wish for God’s kingdom come.

Happy birthday sweet Keller James.  You are adored and treasured by this family and we thank Jesus for the two years in which you have transformed our world.