Happy Birthday, Tommy!

Yesterday our baby turned SEVEN!  I can't believe the time has flown by so quickly.  I still remember holding him in my arms as a newborn, filled with love for that tiny person.  He was a sweet, happy little baby.  He'd lay contentedly on the floor, happily playing for long stretches of time.  He was smiley and very cute.  As a toddler he was a bit grumpy, but not really very difficult.  He's always been willing to obey and please us, he's very thoughtful and careful, and he can easily entertain himself.  I can usually count on him to do the things I ask, and he's very trustworthy.

Tommy also has a great memory and amazing attention to detail.  He has a much better knowledge of maps than I do, and he's an amazing artist.  His art specialty, in addition to drawing very accurate maps, is creating action sketches involving an elaborate, imaginative event, often some kind of disaster like an earthquake or flood.  He has very good, deliberate handwriting, he excels at math, and he's even begun to learn to play the piano.  He reads well in both Spanish and English, and his vocabulary in both languages has grown a lot.

I've always been grateful for his faith--how easily he accepts the principles of truth that he's taught.  He has a testimony like I did at his age, and he wants to choose the right.  He asked for his own scriptures a few months ago, so we got him some, and he has enjoyed reading them from time to time.

Tommy is a child in whom we've seen remarkable growth over the past few years as he's had more experiences.  For example, during his first year of soccer he was so scared of the other children, but now he plays sports with ease.  He really enjoys baseball, soccer, basketball, biking, and rollerblading.  He's always enjoyed ECFE, preschool, and now school, and his teachers always report that he's a great student, easy to get along with, mindful of the rules, and very intelligent.

I am so grateful to have Tommy as a son.  He is the perfect boy to serve as an example to his younger siblings in our family.  I love him with all my heart.