Happy Birthday, Reni Boy!

I think birthdays take on a different slant when you are the parent.  There is a gratitude for life I don't remember feeling celebrating my own birthdays.  Perhaps it has something to do with being an adoptive parent.  I don't know.  Regardless, there's no denying the gratitude in our hearts for the gift of having this little boy in our lives.  Reni brings such joy, a zest for life, a sparkle to each day, as well as a warmth from the love and affection he shares with us.

There's so many residual gifts that we get having Reni in our family that I never anticipated.  Seeing how he touches those around him makes us proud to be his parents, whether it be through his amazing smile, displays of determination, or speedy little run across a room.

(off topic: isn't Ellie beautiful here?)

As the weeks rolled by leading up to his birthday, we asked Reni what he wanted on his birthday cake.  (Imagine this delivered with a 2-year-old lisp) he'd say with gusto, "Race cars and baseballs!!!"  We quickly realized that he was referring to the popular baseball cake sold in the Sam's Club bakery (the kids always request to see the cakes, go figure!)

I know this post is about Reni, but I absolutely couldn't resist this image. If I knew how to do it, I'd make it my phone's wall paper. I love my family.  We're blessed.

It's getting harder and harder to get that good 'smile' shot of our boy, but by the end of the evening, I got close enough. He's gonna kill me when he's 13.