Happy Birthday Dillon!

Today my little boy is 8! It is hard to believe that my sweet son is now old enough to be baptized. I was remembering back to the day of his birth and thinking how blessed we felt when he arrived in our arms. He took 2 1/2 years to come to us, and then had such a rough delivery. The minute I held him, I had such an overwhelming love for him. He always has had such a sweet, peaceful spirit. There was a neurologist in at his birth, and after his birth, he told us he thought that Dillon's arm was paralyzed, because tests showed that it wasn't working right. However, after several hours, the doctor came back and said Dillon wasn't paralyzed. He thought his arm had been traumatized by his birth, and would now be okay. We truly had been blessed.

Dillon was a great little sleeper, and such a funny kid. From such an early age he had a natural curiosity in him. He was always been interested in how things worked, and the 'why's' of everything. He has always been such an obedient child. Even when he was 2 years old, we could see that in him. He has to follow the rules. When we moved him from a crib, to a big boy bed, we told him that he couldn't come out until we came and got him in the morning. (Morgan was a terrible sleeper and got up constantly!) We did not actually think us telling him would be all that it took. But it was. He never once went out of his room when he wasn't supposed to. When he was awake, he would sit by his door and knock, until we heard him. (We did not tell him to do this.) One time, he had apparently been awake for quite some time, and he patiently knocked and knocked until we heard him. We kept telling him that it was okay to come out of his room, when he woke up in the morning, but he wouldn't because he wanted to make sure it was the 'right time' to come out. He still is a great rule keeper, and example to his brothers and sister.

Dillon is a big thinker. We all get a kick out of the way his mind works. He always is making us laugh, and helping us to think of things from a different perspective. Just today he said, "Mom, exactly what time was I born?" I said 11:48 am. He says, "So that was Oklahoma time. If you do the time difference, it was really only 10:48 here, so that means I won't be 8 until exactly then." He loves asking questions, and is genuinely interested in the answers.

He also has a spiritual side to him. When he was 3 we went to New York over his birthday. We were walking in the rain, and Matt, Morgan and Logan were ahead of us. They crossed at a crosswalk, but the light turned before we could cross, so we stood on the corner waiting. All of the sudden Dillon took off and ran as fast as he could into the street, despite my protests. He didn't stop, so of course, I took off after him. We made it safely across the street seconds before a taxi cab smashed into a fire hydrant right where we had been standing. Dillon asked me, "Mom- why didn't you hear it?" I asked him what he meant, and he said, "I heard a voice say RUN! So I ran. Why didn't you hear the voice, too?" I have asked myself that same question- and all that I have come up with is that He knew that I probably wouldn't listen to a voice saying RUN, but I would chase after my child into the street. I wish I were as in tune and obedient as my son.

Dillon- you have brought so much happiness to us and we love you more than you will ever know. Your family loves you, and your Heavenly Father loves you. We are all so proud of you. Happy Birthday sweet boy!