Neither Steve nor I can remember how young Jacob was when we started singing him “Jesus Loves Me” as we tucked him into bed. I don’t recall singing it to him when he was in his bassinet or crib, but I also have a notoriously awful memory. Maybe we were singing it to him already then. But I’m just going to start counting from when he was one. Today we celebrated Jacob’s 6th birthday, so that means we’ve sung it to him for at least five years, if not more. Whoa! That means we’ve already sung it one thousand eight hundred twenty five times!!!!! And if we did sing it to him that first year of life, we’d need to add 365 to that, bringing us to 2, 190 times. Mind you, that doesn’t take into account the nights that Steve and I went out for a date and left the kiddos with a babysitter who didn’t sing to him, or the times we were coming back late from somewhere and the kids fell asleep in the car. But one thing is for sure! We have sung those lyrics many, many, many times. My prayer is that the words of that song would resonate deep in Jacob’s soul the rest of his life. That he would know, without a shadow of a doubt that Jesus loves him. And that his life would be devoted to the Lord for all of his days.

I can’t believe that six years have already sped by. To think that God blessed me to be his mama, is very humbling. What an honor and privilege. Thank you Lord.

We started today’s celebration with the opening of gifts. Then off we went for a couple hours of kids’ soccer games with a wonderful picnic lunch on the field in between games. After that was a celebratory dinner with all of the grandparents. What a blessed boy he is to have all 5 grandparents in the same town, available and desirous of a loving relationship with him. A true treasure!!

Since Jacob is currently obsessed with all things related to roller coasters, it seemed only appropriate to make a roller coaster cake. It turned out awesome. A treasured time for Natalie and I as we spent almost all of yesterday baking it, applying the crumb coat, going shopping for the necessary candy, applying the final coat of frosting and decorating it very carefully. My perfectionist tendencies were challenged as I watched Natalie affixing licorice strings, marshmallows, fruit roll-up in less-than-meticulously-detailed ways. Motherhood has taught me it’s okay to let go. It’s vital to let go. To let go and simply enjoy. Yesterday and today was about me enjoying the creation of this cake with my sweet 4-year old daughter, cherishing our shared time and shared creative masterpiece despite it’s unplanned wiggly squiggles and off-set candies and frosting smears.

I’m looking forward with eager anticipation to the marvelously complex roller coaster designs Jacob will create with his new 250-piece box of roller coaster parts. I’m already now telling myself to just let go. To let go of the angst that will come over me when I nearly trip over his extensive creation in the living room as he learns to make elaborate tracks with loop de loops that need taller and longer and steeper runs of track for the marble to accelerate enough into the turns. To marvel at how intuitively he can put parts together and engineer elaborate systems, when I can’t even do it with a detailed coded manual. Ha!

I can’t even remember off the top of my mind what he was doing as a 5-year old last year at this time. But I can tell you that I’m glad I’m blogging now, so that I can look back at this in years to come. This morning after looking at his wrapped gifts and festive balloons and streamers in the dining room, Jacob came into our room and said “on days like this I am just SOOOOO happy I want to cry.” He was genuinely bursting with joy. Oh, what sweetness to hear pour from his mouth!!

I love you Jacob. Happy 6th Birthday! 🙂