Garrison is 7

Our first baby, Garrison Cade, is 7 today!! We are thrilled and are excited, we are shocked it's already here, and we are more than anything thankful.

Seven years ago today at 12:33 PM, our precious baby boy made his appearance after a long and tough delivery. He made us parents and showed us a glimpse of God's love for us as His children. Some days have been long, some have been longer, and a few have been short. But the years? The years have been so fast. Incredibly, unbelievably fast. We must soak up the days. We must soak them up and enjoy them and pause to intentionally embrace them and love them, these days. The days that make up the years that fly by. *Tears*

Garrison Cade Selph, 8 pounds, 1 ounce, 19.5 inches long on his true birthday. 

Be still my heart. He gets more handsome, a little taller, more mature, and even more precious to us every single year. 

Garrison is....

*Smart. He catches onto things quickly, he has a great memory, great comprehension skills, loves numbers, and does really well in school. 

*Type A. He likes things to be a certain way and can become easily frustrated if things aren't going the way he thinks they should. He likes being in control and he can become a little (or a lot, haha) impatient if things aren't moving at his speed or meeting his expectations. 

*Inquisitive. He asks a lot of questions. He wants to know why a lot. He needs an explanation for almost everything. He is curious, observant, and really interested in what's going on around him and what's going on with __________, you name it.

*Competitive. I think this goes with his Type A personality plus being our child. =) He loves to compete and he loves to win. We've had many a lesson over the years when it comes to being humble, showing good sportsmanship, and losing with grace and class.

*Thoughtful. He just has a really big heart. He is very considerate of others, especially his brothers, and he shows love in sincere and tangible ways. He loves giving gifts and making others feel special. He is just a sweet and thoughtful son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, and friend. 

Garrison loves...

*His family. He is a daddy's boy through and through. He loves his little brothers fiercely. He melts my heart with the thoughtful way he loves me and his precious heartfelt cards he gifts me with. He adores all of his grandparents and loves his cousins, aunts, and uncles to pieces. He's just a sweet little family man who loves being with all of us.

*Spaghetti, tacos, chili, deviled eggs, Little Debbies, cake, skittles, starbursts, suckers, and anything else sweet you can think of. =)

*Sports. He loves to watch sports and play sports. He loves being active, playing outside with his brothers and his daddy, and playing on a team. 

*Jesus. He loves being a Christian and knowing that Jesus saved him and that he is a follower of Jesus now. He loves reading his Bible and he loves learning more through Sunday School and Children's Church. 

*Animals. He is a huge animal lover. He loves wild animals, forest animals, zoo animals, ocean animals, all the animals. =) He loves reading about them and learning about them and is fascinated by them.

Garrison Does...

*Lots and lots outdoors. He looooves being outside. No matter how hot or how cold, he prefers being outside. The temperature doesn't really bother him, rainy days are not his friend, and given the choice he would always choose playing outside over playing inside. He wants to play soccer, basketball, baseball, football, golf, drive his dune racer, explore, swing, run, help Terrell, all the things outside. He is also the one who asked Santa for a bow and arrow and target and fishing pole and lures for Christmas. So I guess he's our little outdoorsman... minus the hunting since I don't know if he could ever bring himself to shoot an animal. =)

*Everything you can think of with Austin. Those 2 come as a package deal. He and Austin share a strong bond and pretty much do EVERYTHING together around here, while he and Layton have a sweet and close relationship that's special and unique to them. Garrison is very considerate of both of his little brothers and loves playing with them and doing things with them... even if they do fight quite a bit. =) 

*Write and make a lot of sweet cards. Oh my are his cards the sweetest! Garrison is so thoughtful when it comes to his cards. He loves making cards as a way to show love and always puts a lot of time, thought, and effort into them. They are always super sweet, sincere, and thoughtful. 

*Eat a lot. =) He has a big appetite and loves to eat. He cleans his plate every single night and usually asks for seconds. He eats HUGE portions of his favorite foods and always eats what we have for supper with minimal or no complaining, even if it isn't his favorite. He loves sweets and dessert too and has been known to eat too much on occasion and come down with a stomachache. 

*Really enjoy artwork and crafting. He enjoys drawing, coloring, painting, and making things. Creating artwork and crafting are one of his favorite indoor activities.

Garrison Cade you are one of a kind and a priceless gift to our family. We are so thankful for you and the day you were born! God blessed us abundantly when He gave us you!! Happy Birthday to our very favorite 7 year old!! We love you every minute of every day!!!