On Friday, August 4, we celebrated my oldest son's 9th birthday. I can't begin to tell you how crazy it is to me that I have a 9 year old. Seriously. I remember when I found out I was a pregnant with this kid (near Christmas) and then gave birth to him just as our first African-American president was running for office (and who happens to share the same birthday as him). He has been the biggest blessing and challenge of my life.

No one looks at parenthood as a challenge but let me tell you, it is. It's a challenge to think about how you will love someone so much and pray about how you hope you don't screw their lives up. My son(shine) is an absolute joy. This boy is a ball of pure energy, mixed with the biggest imagination ever, sprinkled with the brightest smile, touched with a huge heart, tossed in an amazed mind and topped with pure love. He is literally love and God personified. Even when he drives me crazy, makes huge messes, gets on his little brother's nerves, and can't seem to sit still, he is the best thing that ever happened to me and serves as a reminder of why I push myself so hard every single.