Jaylen's 6th Birthday

Jaylen, the boy we shepherd from Yellowstone Academy, has truly impacted us in such an amazing way in the short amount of time we have been around him.  I called his mom asking when we could see him and was told his birthday was the following Friday.  So we decided to take him on his birthday to celebrate.

First we let him ride a bike for the first time.  Jaylen is athletic and can pick up on things quickly.

Riding buddies

We went inside to play around with some guitar action.

Then it was time to open presents.  Swimsuit and a perplexus.  Derek insisted we try to find something to make him think.

Derek showing him the ropes while Justin zooms through his.

Then we went to Kicks Soccer and played around for a bit.

Justin was starting soccer in the fall so this was good practice.

The inner child in me came out and I once again had to run in scoring like my old wing days.

Mid air

Then we went to Rina Forest Cafe.  We walked up to the Galleria and of course Jaylen was on sensory overload.  He wanted to do everything.  We walk up and the hostess asks us for a table for three.  I look her dead in the eye and tell her party of four.  She apologized profusely over and over.  I just saw it as preparation of what was to come.  The Lord in His Goodness giving me a glimpse.  Letting the world know that just because everyone doesn't look the same doesn't mean we aren't all together.

Jaylen didn't know what to do with the whipped cream.

And we of course had to have the balloon man come over.

As we took Jaylen home I asked him if he had ever had a birthday party.  He said no.  A cake?  No.  No gifts, no one has ever sung him happy birthday, no cards, no present, nothing.  Now I know heaven isn't made up of people that have birthdays, but how different we would all be if no one celebrated you.  If they didn't tell you that you were important and worthwhile having a blast with.  It was our privilege to do that with Jaylen. 

May the Lord be glorified through our time with him!  May his heart turn to love the Lord.