Zion is now two. We celebrated his birthday here at the Juniper Tree in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The day began with opening gifts shipped from his grand- parents in America, which was very exciting for both boys since our little bungalow has little for them in the way of entertainment. I decorated his seat in the mess hall for dinner, and after the meal, the owners' children, Eliot and Jemima, brought out a pink-and-white frosted banana cake with two candles on it, courtesy of the ladies in the kitchen.Happy Birthday, Zion Daniel. We have likened you to a small tornado, a stick of dynamite, a tough little dog that yelps in the face of the big dogs, completely without fear. When you see an obstacle in front of you, you climb over it. When you see a challenge, you devour it with great joy. You are a strange and awesome mix of strength and tenderness. Though you are not easily shaken, your heart is quick to give out love. You smile all the time and love to kiss and hug and cuddle. You are, in fact, the most cuddly child anyone has ever met. You are a goer. You do not like to stay home, nor stay put. You want to explore, you want to play, you want to be where the action is. If your dad and I are hugging, you need to be right in the middle of us. You adore your big brother and you are very excited to meet your little brother. You are a treasure.
We are so thankful that you were given to us - to raise and to love and to watch with amazement. Bless you, dear son. May you grow to love your Maker, and may you always live life the way that you do now.
