Our Sweet Samuel is 6...

Our boy is 6 years old today...Samuel McDonald Taylor.

It was Thursday December 18, 2003...you were born at 10:34am at Germantown Methodist hospital. You took my breath away from the second I laid eyes on you! Your daddy....oh your daddy was beaming and was so proud. We giggled at how much hair you had....for a boy, we thought you were absolutely beautiful!

We knew that your name would be Samuel before we even knew we pregnant with you. We kept your name a secret from everyone else though. Pa, Na, Papa, and Aunt Amy were all there waiting for you to arrive. When they came into the room your daddy read the verse in 1 Samuel...."for this child I have prayed"....and this is where your name came from....SAMUEL!

Oh the joy you bring to our home and to our family. You are very eager and have been from day 1. You were pulling up and walking while holding on to the couch when you were 7 months old. You walked on your own at 9 months and was in a full run at 10 months old! You love to jump and run, you are very active and we love that about you. You love baseball and can whop a ball...the first time I saw you on the baseball field my heart broke but yet I was so excited for you!

You are the most tender hearted child I know. You care for others and are deeply concerned for the well being of others. Samuel, you helped Momma get through a very difficult time in my life in January 2008....you remember my friend Ms. Stephanie. Ms. Stephanie was one of my dearest friends and she had cancer and was dying. Although you had just turned 4 and I did not think you understood what was going on, God used you to speak to me so many days. I can remember so clearly some of the things that you would say to me in such a calming voice...a calm voice, just like the voice of God. I put you, Anna, and Zoe down for a nap on January 9 (this was Wednesday and Stephanie passed away on Friday)....I could not wait to get you all down because I wanted to lay down and cry. I was on the bed sobbing silently and you walked in the room, got on the bed beside me, and very quietly told me "Momma, Ms Stephanie is going to be okay." It was then that I realized that children are more spiritual than adults....it was then that I realized that you as a child were so fresh from heaven...it was at that moment that the verse in Matthew that says that little children have Angels around them that constantly see the face the Father....it was then that that verse came alive for me....all through my 4 year old little boy...all through you Samuel. From that day on, I held tight to simple scriptures that God spoke through you. And somehow, you and Anna are still able to remember and talk about Momma's friend Ms. Stephanie.....thank you sweet boy!

Some of your favorite things right: Star Wars, Transformers, baseball, chocolate, cake, ice cream, puppy, Benji, and Jaguar, Anna, Na's chocolate gravy, chicken and rice casserole, your daddy, root beer, milkshakes, Moe's, church, quoting scripture, flip flops, PJ's, snuggling, your Pa and Na and going to their apartment, Molly, sharks, the beach, swimming, and your momma!

Samuel, we are so proud of you and we are proud of the the 6 year old you are today. We pray so many things for you....but most importantly that soon you will come to the salvation of Jesus. You are a joy my sweet love.....we look forward to seeing what God has in store for you as you grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. We love you....and Happy Birthday....

Daddy, Momma, and Anna