How I Love Our Toddler and Taking Him to His First Wedding

Let me start with saying, "Hello, how have you been?!" It has been almost a year since my last blog post about two of our best friends, Amy and Brad Ward, who left Atlanta to travel the country!!! Update: They are chilling in Colorado living the Snow Bunny Life. 

Family picture at James' third birthday party

Our son, James, just had his THIRD birthday a few weeks ago. His third birthday, seriously?! That went by so quickly! We love our little munchkin, more than I ever would have thought possible. Sometimes it is still surreal that I am grown up and a mom. The way he looks to me for comfort, love, attention, approval, snuggles, and even how he wants me to rub his back while he is falling asleep, it gets me every time. When he is around other people and children he listens and takes it all in first before he gets comfortable. He is our little observer. I love how he is so sweet and thoughtful. I am grateful for the respect he shows me too. Sometimes it surprises me how I start "counting to 3" and he gets up and gets going on #1. 

James loves to sit on my lap

But I'm definitely a little softy, though. For example, he would have me carry him everywhere if I would. Usually, I have been carrying him but we are trying to get him to walk more. I just know I will look back when he is much bigger and relish the memories of carrying his little 31 lb. self all over the place. My little snuggle bunny loves to sit in my lap. It is the sweetest part of my day when he wants to climb in my lap and hold my hands. He would prefer to sit in my lap even while we are both eating but he has to eat in his own chair and "be a big boy". But, I know I'll miss him being little enough to sit in my lap one day too. I treasure all of these memories we have together and look forward to making new memories as he grows older. 

Snuggle buddy

We recently went to Lauren and Alex Ziegler's wedding and took James. It was a beautiful celebration of love and was a picture perfect Southern style wedding weekend, complete with a crawfish boil on the Thursday night before the wedding. I love the South and how everyone makes you feel so welcome and the hospitality can't be beat! The Clark-Ziegler wedding was no exception!! 

Behnkes and Zieglers

I was honored to read this scripture about love during the ceremony: 

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loves in us and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” 1 John 4:7-21 NIV

Lauren and I before the wedding

We went to get James a suit before the wedding, because it was elegant and formal. James was so cute picking out his little suit. He was so proud of himself that he was going to be all dressed up like his Daddy.

My handsome dates

Then, he was such a great little traveler and had so much fun at all the wedding events and festivities. He even helped me give a little speech during the rehearsal dinner. I asked him after we got home what was his favorite part of the wedding weekend and he told me it was when we were dancing together. It made my heart completely melt into a pile of mush. Kyle even joined in with the dancing. The three of us held each other and were all dancing together. Yes, sorry, we were those people having a family love fest on the dance floor. But it was one of the best nights the three of us have had out together.

Our little family at the Jackson, MS Yacht Club

The sweetest part of this story is how it ties into my own childhood. One of my very first memories was dancing with my dad at a wedding. I'll never forget, my favorite preschool teacher, Ms. Jamie. She was getting married and asked me to be a flower girl. I had the best time but my favorite part was dancing with my dad. I swear, I learned all my dance moves that night. Well, maybe not all my dance moves, but I certainly learned how much fun it is to dance with your favorite guy. It brought it all full circle for me. 

Thank you for inviting us, Lauren and Alex, to be a part of your wedding! May you have much love and happiness as husband and wife!! 

I hope James always knows the love we have for him and how we would do anything in our power for him. He is going to be our only child and he will always be enough. We are so blessed to be his parents!! We love you, James!