I'm getting really excited about Sam's dedication ceremony. It's hard to believe that we've waited this long -- but I know that in actuality, we have dedicated him to Jesus every day of his life. This will simply be the ceremony whereby we honor the tradition of having such occasions.

I've found someone who is going to play the guitar while I sing the most perfect song to him. It's "Heaven Knows" by Garth Brooks (released under the name Chris Gaines). The lyrics were intended to be for lovers, but we changed just a couple words and it is THE PERFECT love song from us to our son. The whole ceremony is going to be perfect. My dad will officiate. We're going to have it at a place where my family has had picnics over the years, and it will be just as the leaves are changing colors. In addition to family members, lots of our family friends from church will be invited also. I expect many of them will come. It will be every bit a religious ceremony as it would be if we were having it in the four walls of a physical church. We're just having it in a sentimental location that is meaningful to our family.

Sam shows such sensitivity to God. He recognizes prayer -- even non-traditional prayer. I can be praying while I'm holding him, and not having actually said any words that would give away what I'm doing, he recognizes that I'm praying. He then says, "Amen." Tonight I was holding him and dancing around listening to music. I was praying kind of emotionally for a friend of ours who is having some problems right now. Sam got in front of my face, eye to eye, held my face in his hands, and kissed me hard on the lips. Then, he hugged me tight around my neck. It just melted my heart. I love seeing him respond to different emotions appropriately, and being sensitive.

Another time he did this recently was when I was holding him while I was practicing singing with our Praise Team at church. I was holding him in one arm, and holding a microphone with my other hand. He wanted to sing, too. He grabbed the microphone and our faces were pressed cheek to cheek, singing together. He rotated his head around so he could see me, and leaned away from the microphone and kissed me. After that, he went right back to singing. You could just tell how proud he was of himself for singing like his mom!