Monday, April 5, 2010

Happy Birthday, Buckshot!

Happy 10th Birthday, Sawyer!


It seems like just a few months ago, Sawyer was our baby...oh, wait a minute, he WAS our "baby" a few months ago!  It's hard to believe that in just five months time, Sawyer is now the big brother to two little ones!!!  He's a GREAT big brother, too.  He doesn't just "accept" his new younger siblings; he ADORES his new lil sis and lil bro! 

For those of you who don't know Sawyer, well, you're missing out! :-)  Sawyer was born a very sick little baby.  (He's our 3rd bio child.)  He suffers from allergic colitis, which basically means that he's allergic to just about every food out there!  If he ingests something he's allergic to (even teeny tiny amounts), his digestive and intestinal tract swells and bleeds (colitis), so Sawyer is REALLY good about avoiding anything he's allergic to.  On top of having severe allergic colitis/food allergies, Sawyer is also dyslexic and has ADHD (to the max!).  But, none of this causes Sawyer to skip a beat. 

Sawyer is very small for his age because of his malabsorption/food allergy issues.  He's had many hurdles to overcome, but he's never let that stop him from anything.  He may be tiny, but he's the toughest boy with the biggest heart you'll ever meet! 

Sawyer has been called "Buckshot" from the time he was just a year old.  He got the name because he LOVED dried peas...yep, that's right...dried PEAS!  Matt's grandad called peas "buckshot", so Daddy began calling Sawyer "Buckshot" when he was little and one of his only foods to eat was dried peas.  (Sawyer had to endure feeding therapy for a couple of years as his digestive tract was so inflamed that it hurt him to eat ANY food, whether he was allergic or not, but one food he ALWAYS wanted was his "buckshot"...dried peas!)  When Sawyer was 18 months old, I was wheeling him around our Wimberley Market Days festival in his wagon when a grandpa approached him to tell him how cute he was.  The grandpa asked Sawyer what his name was, and Sawyer declared in his best southern drawl, "BUCKSHOT"!!!  I just about died, but his daddy was SO PROUD of his little guy thinking his name was really BUCKSHOT!!!  Oh my word.  Country at its best!

Well, Buckshot is kind of a famous lil guy in our neck of the woods.  No one really knows who "Sawyer" is, but if you ask about "Buckshot", everyone could point you in our direction!  I recall a family from one of Buckshot's first baseball teams who finally figured out at the end of the season that Sawyer's mom (as I always referred to myself) was the SAME mom as BUCKSHOT's mom!  It was then that I finally gave in and decided to call my child by his well-known and well-loved name of "Buckshot".  I still can't believe I have a son whose formal name is "Sawyer Denton Patterson" (such a sophisticated name), yet, around here, he's only known as "Buckshot"!  I guess it could be worse, huh?!?

Buckshot is a great athlete who thinks he's every bit as big as the other guys.  He works his tail off and has to try 10 times harder than everyone else, but he's got talent and it shows.  He's one of the best 10-year-old baseball players that I know (and yes, I'm his momma, but it really is true!), and the best thing is that he always fools the opponent with his size.  They expect him to play like a lil guy, but he's a better pitcher, catcher, 2nd baseman and slugger than most of the kids on every other team.  They're always shocked when he whacks it into left field, just after the opposing team's coach tells everyone to "scoot in".  Way to show 'em, Buckshot!

Buckshot also has a heart of gold.  He is the most tender-hearted boy I've ever met.  (He has my husband's heart.)  Sawyer can't even stand to see grass die due to lack of water from the drought.  He would find ways to "sneak" water to the plants when Texas had its drought, as it broke his heart to watch the plants whither.  So, imagine how that compassion, empathy and sensitivity transfers to life.  Sawyer's tender heart has brought many lonely animals and welcomed several orphans into our home.   And Sawyer not only welcomes the lonely into our family, he helps them to THRIVE.  He  hates injustice and loves to rescue, cherish and provide.  Man, is he gonna be a good husband one day!!!

We celebrated Buckshot's 10th birthday with a family camping trip to Yogi Bear's Hill Country Jellystone Park where Sawyer enjoyed laser tag, a "pillow" trampoline (very cool!), bike riding, football, badmitton, swimming, and hanging out with his best buddies, Jacob, Luke and Samuel...and his family, of course!  Sawyer was elated that his new little brother, Kiefer, was able to join the family on "Buckshot's Birthday Weekend"!!!  What a birthday to remember, especially for a young man who has a heart for the hurting, lonely and forgotten!  

Sawyer, you are such a blessing to our family.  You are such a smart boy with so many talents, but that is not why we love you.  We love you because you're fearfully and wonderfully made, handcrafted with love by the best Artisan in the universe.  There's not a thing in the world we would change about you, Buddy, and we are blessed beyond measure that God chose to share you with us.  We love you more than words can express, our beloved Buckshot!



1 comment:

Amy said...

Oh Lorraine, I love seeing so clearly how much you adore your children. I wish every child could be loved by their mama the way you love your kids. Such a sweet, sweet boy and I know every word you said about him is true because is saw it with my own eyes when we met him! Happy Birthday Sawyer!!! You are one amazing kid! Love, Amy

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