#publicschoolmissionary Turns Six

Mr. Camden (who I often hashtag as #themiddlechild on my instagram pictures of him) turned six this month.  In true Chase fashion, we found a way to celebrate his birthday for over a week.  It's how we roll! ;)

We started celebrating the weekend before his birthday with the Campbell side.  Camden has two birthday buddies in our family.  Nevin, who is exactly three days older than him, and Jovie, who is exactly one year younger.

I just can't help but smile from ear to ear at this picture, so thankful for how God has built our family in such amazing ways.  Just so blessed!

The next day {on his actual birthday}, we brought cupcakes for his class at school and then our little family of five went out to eat at his favorite restaurant, Logan's Roadhouse.

The following Saturday, we took a roadtrip with his two kindergarten boy cousins and their mamas and we met everybody's favorite fifth grader (cousin Isaac) and his family in Kansas City.  After lunch at Fritz's, we spent the afternoon at Lego Land.  So much fun!

Camden also met some other milestones in May; receiving a perfect attendance award, getting a major haircut, moving downstairs into his new room, losing his second tooth, competing in his first little swim meet, and graduating from kindergarten, to name a few.

And I would be remiss if I didn't do a little commentary here about this little guy and his HUGE heart.  I recognized it two years ago and blogged about it here; having him in kindergarten just solidified what I saw that summer at camp.

Camden is so boisterous and full of life and he keeps our entire family on our toes.  He does everything with reckless abandon, which includes loving others.  As an example, when his sister was at home sick one day this month, he made this for her at school (unprompted): 

He also applies that passion to sharing the love of Jesus with everyone he meets.  I watch him in complete awe as he asks strangers in the checkout lane at the grocery store if they know where our church is or makes a bold statement about God for all to hear.

This also transfers to school, which is where I got his #publicschoolmissionary name.  Here are some of my favorite stories from his teacher (and other staff at his school) of his boldness in sharing Jesus' love at school:

• While monitoring the bathroom, Camden can be heard saying things like "God would be very happy with how you are washing your hands."
• Once, while in one of his classes, his friend was making a bad choice.  Camden placed his hand on his friend's and said "would Jesus be happy with that choice?"
• Camden has a friend in his class, Aiden, whose daddy had surgery.  Aiden decided he wanted to pray for his daddy, so he asked Camden and his teacher to pray for him and they did...right there in the middle of class.
• Camden's teacher had the students line up one day as they were getting ready to go to one of their events for the day.  Their class was all standing quietly when she heard him whispering "God's not dead, He's surely alive, He's livin' on the inside, Roaring like a lion!" and before she knew it, he was leading half the class in singing this bold song.
• At lunch, Camden was overheard talking to his friend about the trinity.  Then, he asked the teacher doing lunchroom duty "Is Jesus really three people in one, you know...God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit?"

I'm sure there are more, but the fact is, my little guy has the makings of a really amazing youth minister or missionary or something along those lines.  I have big, big expectations for this passionate little boy that we are blessed to get to parent.