Happy 9th Birthday Hyrum!

I am super blessed to be mama to a wonderful young man. Hyrum Mitchell Blau was born nine years ago, and he has been a blessing in our lives ever since. He entered this world in a very rough manner, spending his first two weeks in intensive care and being rushed to St. Louis because of health concerns. He had all the symptoms of leukemia ... without actually having leukemia. They couldn't figure out what was wrong with him, so the poor baby was poked and prodded all day long as an infectious disease specialist tested him for every disease known to man. He wouldn't grow. His white blood cell count was through the roof. It looked bleak. Our ward had a special fast for him because he was not thriving, and luckily he was able to come home. We never did figure out what was going on, and his white blood cell count was high for the first three years of his life. Hyrum sure knows how to take on sicknesses with finesse. He doesn't just get sick. He gets SICK. We have had several interesting bouts with sickness that have involved rushing to St. Louis for special care. But Hyrum is a fighter. He has pulled through everything, and we are so happy to have him part of Team Blau.

Now for his very special 9th birthday, here are NINE things I love about Hyrum:

1. His kindness to all.

Hyrum is the kindest boy I know. He notices when people are not included or when they are treated badly, and he does what he can to make things better. Whenever I notice one of the Blau kids who are in need, I often turn to Hyrum to fix the problem. He is like a natural balm to ease a troubled heart.

2. His powerful testimonies.

I think that Hyrum's testimonies on Fast and Testimony Sundays have become legendary. He never just stands up and recites the common child testimony of "I know the Church is true. I know my mom and dad love me. I know President Monson is a prophet. etc." Hyrum always tries to come up with a lesson he has learned from studying the scriptures or from a life experience. It can make me a bit nervous when he stands up because I never know what is going to come out of his mouth, but he usually manages to say something that is both true and thought provoking. He seems like such a little man as he stands before the church congregation in his little suit with his scriptures slung across his shoulder. Love these moments!

3. His love of Star Wars/Power Rangers.

Hyrum is my one child (with the possible exception of Spencer and his Beatles obsession or Savannah with her Dr. Who/Batman love) who will get very obsessed with a movie/television program for a long time. Once he has a favorite he will immerse himself in it. It has been this way since he was a little boy. His latest obsession is Star Wars and Power Rangers. He and JoJo will watch all the old movies as well as the classic Power Rangers TV shows and the new Clone Wars cartoons until they are true experts in these worlds. I have seen lots and lots of Star Wars, but even I can't outmatch Hyrum in a Star Wars trivia contest. He knows every intimate detail. My one beef? He thinks that episodes 1-3 are better than the originals. Blasphemous!

4. His work ethic.

Hyrum is a super hard worker. Whenever I send the kids off to do a task, Hyrum is the one who will get to work right away and stay on task until the job is done. That is a character trait that is going to serve him well in the future. Right now it sometimes leads his siblings to take advantage of him a bit, so I try to be careful and make sure he gets assistance as he works.

5. His desire to choose the right.

Hyrum tries to always be good. Always. I rarely ever have to scold him. If I ever do scold him, he immediately apologizes and does whatever he can to make things better. He truly wants to choose the right in everything. And I'm not just saying that because I am his mom. It is amazing to see.

6. His concern for my happiness.

Hyrum is always busy trying to make sure that I am happy. If he ever compliments Herman for something when I am near, he makes sure to take time to find something good to say about me as well. He often comes up to me and gives me a hug and a compliment so that I know that I am doing a good job. When he was a little boy I used to hug him tight and say, "You're my good boy!" He would then hug me back even tighter and say "You're my good mom!" I love this about him.

7. His great prayers.

Hyrum is a praying guy. He doesn't just pray the same prayer every time either. He thinks a lot about what he wants to pray about and then he makes the prayers meaningful. He can give some super long prayers, but as he has gotten older he has learned to shorten them a bit for larger groups. Still, it is wonderful to hear his great faith as he communicates with his Heavenly Father.

8. His love for his little brother, JoJo.

Hyrum is such a good big brother for JoJo. He doesn't always get along with JoJo perfectly, but he is always looking out for him. When JoJo started kindergarten last year, Hyrum was in second grade at the same school. He made sure to walk JoJo where he needed to go each morning, and on the days when they needed to ride the bus Hyrum made sure to sit with him. He gives him random hugs and support, and whenever JoJo is sad, Hyrum is always the first one to comfort him. JoJo adores him.

9. His total goodness. In every way.

Hyrum is just a uniquely good boy. He isn't perfect, but he really strives to be. I am always amazed at his pure thoughts and actions. I do worry a bit that the world is going to come in and destroy his goodness or ridicule him for his kindness and sincerity in his approach to life. But so far he seems to be untainted. Hurray! I don't want for the dirt and cynicism of the world to destroy his goodness in any way. Having him in our family gives us balance and peace. He is a shining example to me of what I need to be. He is my sweet, sweet Hy-guy!