Happy 8th Birthday to our Jack!

Eight years ago, an event happened that forever changed my world.  I became a mother after 24 hours of strenuous labor....a mother to a beautiful, blonde-haired, blue-eyed baby boy with an intense personality!  

And we couldn't be more grateful!  Our Jack is a delight to our whole family.  That intensity we saw from the first moments he breathed air into his lungs is still there....and so are his blonde hair and blue/green eyes!  But he has grown into a strong, enthusiastic, helpful boy in these last 8 years and we continue to marvel at how God is shaping his heart.

This past year was full of changes and new things for Jack - as it was for our other boys.  We made the move to our Utah home, traveled across the ocean to bring home his big brother, adjusted to life in an entirely new community and saw Jack grow and mature through it all.  He has traveled for most of his young life and has enjoyed seeing many places.  But he is a happy boy to be settled and often says, "Please say we don't have to move from here!"  He loves life in a small town with lots of beautiful nature to explore nearby!

 Jack already has a warrior heart.  He loves all things military and says he'd like to be a Navy SEAL when he grows up.  Or maybe an Air Force pilot.  :-)  This year we studied a little about both the attacks of September 11th and also Pearl Harbor.  During both, he was enraged with the sense of injustice at America being attacked while unprepared.  He said, "Mom, I have to be in the military.  Will you let me go be in the military?"  Yes, Jack...when the time is right!  I asked, "Why do you want to serve in the military so passionately?"  He said, "Mom, when I saw the video of Pearl Harbor or of the towers coming down, I just HAVE to serve my country!"

(The photo below shows him with his treasured souvenir from Ukraine - a military hat!)

 Jack is a bundle of enthusiasm in just about everything he does:  learning, science experiments, nature hikes, sports of any kind, artwork, read alouds...you name it!

 He is tremendously athletic and skilled at just about everything physical he tries to do.  This spring he mastered flips on the trampoline!

 He is kind-hearted and loving.  He often comes to the rescue of birds that have hit our living room windows.  Some he is able to nurse back to health....others he buries in our bird graveyard.

 Jack started 2nd grade in our home school this year and he is doing great!  He's been a late bloomer in reading fluently on his own, but he is getting the hang of it and has a stack of books on his bedside table waiting for the time when he can read them all on his own!

 He has been a tremendous help to me when Josh is at work or as we've harvested the bounty of our backyard!  He picks fruit, peeled bushels of peaches for preserves, helped husk the black walnuts that fell from our tree, pulls weeds and rakes leaves.

 He adores books and we read many, many chapter books aloud!  He saved some of his money and gave up one of his birthday items so that he could purchase the complete set of "I Survived" books written by Lauren Tarshis, at the fall book fair.

 God knew just which son to choose to be in Jack's place in our family.  He is a wonderful big brother to the littlest two.  He is playful and on equal ground with Toby.  And he comfortably fits in as a little brother when Jake and Sarah are around.

 Since Dad had to return to work, we had his main birthday celebration earlier this week.  Everything is somewhat centered on his love for the military.  Could his smile be any bigger after opening his World War II Devil's Brigade GI Joe figure??? :-)

 Or celebrating with our local friends with a military ice cream cake?

 Or jumping expertly on his new pogo stick?

 We are so grateful for our beautiful, intense, enthusiastic Jack.  His strong personality made for some difficult days on this mama when he was a baby.  But he has turned into a simply delightful boy who blesses all those around him.  He cares genuinely about older people or friends who are suffering physically.  He is kind and protective of younger children.  He is sorrowful when he has wronged one of his parents and immediately seeks to restore the relationship.  He has a heart for God and even though he can't quite read his Bible on his own yet, he keeps it close and underlines the word "God" when he sees it and is very mindful of the things of our Lord.  We pray this will continue and that his heart will grow strong and courageous as he pursue whatever God has in store for him.

Happy 8th birthday to our little soldier.