Happy Birthday, Brennan!

Well, we 'officially' now have our very first TEENAGER! Wow! It is so hard to believe that Brennan is now 13! My Mom and Dad always said that time would go fast with our kids; however, during those sleepless nights of infancy you do not always believe that! LOL But, here we are now 13 years later and truly wondering where in the world the years have gone. It's so hard to believe that he is already 13 and that in just 5 short years, he'll be ready for college, or whatever he chooses to do......he'll officially be an 'adult'! WOW!

We are so very proud of Brennan. He is a wonderful son! It's amazing because this morning I was thinking of how excited we are about entering the teen years. It seems many parents loathe the fact of their kids becoming teenagers........how sad! While we know that it will present it's own share of unique challenges, we are excited about entering this new phase of his life. What a great opportunity to continue 'coaching' him into manhood. The other day Brennan had the day off from school, but Nate was still in school, so Brennan and I had the opportunity to spend the entire day together, just the two of us, and at one point we were driving and I just looked at him and said, "Ya know -- you're a really cool kid to hang out with. I really enjoy being with you!" and I did! In that moment I realized that although, yes -- I am the parent, our relationship is slowly transitioning. We are becoming more of 'friends' and we just enjoy being together, hanging out, and beginning to relate to one another on a more 'adult' relationship. Yes, he's still a kid -- but, things are changing and he's more into 'adult' conversation and he has amazing viewpoints and thoughts about life and the world. I really enjoy listening to him think and discussing things. He's really a lot of fun and keeps us laughing!

We are so proud of him! The other night we went to parent/teacher conferences at his school and the teachers raved about him. Yes, he's a good student academically and has great grades; however, what they all mentioned was how much of a leader he is, how respectful he is, how great he is with the other kids, etc. And, Steve and I were overwhelmed with their praise of his character! Yes, he has his faults and weaknesses that we're working on, but don't we all? We love seeing what God is doing in His life and how He is faithfully pursuing his heart! He is changing and molding this young man for His purposes and we are honored to have the privilege of watching over, caring for, and loving him as he grows up!

So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Brennan! We love you so very much and are so proud of you and excited about you becoming a teenager!!!!!

...........and now I'm off to suprise him with his favorite breakfast: Panera Bread's Cinnamon Crunch Bagel w/hazelnut cream cheese! Yum!