Happy 25th Birthday Kevin!!!

...and Happy 4th Anniversary in the Air Force!

O.k. so I've been sorting thru old photos today and found a few fun ones to help chronicle your quarter century birthday. As most of you know, Kevin is our only son. He is our baby, although clearly not a baby any more.

Here are just a few of the things that stand out in my reminiscing about Kevin's life.

Kevin, you were born 2 weeks past your due date...almost on Leap Day, Feb 29th, but God answered my prayer and allowed your arrival to wait one more day. I woke up in labor around 3 in the morning on March 1st. Whew!

You scared us a bit when you had a fever the day you were born (not typical) and the doctors decided that you needed to stay in the hospital for an extra WEEK while they sent me home. Even though I KNEW that you were fine and that God was in control, I was scared to death that there was something seriously wrong and that I'd never be able to bring my dear little boy home from the hospital.

You were actually a big boy at 9 lbs 2 oz at birth and after a long uncertain week, you got a clean bill of health and came home. We were ecstatic!

You've always been the "active" one. Amy was over two years old and had NEVER tried to stand up in her high chair. The first day I put you in the high chair, I turned around for a second, then looked back and you were standing up...not on the seat, but on the tray! You were constantly moving and exploring and didn't like to sit still for too long. We were amazed when you taught Amy how to climb on things that she had never even considered before! We were busy, but loved your curiosity.

You were (and still are) a sweet and lovable boy with a precious tender heart. We admire how much you love animals and nature and wouldn't hurt a soul. When you were about 5 or 6 years old, we took you kids fishing and you were so excited to catch a small fish. When we got home and Dad started to clean it (to cook it) you were devastated and literally cried for about 2 hours! You thought we were going to keep it as a pet. How heartbroken we were that we had let you down that day.

We remember when you were older, you used to try to figure out how you could go somewhere where you would be out in nature and not see people for weeks at a time. I'm sure sometime you'll get the chance to do that if you still want to. Just be sure you do it safely. You also had the great idea of keeping an RV on every continent so you could travel the world whenever you wanted to. Now that sounds like fun to me too! Can we borrow them?

You have always been so wonderful about showing affection to me and others, even with friends or strangers around. When you were about 7 years old, I told you I was going to write up a contract to sign that you could never stop giving me hugs, because I knew that someday you'd be embarrassed about it. Fortunately, there hasn't been a time that you have neglected to show me that you love me. What a gift! It's so encouraging too, to see how well you get along with your sister and now Andrew, your brother-in-law too. Being less than 2 years apart, You and Amy have always been the best of friends (well except for that short season in jr. high/high school when you could have ripped each others heads off). It's so great to see you love, encourage and challenge each other in life.

And even as a teenager you have always taken time to show an interest in the elderly and children. You are a gentle soul and somehow know just when someone needs that extra little bit of attention and affirmation. You will make an awesome father and husband someday.

You have always been so creative, funny, gifted and passionate about life! From the time you started singing at about 3 years old, in our church Christmas programs. To when you were older and got involved in school plays, talent shows, musicals, and the high school choirs. We especially loved hearing you sing tenor in your Barbershop Quartet.

You have an awesome gift for making people laugh with your off-beat sense of humor. You had everyone in stitches at your high school talent shows, as well as the Saugus High Morning Video Announcements. I was trying to find the video online of when you did "Mr. Roboto", but can't seem to track it down. If you know anyone who has it, let me know. Dad was so thrilled when you followed in his footsteps and learned how to play bass and guitar and played with him at church. He and I always loved going to all of your and Amy's performances. It was so much fun to see you stepping out and expressing your gifts in ways that we had never dreamed of doing when we were your age.

What a fun season of life and what a blessing to have such confident and expressive kids!

We loved the time that you played soccer and basketball too. You had a love for the Suns and Kevin Johnson. That was another exciting season of life! We were and always will be your biggest cheerleaders.

We know that you're cultivating your gift as a promising writer and philosopher as well and still have interest in those areas. Maybe someday we'll get to see some of your works published, but even if we don't we'll cherish the detail and imagination from those stories that you wrote growing up.

We look forward to seeing where all of your passions lead you. Unfortunately your curse is that you get bored easily (like me). I hope that you can follow your dreams and find a way to enjoy all those things that you love so much. You have so much life ahead and we're excited for where you're going.

As of today you'll also celebrate your 4th anniversary in the Air Force. You were not a little boy who played army or imagined being in battle at all. Oh, I take that back...there were the Indiana Jones days and those simulated gun fights and that Star Wars-esque light saber battle that you filmed in high school. But generally your demeanor never indicated to us that you would join the military. You remember how surprised and apprehensive we were when you decided to enlist. After these 4 long years, we're thankful that you have benefited from many things in the experience, like learning Mandarin Chinese, traveling overseas, meeting new friends, and will have the advantage of the new GI Bill for college when you get out in a few months.

We have missed you so much over these last 4 years and can't wait to have you "free" and more accessible. We look forward to exciting and precious times of adventure, laughter and love for you and with you as you continue to grow and mature and find out God's perfect plan for your life.

Sorry this is so long, but we have a lot to be thankful for. We thank God for giving you to us, Kevin to share our lives with and for making you the perfect piece to complete our family. What a thrill ride it has been and it's only just beginning.

Happy Birthday sweet son. We love you more than life itself and can't wait to see you again. August will not come too soon.