Happy Birthday Dustin!

Wow how time does fly. Our oldest is 13 today. Chris and I were just talking about how we just can't believe we are officially parents of a teenager!

Dustin is his dad in miniature. He loves anything fantasy or sci-fi. He LOVES to read. He loves the military. He's sweet, compassionate, caring and tender. He's very quick to make sure those around him are ok. He's weathered a lot in his 13 years but he has come out such a strong man.

He loves baseball and has an amazing arm. I've seen him get the ball from centerfield back to the catcher in one swift move. He's a great pitcher as well.

He loves Boy Scouts. He loves everything about it. He was so proud when he joined and takes his Scouting oath seriously. He can name just about every dangerous plant in nature and is a wiz at doing first aid. He loves to camp and be outdoors.

He loves history. He has an amazing memory for dates and events. He soaks up anything history related. It's his favorite subject and he's incredible at it.

We hope that he develops into a wonderful child of God. He's come such a long way this year and we are so very proud of him. I"m sure this first year of "teenager-dom" will be filled with frustration, arguments and probably a decent amount of teenage attitude. I"m also sure it will be more from me wanting to hold onto him and him wanting to push away and find himself. He's always been a very independent child. I hope he uses what we have taught him and molds himself into a wonderful young man.

We love you Dustin and are so proud of the young man you've become. May God bless you as you continue to grow and learn.