I'm Blessed: To Know This Young Man

It's Monday and some of you know what that means--

it's the day we write along with 

Gretchen's I'm Blessed series.

This Monday, though, just happens to be 

Nathaniel's 16th Birthday!!!

I want you to know how blessed I am to know this young man.

*he laughs at all my corny jokes

*he isn't in to pop-culture, he likes "good ol' stuff" like Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly, Chet Atkins, 

Willie Nelson, and Wrangler jeans.

*he likes Spam.  See?

(he got some for his birthday from my mom and dad)

*he is SO good with the younger kids

*he is a hard worker, as are his brothers

*he is a good conversationalist, able to strike up (and keep up) a conversation whether the person be 9, 19, or 90.

*he's patient with me when I don't understand something

(I'm terrible at history--sorry Mr. Listrom--and he has to help me often)

*he is an awesome self-taught guitarist  

*he is the boy who made us parents

*we've screwed up over and over again and he STILL likes us!

Today I took him and Isaiah out for lunch at a Chinese buffet.

"All-you-can-eat-buffet" is like music to a teenage boy's heart.

We then went to Fleet Farm (of course!) and the boys picked out a case for one of their guns.

Tonight we are having Papa Murphy's for supper and blowing out some candles on his pumpkin bar "cake".

I've said it before, and will again,

how we ever went from needing a diaper change to needing a shave is beyond me.  I guess I must have blinked and the years have flown by.

(He has since decided to wear mutton chops, which means less shaving.)

Happy 16th Birthday, Nathaniel!