He's 12!

Good grief!  He's 12.

Twelve short months before the teen years officially begin.

Time is fleeting.

He's growing.

He's an amazing kid.

Crazy responsible student.

As in, he checks his grades online nearly daily.

He asks us to study with him.

Reminds me when something is due.

Expects nothing less than A's and works hard to get them.

Seriously ... a dream!

He continues to have an ever growing love of baseball,

which I think thrills his dad and granddad more than I even know.

He wants to excel and he works hard toward that end.

We are still working on heart issues,

what it means to be a devoted follower of Christ,

and choosing others before himself.

But all told, parenting him is a joy!

We celebrated his day with a group of his friends over to spend the night.

Parties have gotten so much simpler as the kids have grown.

We've transitioned from an all-out theme, with games, food, and cutesy invites,

to the ease of a group of friends, the great outdoors, and evite!

The food must be abundant, but if that's the most time consuming part,

I'll take it!

Jarrett wanted hamburgers, nachos, and some trail mix.

Lots of gift cards were received, along with some cash.

Love this hat that Will gave him!

Left to right:  Carsen Curry, Jacob Bolich, Will Warbington, Jonathan Koehler,

Austin Gusaeff, Andrew Beasley, Carson Plumadore, Jackson Childers, and Daniel Jackson.

Love his eclectic group of friends ...

athletes to academics to baseball friends to church friends!

Great job on the cake again Nana!

Happy birthday, Son.

We love you BIG!

GREAT days are ahead!!