Grown Up

The first time we saw his face, it was just above hers, poking through our back screen door. They'd driven home from college for the weekend as a surprise. She said, "Hi Mom", and he said "Hi Mom" in spite of the fact that we'd never met.

The grin on his face - I swear I knew. He was the one.

He was.

That's been about 14 years ago. Back then he wore his cap backward, he seemed to always be tanned, wearing khaki shorts that had frays hanging from the legholes, and sandals.

When we see him now, he's usually dressed for work, or on his John Deere mowing the 'lawn' (and I use that term loosely due to the sheer size of it!), with the John Deere cap to match, and generally one of the boys is along for the ride, or he's running around the worship center of church, talking into a headset, or up on the stage preaching like nobody's business. I really enjoy the last one.

He goes by his middle name, but he didn't when we met him. Back then he was just Chris, and DH and I have stuck with that one, even when the rest of the family has made the switch. There's something very cozy feeling by calling him the name Sarah does, sort of a parent-protective feeling to it, not that he needs it, but it's just what parents do even when they try not to.

So today is a grown-up birthday for him. Anytime a birthday age has a zero or a five after it, it carries a bit more significance than the others.



Backwards cap to Elf Hat - We're all blessed to have him as family. We just want him to know, today, how much we love him for the man he's grown into, the husband and father he is. Happy Birthday Chris. We love you.