Willy Nilly

November 1994

My 22nd birthday...holding the best present! and loving my perm at the same time...

Will at almost 2...ducky slippers and baby keys. I see a re-enactment coming...wish I could find this snazzy one piece outfit though.

We still have this car...Will STILL tries to play in it. and when he does, this is the face I see.

This sweet little face is, in all honesty, the face I still see when I get a glimpse at my nearly 16 year old son in all his facial hair, long legged glory...(I'm going to cry for a minute. no. really, I am...) I blinked and he's nearly a man. dang that nostalgia....I am telling my 24 year old self to cherish these two little future men that I had at this time. gosh. I am going to go beat myself up.

The thing that's cool about Will? He's freaking out about 16 as much as I am. He spent the night with Ian Sat. night and he told me yesterday that he woke up in the middle of the night panicking. I thought it was because he was in someone else's house but he said it's because he is going to be 16 this coming Saturday. Such a sweet, young at heart guy.

You are such an amazing (UH-MAZING for emphasis) young man, Will Franklin. I love that you still hug, kiss, speak words of love to your dad and I. I love that you love Levi so very much. I love that you stayed home from our work at the Kaleo open house Friday night so you could keep Molly occupied and out of our hair. I love your quiet strength. I love that you already read "To Train Up a Child". I love to watch you play soccer and the moves where you scoot with your bum. I also love that when you and that black kid konked noggins on Saturday, you asked him if he was ok and when he responded "Of course I'm ok", you replied "Don't be a butt".

Gosh. Thanks for being such an encouragement to me (and to Dad)...thanks for letting us borrow money when our well seems to be running dry. You are one of the finest examples of just how good God is to us. man.

I am going to go have a good cry while I fold laundry. (you are actually working at Bandy's this morning with Dad and Vince before your Biology class...you go Boy). I love you so much.

Good Monday morning, folks. Thanks for letting me wax nostalgic up above. I am shaking because well, I'm hungry but mostly out of sheer gratitude for Will. If you know him, you love him. he's quiet but thoughtful. He's serious but hilarious. If you know him, you are as blessed as I am. he's an astute young man of God.

Firstborns break us in...we become different people because of them. We grow up with them. and sometimes, while they grew more mature than us, we stay immature (at least in my case). I will ask Will how I should respond in certain situations. He's always "spot on". that is mind boggling.

This week will be busy, filled with trying, busy and blessed times, but I wanted to take a minute to remember Will since we will be out of town on Saturday (the actual day of his birth) for soccer.

Hope this finds you and yours enjoying summer's last ditch effort to torture us a bit more. I'm so thankful for a morning at home. God bless you!

note: I just re-read this post and wow, sorry for the redundancy. I think I mentioned 15 times that this Saturday is W's birthday. garsh.