Happy 13th Birthday Nick!

Don't wait to make your son a great man - make him a great boy.
~Author Unknown~


You don't raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they'll turn out to be heroes, even if it's just in your own eyes.
~Walter M. Schirra, Sr~


When you teach your son, you teach your son's son.
~The Talmud~



Son, you outgrew my lap, but never my heart.
~Author Unknown~


He who can be a good son will be a good father.
~Author Unknown~


Sons have always a rebellious wish to be disillusioned by that which charmed their fathers.
~Aldous Huxley~


Boys are beyond the range of anyone's sure understanding, at least when they are between the ages of 18 months and 90 years.
~James Thurber~


If I have a monument in this world, it is my son.
~Maya Angelou~

I can hardly believe that we are celebrating Nick's 13th Birthday! It seems like yesterday we were registering him for kindergarten and today he is officially a teenager.

Time certainly flies and I guess before we know it he will be driving a car and looking at colleges. OH, I AM NOT READY FOR WHAT LIES AHEAD!

Saturday, Nick and I got to spend a little quality time together. Pat kept the girls here at the house so we could head to the nearest mall to do some shopping.

We have been asking him what he wanted for his bday and he could not come up with anything, so we thought it would be fun just to spend a few hours shopping together so he could pick out some things!

He definitely knows what he likes and doesn't like. I actually think he has a pretty good sense of style and it was certainly fun to watch him navigate through the mall. At times I had to bite the insides of my cheeks to hold back from voicing my opinion, but I really want him to be able to express who he is (within reason of course) and not feel as though I am making choices for him.

The hat and the glasses were both things he picked out during our little excursion, so we made a little pit stop on the way home and he let me take a few pictures in front of this old brick building!

I think these pictures SCREAM TEENAGER.... Don't you?

Even though he has mastered the eyeroll, and on rare occasion gets a little lippy with us (like most teenagers do) he really is a good kid!

Nick is a wonderful big brother who looks out for his two little sisters. He is always willing to play with them and provide entertainment, even if that means getting in the princess tent:)

When we go to school to meet with his teachers, we are told that he is a very polite and well behaved young man who is a good friend to many and that he shows respect to his teachers and elders at all times.

We are so very proud of him!

Happy 13th Birthday Nick.

Keep doing what you are doing and continue to study hard!

We love you~