Evan Graham - Yesterday and Today

Evan's 19th birthday was May 7th.  He was our sixth grandchild and 4th grandson.

Evan is an important part of this large family.

And an even more important part of this smaller family.

I wrote about Evan in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.  Those posts tell you a lot about him and how he's changed through the years.

And the following pictures will SHOW you how he's changed through the years.

So now I'm going to talk about what Evan's been up to in the past year.  First of all, almost exactly a year ago, he graduated from high school.

And along with that graduation came a lot of changes in Evan's life.  Although pursuing a higher education was his parents' dream for him, it wasn't his dream - at least not yet.  Evan started his first part-time job shortly after high school which soon morphed into full-time employment. And not too long after that Evan moved into an apartment with a friend.  He says it's strange going from concerns about getting good grades and graduating to bills, making rent, and looking to the future but it's a change he enjoys.

He has continued playing the guitar and composing music and has recently gotten into making retro game songs which is Chiptune music.  He continues to learn songs by ear and create new ones and has recently expanded on some of his old riffs, trying to make them songs of their own.  It's a slow and hard process since he doesn't read music, but he feels that's what helps him create his own identity and style.

Evan also told me that he and his brother, Grant, did volunteer work for Tessa's swim team yesterday and helped chaperon her party.  This comes as no surprise to me because when Evan was little, all he wanted to be was a big brother.  It was a happy day for him (and everybody else) when he became one.

And he's been a loving and helpful big brother ever since.

Evan has always been loving, sweet, and cheerful.

He's smart, creative, helpful, and handsome and we're so proud that he's our grandson.  Happy Birthday, Evan! It's late but heartfelt and we're wishing you a year full of success and happiness. We couldn't be more proud of you and we can't wait to see what the future holds for you. We know it's going to be awesome!