Zachary's 10th

Tuesday was Zachary's 10th birthday!

Zachary was our 17th grandchild and 10th grandson.

And is a very important part of this large family

and of course a very important part of this wonderful family.

I wrote about Zachary on his birthday last year in this post and, as usual, going there will take you to links to all his previous posts and those posts will tell a lot about Zachary and show lots of pictures of how he's changed through the years.

So in this post I'll talk about what's been going on with Zachary during the past year and put in just a few pictures showing how he's grown and changed.

 

And now for this year's update.  It's been a busy and productive year for Zachary.  He's been active in Scouts and was particularly excited about the pinewood derby this year since he played such a large part in the construction of his car.  His hard work definitely paid off too because he won first place for speed in his district which is basically a first place overall.

He has also continued his sports focus and played on a travel baseball team as well as his regular league team both last summer and this summer.

 He's not only a quality fielder and pitcher, but also hits for power and had some of the few over the fence home runs this year.  Here he is after his team won second place in their district!

He also enjoys anything he can play in the back yard with his family

and he's very active outdoors.  He's fast and strong and is such a good sport that the neighbors always want him in their games.  During this year, Zachary started and finished 4th grade, visited Gulf Shores over the holidays (where his family always does a 'jump photo' and where Zachary knocked it out of the park),

 and attended his first pro football game.

So, yes, he's had a busy year but there's lots more I want to say about Zachary.  He's fun loving and has such great enthusiasm for everything that he's a joy to be around.

He's also exceptionally smart and active!  He loves the family dogs, Charley and Scout, and he's always up for a game with the family whether it's Frisbee outside or a board game inside.

 He also loves working with his dad on any project and playing video games with his brothers. 

 We couldn't be there to help him celebrate but we know he had a great day at the beach, playing miniature golf, and enjoying treats like ice cream, etc.  We're very proud of Zachary and we're hoping his birthday was as awesome as he is and that the coming year is his best one yet but only half as great as the many more to come!  Happy Birthday, Zachary!

Evan's 21st

On May 7th Evan turned 21.

Evan was our 6th grandchild and 4th grandson.

He's a very important part of this large family

and a very important part of this beautiful family.

I wrote about Evan for his birthday last year in this post.  Visiting there will show links to all his other posts that together tell lots about Evan and show how he's changed through the years so I'll just post a few pictures here.

and talk about what's been going on in Evan's life during the past year.  After high school it was important to him to prove to himself and everybody else that he could make it on his own.  And that's what he did.  Even after a job change meant his parents and sister moving almost 2,000 miles away and his older brother being over an hour away, he persevered and did fine.  Eventually though, he realized there was a better life out there that could be his if he went to school.  So he made a decision, wholeheartedly supported by this parents, to move back home, get a job so he could save some money, and go back to school.  So in December, we were thrilled to go to Colorado Springs and pick him, as many of his belongings as we could fit in the van, and Quentus up and head to Florida. 

Evan got a job at Publix right after he got to Florida and although he was only able to work a few months before his family moved to Georgia, he picked up some valuable work experience and managed to save a good amount of money.

In December Evan and his family visited Gulf Shores for the holidays with our big extended family and while he was there he debuted a song he had written and played it with his cousin, Jeremy.  This performance left no doubt that not only was he a skilled bass guitar player but a gifted composer as well.

In May the family completed their move from Florida

to Georgia.

And now his plans are to get a job, save money, and go to school while living at home.  And his goals include buying a car, getting his core curriculum classes done, and then going to UCCS to start working towards a degree in environmental science and geography.

In the meantime he's been playing the guitar as much as possible and helping his parents get the new house situated.

So that tells a lot about the changes in Evan's life lately and what his goals are for the future but there's so much more I'd want to say about him.  First of all, as I browse his picture file, I'm reminded that there was a time when he was very young when all he really really wanted was to be a big brother.  And then it happened.  He sure loved his little sister.

And obviously some things never change.

And then I remember how close he and his big brother were

and, again, some things never change.

Also, Evan is very grateful to his parents for the opportunity they're giving him and plans to make the most of it!

And I have to add that Evan is sweet, kind, loving, smart, and helpful.  He's always considerate and sensitive to the feelings of others.  He's a very hard worker and strives to excel in whatever job he is doing.  We're looking forward to what the future holds for him and we're betting it will include music - maybe as a sideline but definitely a big part of his life.  He has too much talent to not take advantage of it!  So Evan, we're glad you had a happy although somewhat subdued 21st and we're hoping the coming year is your best one yet but only half as amazing as the many more to come!  We love you so much and could not be more proud of you!