Happy Birthday, Brandon!

Can it really have been 35 years since that morning you woke me very early (4:06 am, to be precise!) to announce you were ready to enter the world?  Since that morning when we rushed over to the hospital, which fortunately wasn't too far away, for you to be born.  At 5:17 am!  Once you were ready to come "out of the oven", you didn't waste any time!

This is one of those days when I get very sentimental.  When I take trips down memory lane.  Remembering.

Remembering the day of your birth.  Remembering that you slept all night when you were just 3 days old!  Unbelievable!

Remembering the cute little blue hat you wore with your Easter outfit when you were three years old.

Remembering violin lessons and ball games and homeschooling. 

Remembering trips to museums and the zoo and shopping when we went to London. 

Remembering silly jokes and laughter.

Remembering you and Jason Brown tying each other's aprons in the production of "The One and Only Original Christmas Factory" at First Baptist Church in Rock Hill.  Rembering you and Jason turning green when you rode the Scooby Doo roller coaster at Carowinds.

Remembering.  Thirty-five years of wonderful memories.

And now you're all grown-up. 

There are still ball games, but now you're the coach!  There's still music, but now it's a guitar instead of a violin.  There's still laughter.

You're all grown up.  And I am so full of pride and joy and love.  I am blessed to be your mom.  I am so proud of the man you have become.  And I love you so very much!

"And this is my prayer, that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."  (Philippians 1:9 ESV)