Brayden is five...

My little Brayden is five. Yes, five. Wow. I can't believe 5 years ago, on a Sunday afternoon, that sweet angel arrived and changed our lives forever. I remember it so clearly. Jer and I were balling our eyes out. The heavenly, peaceful feeling in the air... there is absolutely nothing more blissful & surreal than the birth of your first child. I remember right after I had him, I said I would gladly have 10 more babies, I was so elated. (some still use this quote against me!) I know I have already told so many of his admirable qualities, but I could go on forever. This boy never ceases to amaze me. I am MOST grateful that he is my oldest & he will be an example to the rest of our children... (ah-hem Kosty!)

I love your eyes. Big and blue, the most beautiful shape. I LOVE how they sparkle. You have the longest, dark, curly, thick eyelashes. Everyone comments on them. (I wish I could say you got them from me, but no!)

I love when you wake up, the first thing you do is come snuggle up with us in bed.

You love to play with my hair. You are always twirling it or running your fingers through. It is SO cute.

Your little brain. You are always thinking. Always thinking ahead, and always have thoughts & questions running through your head. Nothing gets past you.

I love how excited you get over the small things. You love to mark your calender off every night, decorate for holidays, go to the grocery store, library, a new placemat, a new book.

You are so healthy. Sometimes you will ask if cookies, or brownies are healthy, & I have to convince you that its ok to have desserts sometimes! You ask me almost daily if the things you are eating are "healfy."

You are a sweet brother to Kosty. He watches every move you make. He thinks you are the coolest thing in the world. I love to watch how he stares at you & mimics you.

You are so responsible & independent. You HATE being late anywhere. (I am working on it!) The first thing you ask me every morning is if you will be late for school. You are so proud to get dressed on your own, pour your own milk, make your bed, and clean your room.

Speaking of clean. Your wife is going to really LOVE me someday! You keep your room spic & span, and nothing can be out of place. (it hasn't always been this way, he is trying to show me he is responsible enough for a pet.)

Your all time favorite breakfast is Cheerios. Not Honey-Nut, not frosted, not apple-cinnamon. You LOVE the good ol' plain yellow box. Classic. You won't even let me put sugar or honey on top!

Your favorite place to eat is Subway. Hands down. Turkey with provolone, mayo & olives on wheat. You would pick Subway over McDonalds, Chick Fila, Wendy's, ANYWHERE. And if I do take you to one of those, you always ask for the fruit cup or yogurt instead of french fries! (quite the shock for your ol Dad.)

You are so detail-oriented & a pure perfectionist. You hate making mistakes. You are really hard on yourself. But you try so hard.

You are so witty and clever. You love telling stories and jokes.

You are so photogenic. I seriously don't think you can take a bad picture!

You are a true Momma's Boy, through and through. Of course you love your Dada, but you defininetly have a soft spot in your heart for your momma. :)

I love your dimple, and your cute forehead, and the blond baby hairs around it!

I love that you love to help me cook, pretty much anytime I am cooking, you can be found sitting on the counter right next to me.

I love how you say prayers, and more often than not, your short simple prayer mentions something about, "please help Kosty to not ___"

I love that everytime we leave church, you ask me what I learned.

Obviously Brayden has me wrapped around his little finger. I have enjoyed him & loved him to pieces for the last five years. I am truly grateful for his special spirit, and that I know we have been blessed to have such a son. He is a one of a kind, and we learn so much from him. We love you Bray! Happy Birthday! (I will have to post the pics of his party later, after we recooperate!)