D Turns 11!

As hard as it for me to believe, today marks the 11th year since I've been a mom.
That's right... D turns 11 today. He has been such a blessing in our lives and we love him so much. He is such a wonderful son. He always is there to help me. This weekend, I wasn't feeling so well. He was so concerned about me. I asked if he was going to help me make his birthday cake and his response was, "Well, Mom, do you feel up for that?" I really do rely on him quite a bit. I often have to remind myself just how old he really is because I have a tendency to expect to much out of him sometimes and he hates to let anyone one down.
Here he is hanging out on his bed. He loves to lay down there and read, or rearranged his football cards.
He is an absolute sports fanatic---especially football. He has been a football player for the past 3 Halloweens and I know he has no plans to be anything different this year. (he's in the middle. B on the left, and Josh on the right)

This is when he lost his first tooth.

Something that always makes me feel so good is that he always wants me around. This is at his school field trip last year to the zoo (inside the sting ray exhibit). It really makes me feel good that he still wants me to come to these things at school
His little sisters really love him (well... L is a little too close in age. They still have more of a rivalry going on). This is him with CK when she was a baby. He is so sweet with her and KL. He loves them and he loves to show them off to his friends. It's not hard to understand why they love him so much in return.
This was 1st grade. We have always teased him a little about how he got his daddy's ears. He has such a cute sense of humor about it. One day last year, he came home and announced that he was the smallest kid in 4th grade. I asked if he meant among the boys, and he said no. The WHOLE 4th grade. I guess they lined everybody up from tallest to shortest and he was at the end of the line. He started out sounding a little dejected, but then I said, "Well, I'll bed no one has bigger ears than you!" He laughed and laughed. He loves to compare them to Dave to see whose are bigger.
B and D really get along pretty well. They naturally have their moments, but he is a good big brother and is always willing to let his little brother tag along and play ball with him and his friends.

This is a picture of him and one of our neighbors (Cole) when they were about 5 or 6. He is such a social little kid and is friendly to all.This is in 1st grade at a soccer game. This is one of his best friends, Shawn. He moved last year, but D is still so unwaveringly faithful to him. We were trying to think of what to do for his birthday and I mentioned some suggestions, among them possibly going out to visit Shawn, but if we did this, he wouldn't be able to have a birthday party. He said, "I don't care about a party. I just want to go and see him."

Obviously, as his mom, I am a little biased, but I can't help it. I'm so grateful for him. He is the perfect oldest child and such a great example to his younger brother and sisters. We love him! Happy Birthday, Buddy!