Another belated birthday shout-out to our second oldest.

Another belated birthday shout-out to our second oldest, several weeks late. As my boys are still on their journeys, and by the grace of God they will never really stop those journeys in this lifetime, I must say our second oldest does us proud.  He cashed in his credit on some pretty tough cards dealt to him for a time by running into a young lady who is what you would want for a first time daughter-in-law.  

He is still on his journey, but is in the process of helping build a family in the process.  Always curious and never settled, he and his wife are forever coming up with ideas, taking chances, thinking outside the box and generally building a legacy of creativity, leaps in faith and amazing accomplishments.

In barely a few years together, and only a couple years of marriage, they have opened a brick and mortar bookstore while our country was in the financial doldrums of the previous four years, redefined their business venture and bringing more financial success, published their own novel, gotten involved in their church, he has become involved in the community theater, she has developed a staggeringly good talent for binding and repairing books, and all while being first time parents in the wake of a birth that was anything close to calm and routine.  

To illustrate their approach to life, when he auditioned for a part in the local play You Can't Take it With You, he got the part of Ed Carmichael, the eccentric musician wannabe.  Problem is, in the play Ed is the xylophone player always tapping along through different scenes.  My son had never come close to playing the instrument before.  My third oldest, while he was in school and played percussion in band, did have some experience.  So he got his old bells from school and gave them to my thespian son, and viola!  After a self-taught crash course, he managed to learn the instrument enough to sell the part.  Not bad, and pretty much their lives together in a nutshell. 

Still a favorite picture

Teaching himself a new instrument - not bad at all
(from You Can't Take it With You)

As the eccentric Ed Carmichael, peering around Paul 
to catch a glimpse of the action
(from You Can't Take it With You)

With our youngest, also in the play, after a performance
(from You Can't Take it With You)

A born angler, thanks to his in-laws' family

A chance for all smiles

As a young family, they'll have their ups and downs, triumphs and failures, struggles and accomplishments.  But their daughter is one of the happiest babies I have ever seen.  And more to the point, when she sees them coming to pick her up, she beams with smiles big enough to light the sky.  If I didn't know anything else about them, that alone would be evidence that they are definitely doing something right.  

Obligatory cuteness collage must be posted!