HaPpY BiRtHdAy JaKe!

Today is my baby's birthday. The man cub is eight years old, and as he told me yesterday, "I have to grow up now." Roughly translated that means no more sitting on my lap at church. We love him for so many reasons, but here we will share eight.

1. He is funny. He loves to mock his sisters, and tell jokes. When we were at Torey's science fair he was considering commandeering the microphone on the stage, in order to entertain the crowd while we waited. The only thing that stopped him was the fact that we were finally allowed in to see the kids. He reads joke books at reading time, and can have them locked in the vault after reading them two times. This is what he told me. He can also recall them at the perfect time. We drove past a pawn shop one day and he read the sign and said, "What do you call a pig in a pawn shop?" A ham hock. Ha, ha, ha. We have also heard that he has a small crowd at recess that he entertains with jokes and skits.

2. He is good. He has a very keen sense of right and wrong. He does not like to be yelled at or punished, so he is always very good.

3. He is cuddly and sweet. Just what a mom wants. He also uses words like "glorious" and "wonderful" to describe his friends, family, or his day. He loves life and is very optimistic and happy.

4. He loves the Lord. Ever since he was a little boy, he has called Sunday "Church Day" and "Church day is my favorite day."

5. Every girl is crazy about a sharp dressed man. Jake is a very dapper dresser. He takes suit wearing very seriously, and has even sported a pocket square on occasion. This also includes Old Spice deodorant and Axe body spray. We can't be stinky. He can be casual for school, but when the occasion calls for more effort, more effort is expended!

6. Jake loves everyone, and as a result, everyone loves Jake. He is very friendly.

7. Jake has a Yeti attack. Trust me, you do not want to be on the receiving end of the Yeti.

8. Jake is very smart and he is constantly trying to be smarter. He has a very good memory and loves math. He says he is a "math head."

This is a little about Jake at eight. I failed to mention that he loves basketball and baseball, playing with friends, and hanging out with "C shift" at the fire station. He also loves Bionicles, Transformers, and playing Wii. And last but not least, this is what he wrote on the program at church. "I am awesome. It is true." He has a lot of confidence. Will you please comment with your favorite joke. We need some new material!