Happy Birthday to Son #4!

Yesterday, the 4th son in the lineup of our five boys (our "basketball team," as everyone used to joke when they were growing up) turned 33!  I'm not really sure how this happened, when he looked like THIS not too long ago.  But it did. 

First grade school picture, so adorable!

This deep-feeling, faithfully Catholic, extremely intelligent, and kind-hearted guy has a biting wit and a way of putting things that amuses his family no end. He is a talented artist (his cartoons are amazing), a video game enthusiast, a dog lover, the devoted husband of our beautiful daughter-in-law Braveheart, and the hardworking father of four children under 4: triplets Pumpkin, Peanut, and Paquita (3-and-1/2) and 15-month-old Hermanita, who is his mini-me at that age...well, not quite; but if you substituted her glorious mop of dark hair with its signature top-of-the-head pigtail for a brush cut, they would absolutely be twins.

Hermanita, and a drawing I did of her daddy many moons
 ago.  Can you see the resemblance? 

Son #4 came along just over four years after the birth of son #1, so they were a tight-knit little pack.  Then, one week shy of son #4's fifth birthday, son #5 came on the scene.  It tells you a lot about this kid that even though he had spent five years as the baby of the family, he never once exhibited even the slightest bit of jealousy when his little brother took over that coveted spot.  In fact, he took our youngest son under his wing and was his staunchest defender and protector and his most enthusiastic playmate.  

We love this guy--and his growing family--big-time, and are so grateful that we live just over 1/2-hour away thanks to our big move south, so that we can see them often and help out as much as possible.

Sweet boy (yes, you will always be our boy!), we are proud to call you our son and wish you many, many more Happy Birthdays!