Nate the Great - Teenager!

I can't let this day go by without writing a post about our birthday boy, Nathan, who is now, officially a teenager! I can't believe it! It seems like just a few days ago he was born, by far the easiest pregnancy and childbirth of all of my kids. He was so easy on his poor old mom, and I am hoping he will continue the tradition, and be my easiest teenager. Then again, he may have different ideas about that.

Nathan is a kid who loves to do many things. He is always busy with something:

Nathan is a musician. He plays both the saxophone and the piano. I love to have real, live music in my home all the time!

Nathan is also quite the martial artist. He will be testing for his black belt in the next few months. He also swims with me a few mornings a week, and loves to play water polo in the summertime.

Nate also love scouting (who wouldn't love getting to fly to earn the aviator merit badge?). He enjoys camping, and is progressing quickly through the ranks as he collects his merit badges.

And that boy can cook! He is a whiz in the kitchen. His specialty: crepes - filled with everything yummy. But he can cook lots of different stuff, and it is so nice as a mom to say, "Hey Nate, will you whip up some dinner?" and know we'll all be eating something fabulous. I love that!

For Halloween, Nathan was our Sleepy, which is quite fitting because that kid can snooze anytime, anywhere - a skill that might come in very helpful as a teenager.

Nathan is also fascinated by fishing. He loves it and is always begging his pop to take him fishing - somewhere. We don't exactly live in a land of many waters - but if we did, he's be that kid who is always at the local fishing hole.

Nathan can build really great stuff with Legos, and really likes his Star Wars action figures, especially the "cool" ugly ones. But his favorite toys (well, he wouldn't call them 'toys' - they are serious business!) are his airsoft guns. His favorite way to spend the day is battling with his buddies behind bunkers. Whooya!

Of course, Nathan is also quite the actor. Since he was a small boy, he has always loves dressing up in costumes, especially hats, and pretending to be someone else. No wonder acting comes naturally to him. He is just so comfortable on the stage, and can keep in character really well. He can also sing, which really helps.

Nathan also loves to read, and is a sponge for soaking up information. He does very well in school, and can breeze through most tests without much studying. He just remembers stuff, and is always saying, "Hey, did you know... ?" No, usually, I didn't know. He really knows a lot about the gospel and usually has all the answers in Sunday school and FHE. He is the kind of kid who will LOVE seminary, I think.)

Nate is quite a kid. But I think my favorite thing about Nathan is is grin! He is witty and fun to be around when he is on one of those clever funny moods - dishing it out with the best of them. We are hoping for lots of those moments through his teenage years.

I love you, Nate the Great - Teenager!

Happy Birthday!