And that's why we call him Nate the Great!

My sweet boy Nathan, or Nate, as he prefers, just turned 14. Fourteen!!! Fourteen, as in he is old enough to do all the cool stuff like dances and EFY, fourteen!!! As in getting ordained as a Teacher fourteen! As in working on his Eagle project fourteen! As in going to High School and seminary in the fall, fourteen!

Is he excited? Oh ya. He may not look excited - gotta keep up that Mr. Cool vibe, you know. But I can tell by the way his mouth turns up just a tad in the corners when I ask him, and the way he lifts his eyebrows... just...so. That kid is STOKED to be 14!

I am stoked for him. 14 was such an awesome year for Alex and I know Nathan is going to have just as great and as transforming a year! Can't wait to sit back and watch that happen!

But the truth is, that transformation has already begun. Lately, I have really seen Nathan come into his own, and I love what I am seeing.

Those middle school years are tough. I know. I used to teach middle school. It is truly the Twilight Zone of life. Kids that age are stuck somewhere between being kids and being adults, and many suffer from low self esteem. Nathan was no exception. He struggled with this which broke my heart. I just wanted so bad for him to see himself as the great kid we all saw.

I am happy to report that as he finishes up his last year in Middle School I think he has come through it well. He knows he is smart and talented and capable, and that others, not just mom and dad, like him and think he is a pretty cool kid.

And he is.

Nate is a talented kid. He is a good singer and an excellent actor! I'm not just saying that. He is awesome. (See previous post about Fiddler.) Ever since he was a little tiny guy he loved to dress up and pretend. He would really get into it - get lost in his character like no kid I ever saw. He always had on a hat of some kind or another. (He is still a hat wearer. Not baseball caps, but hats of all kinds.) And he always seemed to know all the lines to all his favorite movies. He could recite a whole movie to me on a long car ride. (That is why we decided to get a portable DVD player for the car.) I always knew he was meant to for the stage, and this year he realized that about himself, and I think that had a lot to do with this transformation I have seen in him of late.

Nathan is also a musician. He has been taking piano and learning the saxophone for a long time. that is nothing new. But I think he is finally getting to the point with both that he can really preform and play some cool stuff - songs people recognize. More importantly, songs his peers recognize and appreciate. His piano teacher really gets boys and does a good job of picking music for them that they enjoy playing, and Nathan is really enjoying playing and performing. In fact, as school he was voted as an 8th grade favorite for "Most likely to be an iTunes top artist." That is cool! (Oh yeah, and I must remind him, girls dig musicians.) After years and years of practicing, it is so nice to get to that point. I hope he never stops.

Nathan is not just gifted on stage, but in the kitchen. His real talents can only be appreciated with your mouth. Nate is a great cook. A GREAT cook! Seriously, folks, his crepes are every bit as good as anything we ever had in France! He made some for me for breakfast conference weekend. Total heaven! And he bakes amazing French bread - soft inside, crusty outside, and oh, so pretty! Those are his specialities, but he can cook anything. He especially like to make French and Italian food. Actually, we ALL like him to make it. He sees that, how much good homemade food makes people happy, and I think that is helping his come to his own as well.

And Nathan is also an athlete, and becoming more so every day. He got his black belt in taekwando a few months ago, no small accomplishment, and I think it has really shown him what he is capable of. He worked really hard, still does, and is proud of what he has done. have done it myself, I know exactly what it takes and am really proud of him for it.

Now he is busy with another sport that he is really getting good at - water polo. He and his brothers are swimming and doing water polo almost every day, and Nate is proving to be pretty good. His coach at the High School is excited to have him coming in next year. I think he is going to do some great things in water polo and swimming in the years ahead. And he really likes it, and as a swimmer, I am really happy about that!

Nate has been collecting trading pins since he was just a little kid and has amassed quite a collection! He collects all kind of pins, but especially loves collecting Disney and Hard Rock Cafe pins. The whole family gets into it to help Nate collect and trade.

Nate is a smart kid too. He particularly love history and geography and is a walking, talking history book. He is always spewing out facts I sure didn't know. "Hey, Mom, did you know..." followed by some truly interesting tidbit or story. I am really looking forward to having him in my seminary class next year! When he was little and I was the primary choirister he would always raise his hand first, always, and would get so upset that I would not call on him every time. This time as I teach seminary, I'm sure his hand will be shooting up all year long. Next year we will be studying the Old Testament. I know he is going to LOVE that - a LOT of interesting stories there. I know he will be teaching me a few things!

I love this kid. I love the sweet little guy he always was and the good man I see that he is becoming. (And although coming from mother it doesn't have a lot of credence,) I think Nate is cool! I hope he realizes that too.

Then again, once he gets into High School, the trick might be to rein him in and make sure he doesn't start thinking he is TOO cool.

I love you, Nate the Great!