NINE!

Today is Andrew's birthday.  He's 9.  And we are very excited to celebrate his life. 

He's a good one, that Andrew-boy. 

Here are 9 things we like about him in no particular order:

1. He's compassionate and brave.

2. He's generous.

3. He's a really good dancer.

4. He loves his brothers and shows them this by his actions.

5. He likes helping his mama cook; he's also hospitable

and likes sharing time around the table with people.

6. He will drop anything to play a good game of Rummikub

(and he wins almost every time).

7. He thinks outside of the box and has a good head on his shoulders.

8. He truly knows the definition of a friend. 

And he's a good and faithful one.

9. He has a very silly laugh and uses it often

with a certain twinkle in his eye.

We love you, Andrew. 

God richly blessed our lives when he allowed us to be your mom and dad. 

The day you were born will always be one of our favorites.
Happy 9th Birthday, buddy.

In case you're wondering, we celebrated with friends last night from 6:30 - 9:30 pm at Mr. Piruetas (a "party room"). 

We played indoor soccer, bounced in bounce houses, danced to funny music, raced electric cars, and ate lots of sugar. 

[And Chris and I dressed up like the King and Queen that we are when we served the cake. 

We do not typically wear blue and pink crowns or silky outfits over our everyday clothes. 

It was mandatory.  "All the parents do it... the kids love it!" we were told. 

We continue to be humbled every single day.

Thanks to Tío Devin for getting it on film and being Chris's partner in crime in eating the kids' food.]