Happy 21st Birthday!!

My oldest child is turning 21 today and this is not a picture of him opening his presents or blowing out the candles on a home made birthday cake. It is the beginning of the birthdays that he spends not with me and his dad and little brother and sister, but in the fine company of friends away at school and beyond. It's a bitter sweet time for a parent, preparing your kids for independence... practically nagging them into adulthood, and then being sort of surprised when they actually do grow up. It's a crazy combination of pride and "be careful what you wish for". I am glad every day for the grown up person Jacob has become. His talent and passion for writing, his visionary but always dependable out look on life, and of course his stellar fashion sense, continue to make me proud every day. Happy Birthday Jacob!