jake turned 11 in november. belated birthday wishes, buddy!
below are some pictures of jake through the years. (once again, pictures that i had previously scanned in). i wish i could have scanned in a good picture of his curls - does anyone (besides kayla) remember the curls he used to have? his hair straightened in the past few years, but now seems to be getting curlier as he approaches being a teenager.
in honor of his birthday, here are some of my faves about jake:
- he is such a trooper! his physical limitations are severe, yet he rarely complains. he seems to patiently persevere through whatever is asked of him.
- his laugh is just pure joy!! my sister-in-law has done a good job of capturing it in photos; i've included a few below. when my opa was visiting, we had jake sleep upstairs with us so opa could use his bed on the main floor. one night when pat and i got in our beds, we heard jake just busting up in laughter. he will sometimes just randomly laugh for no apparent reasons. other times, he is laughing in response to such things as pat blowing his nose, the girls crying or when i raise my voice.
- jake loves the extreme: the faster, the higher you go, the happier he is. i've always dreamed of taking him on a rollar coaster someday, but i wouldn't do it because i would worry about his safety since he can't sit up independently.
- he has beautifully long eyelashes.
- jake loves to be read to and listen to music. he calms down and listens to you when you speak to him.
- he's probably the only person around who actually likes when i sing to him, and he giggles when pat or i sing his lullabuy ("abide with me") hymn to him.
- helen keller once said: "the most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. they must be felt within the heart." i don't know if its his physical limitations, but jake is very aware of the things of the heart and soul. he loves unconditionally. his physical therapist once said: "not liking jake is like not liking puppies." not only is he lovable, but jake is pure and so very giving.
7 comments:
oh, i do remember those curls....they were so sweet. too bad he's outgrowing them, but, that's what happens when you grow up! i can't believe he's 11!!!!!!!!!!!! he will forever be 6/7.
His laugh is highly contagious, I love it! Happy Birthday Jake!
I love Jake's curls. And he has the best laugh! Happy Birthday Jake!
He does have the best laugh! Happy Birthday Jake! Love the two photos of that huge stocking! Nice contrast!
Happy birthday Jake! I love the pic of lily holding the birthday card with Jake. Aren’t they so cute?
What a nice tribute, I love getting to know your children through your blog. I imagine you are a wonderfully patient mother.
Jake brings a smile to everyone's face! He does have a great laugh and seems to take the world in stride. He is such a blessing to all of us who know him!
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