Jack the Brave

We continue our journey of cuteness at the beach with Jack the Brave.  If you missed Ella's post, you can read it here.

Jack will always be comfortable with a sword or a gun in his hand.  You just can't contain the boyness of him.

He's also a jazz dancer.

Jack is sweet, hilarious, and tenderhearted.  He will snuggle up to you in a second if you'll read to him.

For over a year, he got up each morning while I was reading my bible, and silently snuggled in close.  It is only in the last couple of months that he has begun staying downstairs.  It is the end of a beautiful moment in time that I treasure.

Two years ago, when we began coming to the beach, Jack was afraid of the water.  He would chase the waves out and yell, "I am KING!" and then run back in when the next wave came.

Last year he played in it a lot, but very close to shore and always with goggles.

This year he was so brave!  He let out his inner beast and rode the waves, some on a boogie board but mostly in the shark.

It was fun to see him take to the challenge of the water and enjoy it so much.

But he still wore his goggles.

Jack is a middle child, like me.  He has some of the same struggles I had.

He plays well with either of the other kids one-on-one.

But he's often left out when the three of them play.

He's okay with that, at least for now.

He, more than the others, needs alone time.  He needs to recharge.  Ella can be a lot to take!  He handles her okay, though.

Hey, Ella!  Whatcha doin'?

I'll help you.  Here's some water.

You want more?  Okay.

I'll get you water, all right.

Hahahahahahahahaha!

It is amazing to see him grow up before my eyes.  I sometimes catch myself still thinking of him as being very little and helpless.  

We lovingly refer to him as our little space cadet, because he lives in his own world, but he's coming home to live on earth more and more.

Having a younger sibling is helping Jack to grow up a bit.  It kind of makes me sad.

I want him to grow to be an independent man who loves his God and his family and cares for them as well as Handsome Hero cares for us.

But...  not yet.  That's the goal we're working toward, but we want to live in the moment, too.  I don't want to miss out on any of his zany, funny, silly personality.  Though, I'm pretty sure ...

He'll always have that!

P.S.  Jack would like you to know that he is not a jazz dancer.  The picture just looked like that.  He's a cheetah.