It's mind-boggling. I remember very well when I turned 23, in the year 1986. I probably looked not entirely unlike he does now!
One big difference is that I still had ten years of academic study and travel and life in Europe ahead of me before I finally married his mother. Whereas his wedding is in two months and 8 days.
I think that's just fine. He's got the right girl. And he's a lot more mature than I was at his age!😉
This “stealth” photo was taken while John Paul was opening a gift. Though the wrapping said “Idaho Potatoes,” the gift is a bag of charcoal! (The other part of the gift - a grill - is being shipped to his new place.) Don’t worry, we’ll have more (and better) pictures when he gets married in August!
What's funny is that this blog has been going for so long that nostalgia is built right into it. The first time I blogged here about John Paul's birthday was on June 1, 2011. He was turning 14, and getting ready to be a freshman in high school. And he was the oldest. The kids were such a "compact bunch" back in those days:
Actually, the blog post itself tells the exciting story of his birth. (I'm glad I recorded these stories in various places; not that I have "forgotten" them, but it helps to have something to refresh those memories and buff up some of the finer details.😌) Anyway, here's the retro-post from 2011, with baby picture:
