Eight years old

We are now 4/5ths of the way through birthday season, which begins July 28th and ends October 17th. The days sometimes seem like years, but the years are flying by like days. It's hard to believe Joey is already eight. It's a big milestone around here—he'll be baptized next month.

Looking back through my photos to find a few for this post I found myself smiling again and again, and having a hard time picking my favorite shots. Joey is a big personality in a skinny (but strong) little body. Here are some current highlights:

• He's definitely a redhead!
• One of his superpowers is making friends.
• He thinks he'd like to be a chemist when he grows up.
  
• He loves pepperoni pizza, roasted potatoes & carrots and most treats.
• He's usually the first kid awake.
• This week's note from his piano teacher said "Joey was AWESOME today!"
• He is a great brother!
• He's a great help around the house. A few jobs right now include feeding Jamaica, setting and clearing the table, vacuuming the basement and reading to the girls.
• He's a good student and a teacher's pet.
• When he's happy, everyone's happy. (Unfortunately, the reverse is true too).
• He still lets us call him Boo.
• We love him, and we're proud of him!