A Happy Birthday Post for a Teenage Nephew

Happy birthday to this stud of a 13 year old!

I think I have the best batch of nieces and nephews a girl could ask for. Seriously. It's like all the best of the best up in heaven said, "I want to go to the Barlow families and have fun paloozas and play lots of games and laugh all the time and be awesome in general!!!!!" and then they worked, bribed, and snuck their way in, so that I could shamelessly brag about them all the time to anyone who will listen to me (because I've forced them to sit and hear all about my fun life with my fun family).

And on this day of celebrating his birth, this kid is worth some good bragging.

So many good stories about him and things that I really like about him.

I like that he's kind of a little duplicate of his grandpa, Papa Walt. I like that he rocks a pink t-shirt with confidence and authority. I like that he likes trying new things. I like that he skateboards and snowboards and plays basketball and those other all-american sports as well. I like that he likes photography. I like that he knows the words to Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain" because his mom and older sister like Adele, so he listens to her, too.

I like that he seems really sure of himself  and who he is, and that he's a good leader to those around him because of that.

I like his hair. He always has great hair.

I like that he helped me move to DC. And that he almost threw up on the drive out here, as a convertible with its top pulled back passed by. (I also like that he'll probably be a little embarrassed that I mentioned that, but he'll laugh about it still.)

(Posing with "the Thinker" at the Sculpture Garden we stumbled upon in DC when we moved me here)

I like how much he smiles.

I like that sometimes he pretends to be shy when we ask him to do something he's good at, but then he does it for us anyway.

And I don't think I've ever talked about just him on here, so I wanted to. My oldest nephew is growing up so quickly! So I need to brag all about him while I can, before he's an adult and embarrassed that his aunt is putting his cute picture on her blog and talking about him nonstop.

I can't wait until he gets old enough to date so I can hear about the girls he's taking out (because a lot of them are already counting down the days until then, trust me), and then I can tell his dad that each and every one of them is just not good enough for him. Yes, I will be that aunt.

Also, I can't wait until he and his family, the Barlows-Wisconsin Branch, come visit me in DC, like they keep teasing me they're going to do any moment...hint hint.

So, yada yada yada, blah blah blah, etc. etc. etc., I sure hope this is the best 13th birthday of your life, CCB! You're kind of a stud.