Happy Birthday, Bud!

Saturday marked the twenty-first birthday of our son, Mitch.  For most of those years, we have called him Bud - which started when he was about this size (photo on left) and was christened Dad's Little Buddy.  If you'll allow me a few minutes to wander down Memory Lane, I'll try not to get too sappy.

Mitch has always been a fan of science and mechanics.  Anything that he could tear apart, rebuild, or modify - he did. Including my sewing machine, which still isn't quite assembled correctly.  At around age 8, he began building model rockets with Dave - a hobby they continue and just one of the things Dave and Mitch have shared over the years.  In fact, most of Mitch's early years were spent trying to be "just like dad" - sports, hunting/fishing, woodworking, and anything mechanical.  Mitch had a miniature workbench next to Dave's in the garage where he "worked on" an old electric moter with his own set of tools.  Dave had incredible patience for teaching - making home repair chores take twice as long as necessary so that Mitch could learn from doing.  

There were also many, many hours of working with Dad at the grain elevator.  This picture (below) of the two of them is one of my all-time favorites.  We have lots of fond - and funny - memories of Mitch learning to shift gears long before he could reach the clutch, dumping trucks, riding the "man lift" . . .

Dave and Mitch (Age 16) get the
 Richard Petty Expreience

Hard to believe it's been 21 years.  During his senior year of high school, Mitch discovered the medical field - totally not what we expected, but we shouldn't have been surprised, given his love of science and his compassion.  He is now a Junior at Fort Hays State University, majoring in nursing, working for the Kansas Lions Eye Bank and driving a cement truck part-time.  What a renaissance man!

We went to Hays for the weekend to celebrate with him.  I would say something here about how amazing it is to get a bear-hug from this 6'3" 200+ lb. man when it seems like I was holding him in my arms yesterday - but that would be over the sappy line.  So I'll just say...

Happy Birthday, Bud!  We love you and we're proud of you!