It seems remiss that I not write about the latest milestone of the OG and namesake of this blog. Jude turned 16 a week ago and got his license 3 days later. Where has the time gone? Remember when I started this blog while in the 3rd trimester with him? For those who are newer, I assume you can look at the dates in the sidebar and find those old posts. Or don't haha. 24 yr old Ashley was a very different person.
As you can see by this picture, he was more than excited and ready to reach this milestone. I don't think there is a single milestone he was more ready to conquer. This is the kid whose first word was GO after all. He's been ready for motion since he entered this earth.
I wanted to take some time to reflect on who Jude has truly become. All those years ago, I was blogging as I watched him unfold. Surely, if he is anything like I was at 16, he has plenty of unfolding left to do. Heck, I don't know if we ever stop unfolding. At least that's been my experience with myself. But it is interesting to stare at the 16-year-old man he's become and be well aware of the good (and the bad).
Jude is incredibly loyal and forgiving. He will stick by his friends through all manner of offenses. He is so quick to forgive them and move on. There have been people he didn't get along with, but as soon as they had a good, resolving conversation, he is immediately ready to let them enter his circle as if nothing happened.
He is so thoughtful. I cannot tell you the number of times he has gone out with his friends but brought me something back just because. He loves to just bless me which is just so sweet and surprising. When he found out we were having another baby, he was so excited. He loves babies and little kids and is just so quick to become their favorite.
He brings the party. To be honest, I have mixed emotions on this one. On the one hand, he brings the fun, the laughs, the excitement. All his younger cousins are obsessed with him. My kids have the most fun when Jude decides to play with them (happens less often these days). But with that fun comes sheer chaos. It's loud, it's wild, and the chances of something getting broken still increases. That would be the drawback.
He is frighteningly adventurous. He has more injuries, which I find out about way after the fact, than I care to recount. Zip lining upside down at camp. He is an expert bike wheelie maker/rider, including across intersections in Azusa this spring. To the point that some stranger videoed him and posted it to his own social media. Somewhere on the interwebs of LA Jude rides in infamy. As of right now, he is a cautious and very good driver. I hope it stays that way!
Overall, he is just a joy and a blessing. I had no idea 16+ years ago when I started this blog just who it was that was forming. And he still has plenty of surprises for me. But what fun it has been to get a front seat ride- even if I've covered my eyes more than a few times.
No comments:
Post a Comment