Jake

So my oldest son Jake....I haven't got the chance to share him yet with my blog reading audience. He is a sophomore in high school this year, a fact that's taken me a little while to wrap my mind around. I don't feel that old but if he's 15, I guess I'm not old in the grand scheme of things (as my dad would say), but I'm definitely getting older!

Jake is interested in a lot of different things (drawing, backyard football, music), but his main interest aside from sports right now is driving -what Kansas 15 year old DOESN'T have an interest in driving?? In Kansas, you can get your restricted driver's license when you turn 15 which means Jake is currently legal to drive to and from school or to and from work, if he was working somewhere. He has a truck that is his, sort-of.....he calls it his anyway. He's been spending time lately working with his grandpa earning some $$ - money he's been able to put into the truck to improve it and to eventually paint it (which John can do) as well as for gas money. He enjoys working on it out in the shop with his dad.

Basketball for Jake started last week. He has always loved basketball since he started playing when he was 6 years old. He still really enjoys it and is looking forward to the season and it's likely he'll get some varsity playing time so he's excited about that. Last spring, Jake also got back into baseball and it has quickly claimed the #1 spot on Jake's favorite sports to play. After finishing his last year of Little League when he was 12, I wasn't sure I would see Jake play baseball again. He was a good player, but there really wasn't a well-established post-Little League team that Jake wanted to play for and he lost interest. So when it came time for high school baseball last February during his freshman year, it took some talking just to convince him he should go to the start-up meeting for anyone interested in playing, just to see what he thought. He came home so excited from that meeting and so eager to play that the rest, they say, is history! He played starting centerfielder on the varsity team the whole season and he and his coach really hit it off! His coach was impressed with his playing and couldn't believe that he hadn't played ball in 3 years. So now, he says he can't wait for basketball to start because that means it's just that much closer to baseball season!! Jake has a great sense of humor - a dry wit like his dad, and never fails to make us laugh, but he is also a great big brother, enjoys being part of youth group at church and is just an all around nice guy....of course, what else would you expect, coming from his mom?!! I just call it how I see it! :o)