Sometimes birthdays are anticlimactic at our house.  We've done the whole big invite everyone over birthday but sometimes the birthdays get lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. This year is was more of the later than the former with company, and a death, a new member of the family, school sports, and well just craziness.  However, he just rolled with it.  We decorated the house, with his birthday banner, round paper globes, and balloons.  We had his favorite dinner: shrimp scampi and went to Edaleen Dairy for dessert.  We opened presents and just had a very casual day. I made leaf shaped cookies and sandwiched nutella between them.   As I sit and write, reflecting on the changes over the past year, I find that I've learned things about him that I never knew.  I didn't realize how much he leans on and cares about his brother.  Since Isaac has left, he calls Isaac almost every night.  Sometimes Isaac can talk and sometimes he can't, but Job still calls.  Then there are the puns. He loves puns and his mind works and spins the words. Often they are hilarious and then there are the puns that stretch and don't quite make it. He still doesn't care what others think of him, such as how he wears his hat.  Drives me crazy but it is who he is. He's grown and has surpassed me in height by 1 maybe 1 1/2 inches but he's still taller.  His wardrobe consists of sweats or school uniform pants, a t-shirt and a hoodie.  Jeans are too constricting for him. When he has a goal, he works hard to accomplish it.  He can get straight As when he wants to but doesn't like the stress of it. He generally doesn't push the boundaries but when he does his go to words are "I'm just saying....."  Often times he watches how Isaac or Lona respond and then he kind of puts his head down and keeps out of the cross fire.  I wonder what this next year holds for him and how he's going to change.