Happy 15th Bryan!

15 years ago tonight, I went to bed thinking of you, but surely not expecting to see your face so soon. There were no contractions to warn us of your coming...yet here you came nonetheless. You've been full of surprises from the very start! I should have known when you came on Leap Day that you were always going to be full of surprises!

My first glimpse of you was of your tiny foot. That's it; just 5 little toes and that chubby foot, and I was head over heels in love. (My oh my, how things have changed! It's not tiny anymore!!) I didn't even know yet that you were a boy. I just knew you were my baby, and that was enough.

It's always been enough. I loved you then, and I love you now, just because you're my son. And that is a beautiful thing.

I'm proud of you Bryan. I see in you a young man who is learning what the world is about, and more importantly who is learning what God is about. I see you working out your faith for yourself, and I'm glad you are. I pray it becomes more real every day, and that you live it out loud always.

I love your laugh, your quirky sense of humor. I love your eclectic style, your charm, your wit. I love your talent. I love that you are your own person, not worried about being just like everyone else around you.

For 15 years, I've watched you grow. It has been my complete joy to be your mom. I love you so much, and I'll always be your biggest fan! You bring joy to my heart every single day... even when you mess up or have to be taken to the ER (again!). You are exactly what I had dreamed of in a son, and my life is richer because of you.

Happy 15th Birthday Bryan! I love you so much!

Love,
Mom~~~

Just one little rock...

On Wednesday night, after all activities at church were finished, Bryan was riding his longboard in the church parking lot. He was doing what he does every Wednesday night, just passing the time while waiting on Jeff and I. As I turned the corner towards the doors to leave, I saw our friend William walking Bryan inside.

I had no idea what was hurting, but I knew it was bad.

Bryan was as white as a ghost and shaking. I thought immediately, "he's either going to throw up or pass out", and I went to him. He was holding his left arm to himself and obviously in tremendous pain. He simply said, "I heard it pop. Something is bad". I knew then; he had broken a bone. There was no moving that arm; it just hurt too much. We loaded him into the car and headed to the emergency room.

An hour and a couple of x-rays later, it was confirmed. Bryan's clavicle (collar bone) was snapped in half. We were referred to the orthopedic surgeon to evaluate. He was put in a sling and a wrap to immobilize his arm for the night, and we were sent home. The next day, the orthopedic surgeon graciously told us surgery was not necessary (thank you Lord!), and Bryan was placed in a harness for an unknown length of time.

It's hard to watch your kids in pain, isn't it? There isn't much I dislike more than that!! But something struck me as Bryan and I were talking on the way home from the hospital. When I asked him what had happened, he said, "Everything was fine, then there was this tiny little rock that got stuck under my wheel. The next thing I knew, I was on the ground". That's when it hit me; this is exactly the same thing that happens to us with sin.

I know that in my life, sometimes things are going fine, and then I give in to a temptation, take my eyes off of Christ, think I can handle things on my own.... and the next thing I know, I'm on the ground. And I'm hurt. And, because He's my Abba- my Daddy, God hurts too. It pains Him to see me hurting. And like any good, caring and faithful parent, He lovingly and gingerly picks me up and takes care of me.

The cool thing about God is that His touch is immediately healing. There is no harness needed for 8-12 weeks with His touch. I can't do that for Bryan (oh, how I wish I could!), but God does that for His children all the time. He offers forgiveness and sanctification immediately and free, just for the taking. But unless we choose to stay focused on Him, we will fall again.

What rocks are in your path today? Are you rolling toward them completely unaware of their presence? Are you looking the other way, thinking that you'll avoid them somehow? Or are you fixing your eyes on Jesus? Listen to this: "Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us". (Hebrews 12:1)

Is there something you need to "throw off" today?

Healing Day

June 21st is a holiday in our home. I've talked about it before, but some of you (of all 10 of you who read) may not realize the significance behind this holiday. So, let me explain.

About 4-5 years ago, Bryan was diagnosed with an inactive colon. Simply put, he had no muscle tone in his colon, so simple things like going to the bathroom were not simple for him. Little did we know how horrible that problem could be. He endured (embarrassing) treatments for about a year and a half or two years, but none were successful. We were at the point of having to go into the hospital over night for treatments every few months... NOT a fun thing for a young boy!

After much prayer and a couple of professional opinions, we decided to allow Bryan to undergo a fairly new treatment option in which a tube would be implanted into his upper colon, by way of his appendix. Through this tube, we would be able to "flush" out his colon and keep it clean, with the idea that when clean, the colon could heal itself and regain its muscle functioning. It seemed our only hope at that point, and we trusted his doctor (our hero!)

In July of 2006, just before the start of his 6th grade year, Bryan had his surgery. Right off, things were going well. Then in September, he developed an abscess that ruptured. We were back at the hospital for emergency surgery. I can't tell you how afraid we were. I am a nurse; I know the dangers of a ruptured abscess, and Bryan was a very sick boy! I sat by his side in the hospital, praying over him and asking God to heal him. It was at his bedside then that God began to work in my heart to give Him complete control in my life, and stop worshipping my child instead of Him.

Bryan recuperated from that surgery, but in December of 2006, he was back in the hospital for surgery #3 due to another infection that had developed. I think it was February that brought surgery #4, after Bryan accidentally pulled out the tube (yes, that was GROSS), and Surgery #5 came in April from yet ANOTHER infection. We finally said to our doctor that we could not continue to go through this ordeal anymore.

The year had taken its toll on our family. We were tired from constant doctor's visits and hospital stays. But our (mine and Jeff's) tiredness did not even hold a candle to Bryan's. He was depressed, a completely different person. He no longer smiled. He had a fever for 11 solid months before it was all over and done with. He hurt constantly. He was becoming bitter, believing that God was not hearing his prayers to heal him. If I'm honest, I wondered myself if God had heard our prayers.

On June 21, 2007,, Bryan underwent surgery for the 6th and final time to have his cecostomy tube removed (along with his Appendix which had a hole in it from the tube being anchored there). The doctor warned us that he had likely not gotten to use the tube enough for it to be effective. He also warned us that Bryan had endured so much infection that he would likely have to remove part of his colon during the surgery. We were scared, wondering what we would do next if this had not worked. But really, we just wanted our son back.

Bryan went into surgery that morning, and a couple of hours later, Dr. Iocono came out with a huge smile on his face. He said that Bryan's colon "looked like any healthy 11 year old boy's should". It had looked like "the colon of an 85 year old man" when this started. Not only that, but NONE of the colon had to be removed. He was perfectly fine!

He has NEVER had a problem with his colon again.

EVER.

We know that the hand of God was at work in the operating room that day. I know fully that God could have chosen to heal Bryan before any of these surgeries began. He could have healed him after the ruptured abscess. But He chose to give us a miracle by allowing us to walk together through that year, through all 6 surgeries and the HORRIFIC treatments that were in between. He gave us a miracle in that we knew He was surely with us, comforting us and giving us Hope and Peace and Grace. And by His grace, He chose to heal Bryan completely in the end.

The truth is, He could have chosen NOT to heal Bryan. And He would still be God. And He would still be good and worthy of our praise.

I thank God every day for the miracle of Bryan's health and life. I thank Him for the testimony of God's healing and faithfulness that Bryan has to carry with him forever. I thank Him that Bryan's hope is restored again. He smiles again.


I thank Him for the invaluable lessons He taught me during that journey. I thank Him for Who He is, not just what He has done.

Healing Day is our way of saying "we recognize what you did and what you continue to do, God. We won't forget".


So, how about you? What holidays are you celebrating? How are you commemorating God's faithfulness to you?

where did the time go?

This weekend, Bryan celebrates his 14th birthday... sort of. (He was born on February 29th, 1996, so technically he is only 3 1/2 this year!) It's hard to believe he's already 14... seems like just yesterday he was a tiny little thing, and now he's taller than me (not that that's real tall, but you get my drift).

Bryan is a blessing. I don't know how else to put it. He has brought more joy to my life than I ever thought possible. He has made me want to be a better person. He's made me try harder in things, and he's made me want to be more brave in life. He is a miracle, no doubt. I remember vividly being told that I would never be able to have children. Yet, here he is. I thank God for the honor of being his mom every day.

Bryan, you are a true joy. You make me laugh harder than anyone else can. You make me cry sometimes too (not always in a bad way either :)). You have more talent than I ever could hope for myself. You are a gifted musician, writer, encourager and leader. I pray every day that you will submit all of those gifts to the Lord, and allow Him to lead you in life. I see in you so much potential to change the world. Even at 14, you can make a difference. You DO make a difference in my life, in our home, and in our family.

You are a blessing to parent. I love being your mom. I love picking you up at school and talking about your day. I love hearing you play drums. I love seeing you laugh as you wrestle with your dad. It's been an honor to watch you as a big brother this year. You are an awesome brother!!

Never give in to the pressure to be something or someone you are not made to me. Trust God to direct you. Trust His word. Stay in His word. Carry it in your heart with you always. Stand up for injustice always, as you already do. Make the world a better place just by being you. And always know that I love you so much, and I'm so thankful you are my son!


Happy birthday, Bryan. I can't wait to share this weekend with you!!

Love,
Mom~

When Did This Happen?

Today, my little boy went to high school.

Okay, so he's not so little anymore. He's a young man now, I know. But in my heart, he'll always be my little boy. Today, he got up and got dressed (no more uniforms- WOO HOO!) and walked out the door into a whole new era of his life. I sat in the kitchen and cried.

I'm not crying because I don't want him to grow up. I'm proud of the man he is becoming. I wouldn't hold him back for anything; God has too much in store for him to have anyone trying to hold him down! I was crying because I'm honored to be the mom of this incredible young man.

Bryan,
This morning, you started a new chapter in life. I know it must have been a little intimidating to walk into that new school (even if it's too uncool to admit it!). I know it must have been frustrating to be at the "bottom of the totem pole" again in school. But to look at you, you never would have guessed it. You were excited. You were handsome. And I knew you were ready.

I've known for a while now that you were ready for high school. I've watched you mature in leaps and bounds in the past few months. I've watched as you grew hair you didn't have before, listened as your voice deepened, and sat in awe as you started to make decisions based on the needs of others. When I say that I'm honored to be your mom, I mean it with all my heart. You bless me every day, just by being you.

You've always had something special about you. You can change the feel of a room just by walking in. You have a gift of putting people at ease with your smile and your conversation. You are hilarious without trying, sincere without effort (it's just natural with you), and you are genuine in all you do. I love that you have your own unique style about you. I love that you are not afraid to be different.

I prayed today what I have prayed for you the past several years "For this reason, I kneel before the Father, from whom His whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more that all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within you, to Him be glory in the church and in Jesus Christ throughout all generations".

I pray that as you encounter new people and new ideas today and throughout this year, that you will be grounded in the TRUTH of Jesus Christ. I pray that His light will shine through you. I pray that you are strong when others are weak, that you are rooted and established when others are falling in the sand. I pray that you are courageous when others may be afraid. I pray that you are secure in knowing that I love you today and always.. just as you are. You are all that I could have ever dreamed of. You are my son.

Have a great year, Bryan! Make every day count.

I love you,
Mom

Proud Momma UPDATE

Today, our son Bryan played in his debut rock concert. "Wow" is really all I know to say. I knew he was good, but he truly blew me away today! It was so fun to watch him play so effortlessly and have so much fun doing it! I'll post some pics as soon as I can, but I had to tell you about it while it was fresh on my mind. Go here to hear the band play!! They ROCK!

This weekend was a wonderful time in our home. Saturday morning started with a "Welcome Home Ellie" shower put on by my dear friends Tina, Sue Ellen, Cassie and Jane. Wow.. I had a blast opening up all of those sweet little girl things! I then bagged them back up and brought them home for Jeff to open all over again! My mom, mother-in-law and niece Kristin were all able to be there as well, so it was extra special for me! Ellie is certainly one very LOVED little girl!

Last night was a special treat. Here at the house, we had a spontaneous little poker game with Jeff, Dad, Joann (jeff's mom), our friend William, and myself (later). What a hoot! We had so much fun together. Deniece and William's mom, Veronica, and their two boys were also here, so we had a house full just like we like it! What a blessing to have friends and family here together. The Bell family (william, deniece, malyk, and malcolm) have become dear friends to us, and we just aren't sure how to feel about not spending next weekend with them too :) Seriously, you guys are a real blessing in our lives, and we count it an honor to call you friends and brothers/sisters in Christ! We look forward to many more dinners, poker games, hair styling parties, and of course.. cheesecakes!!

Here are pics from the shower... WHAT A BLAST!!

Being goofy with the "It's a Girl" balloons!

FBC gals who threw the shower (minus Cassie!)
Thanks so much, ya'll!!

cookies that match Ellie's room... how "sweet" (get it?)

Jeff now knows the difference between a skirt and a skort! do you??

My beautiful friend Michelle.. LOVE HER!

nice...

My sweet niece Kristin, mom (Nana), me, and Joann (Grammy)
Ellie is gonna love these ladies!!

Celebrating my Guys!

June 1st was a big day in our home! Not only was it Jeff's 41st birthday, but it was also Bryan's 8th grade graduation.

We had a small party for Jeff on Saturday with his mom, sister and family. Good food, good times, good Rummy playing (I now am owner of the coveted mouse).

Jeff, It's an honor to grow older (I didn't say old yet!) with you. You are my best friend, my soul mate, my love, my life here on earth. I love celebrating you! I love that we've spent all of these years making memories together, and this weekend, we've added more. I hope that you had a wonderful day, and I am praying this year that God continues to protect you, strengthen you and grow you. I'm more and more proud of the man you are every day. I love you!

Notice the cake is half gone already. He couldn't resist and neither could Jim! This was Jeff's only request for his birthday.. his mom's German Chocolate Cake!

Dang.. he gets better lookin' every day! Happy Birthday Hon!

Next, there was Bryan's 8th grade graduation. I can't begin to tell you how wild it is to think that we have a high schooler now. Are we really old enough for this? In all seriousness, this was a fantastic ceremony, and I couldn't be more proud of Bryan.

Bryan, I want you to know that I love you so much. I am so proud of you. You've worked hard, especially in the past few weeks, and I am so proud of that! I am proud of the man you are growing into, and I am honored that God chose me to be your mom. I can't imagine a son better designed for this family than you! You are my miracle man, and I love you! I cannot believe you are going to high school in the fall, but I would never want to keep you from all that God intends for you to become. I pray that you are rooted in His word, grounded in your faith, confident of His grace in your life, and always a young man of integrity. Congrats to you!! I love ya!

wow.. I love him in nice clothes! I cried when he came out of his room!

Like Father, Like Son...

Proud parents

Papa, Nana, Bryan and me.. and the coveted diploma!

Marching in to Pomp and Circumstance

Dad and Lad....special day for both of them!

newest version of my favorite picture. Some things you just never outgrow or tire of!

Metal Mouth

Before anyone fusses at me for making fun of Bryan, know that he wanted me to call this "Brace Face".

Bryan reached a milestone in life today. He got braces. I think he looks older already.
The fun will be deciding which colors to use every time. He went with red and green for the inaugural day. Here are some pics.

He's so handsome, isn't he?

See the red and green?

In case you couldn't see it before!

Surely I am not old enough to have a son this grown~

13 years ago.....

13 years ago this weekend, I awoke to the knowledge that our lives would be forever changed. My water had broken; our baby was on the way.

We didn't know if we were having a girl or a boy. We had wanted to be surprised. The nursery was ready to go, completely stocked for our new addition. We were as ready as two new parents could be. But little did we know what awaited us.

In all of my dreams, I never could have envisioned how AWESOME Bryan would be! He was born at 5:34pm on February 29th, 1996... LEAP DAY! We should have known then how special he was just because of the cool birthday he chose as his arrival. But you just can't prepare for someone like Bryan.

Throughout the years, Bryan has brought me so much joy. It is an honor to be his mom. It's a privilege to watch him grow and to see him becoming a young man. He has made me laugh harder than I ever thought possible. He's embarrassed me more than I ever thought possible (ask me about some of his antics... i have stories to tell!). He has sometimes made me cry more than I thought possible. He has made me swell with pride more than I ever thought possible. He has made me a better person. He has taught me what it means to love sacrificially. He's taught me more about the Love of Christ than I knew before.

Bryan, I can't believe you are a teenager (well, technically 3 1/4 years old). I look at you and see a truly wonderful young man before my eyes. I am so proud of you. I am proud of the person you are, and the man you are becoming. I am proud of your heart, how you care for people. I love your genuine nature and how you are just yourself. I love your warped sense of humor, and how you laugh and make me laugh. I love being your mom. You've had my heart from the time I first knew you existed. I love that we are celebrating this 13th birthday all weekend... YOU ROCK!
Happy 13th Bryan... I love ya!

It's too quiet here

Bryan left for camp on Monday. I thought I would be glad. Come on, admit it, parents. We all need a break from our kids every now and then. And they need a break from us to, if truth be told (or at least that is what Bryan said). I deluded myself that I would have a blast this week with Jeff (and I have),watch what I wanted to on television, and go to sleep without the sound of the XBOX in my ears.

What I found is that I miss his voice saying "hey mom, will you take me to the skate park?" or "Hey mom, you wanna watch my new trick?" and "What's for dinner mom?". I actually miss his shoes sitting right by the front door. I miss having to tell him (again) to put his things away or make his bed or whatever. I miss his mischievous look that says "I am up to something". I miss his hugs at bedtime. I miss his giggles during the dinner blessing. I miss him begging Jeff to wrestle.

This is what I miss the most though...

I realize that Bryan is growing up. He needs less of me these days, and it's heart-breaking really. He wants to be away from me more than he wants to be with me. He wants his independence, and I want him to learn to respect independence. He wants more freedom, and I want him to experience freedom safely and slowly. He wants to risk, and I want to shelter. It's a constant game of tug-o-war, and many days I feel like I am in the mud pit. I see his potential to be a strong leader, confident and eloquent. He just wants to goof off. I see him laughing when I would prefer seriousness and vice versa. But yet, I love him wholly. He is a part of me. Perhaps that is why parenting is so frustrating... we see in our children the parts of us we want to change?? (think about it)

What I do know is that I am ready for Friday to be here. I am ready to have my boy home. I have loved my time this week alone with Jeff, but our family isn't quite complete without him here too. It's just too quiet around here!

I love you Bryan...

Why I love being a mom...

I have to brag on my son. He's awesome. Really he is. He is your typical 12 year old... hates to clean his room (or anything else, for that matter). He has to be reminded to do his chores. But his heart is tender. He is compassionate and loving, and I am honored to be his mom.

For Mother's Day, he blessed me. You see, Bryan LOVES to sleep late. Sundays are a treat because he doesn't have to get up at 6:45 like he does on school days. But this past Sunday, Bryan set his alarm for 6:45AM, and he got up when it went off. He made me breakfast in bed. Now, let me tell you for the record, Bryan makes the best eggs EVER! He made an omelet, bacon, sliced orange, and brought it with orange juice to me in bed. It was so sweet! I was surprised, to say the least.. not because he was thoughtful, but they had already given me a gift! On saturday, he and Jeff let me watch a movie while they scrubbed the entire house clean! AND they gave me a gift certificate for some pampering (pedicure)wow!!I felt like a queen, and I am so grateful that my guys love me like that. (I must add that while Bryan was making my breakfast, Jeff was mopping the floors since he knew my parents were coming and I would want it done. Love that man of mine!! (and I must say that his cleaning the house is the sexiest thing ever! you know you agree girls!))

I love being a mom. It's hard work, and sometimes it's frustrating work. But I wouldn't want it any other way. I love my children. I have been blessed beyond measure. Not only do we have Bryan, but there were 4 others who did not live to be born, and then there is Ellie that we (patiently) wait to bring home to us. I don't know why God would choose me for something so incredible, something so rewarding and humbling and that I will never be able to fulfill the way I want to. But I thank Him every day that He did choose me to mother these children. I pray that I am a Godly mom, a mom that always points my children to the Creator of all, a mom who lives out a faith that is authentic, a mom who serves her family without complaint, and a mom that my children always know loves her Lord with all of her heart, soul, and strength. I pray that my children always see me honoring and loving their dad, the greatest gift God ever gave to me! I pray that they see me as a student of His word. And I pray that one day they will not need therapy because of some mistake I made with them!

On a funnier note.. Bryan asked this question:
if there is a mother's day and a father's day, then when is the kid's day?

My response: All 363 other days of the year!!

Not Again!

Tonight Bryan was cutting a pencil to make a crossbow (he's pretty creative that way). Anyway...he was standing right beside me using Jeff's pocketknife to make a groove in the pencil. You know the rest, right? The next thing I know, he was saying "Oh no Mom!". Never a good thing to hear when your son is holding a knife!

So, we went to visit our friends at the St. Joe East Emergency room. A huge thanks to Dr. Guy who did a REMARKABLE job keeping Bryan well informed and calm while she was suturing his finger. Also, props to the nursing staff who were tremendous as well! They really know how to run an emergency room over there!

Last, but most certainly not least... a HUGE thanks to God for watching out for Bryan. He missed slicing the tendon in his finger by "a suture's width" according to the doc. That's not a lot- basically the width of a piece of thread. Had he hit it, we would have been in surgery right now. God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good.

Bryan says he is going to have a great story to tell tomorrow at school!

I'm headed to bed... this ER thing is exhausting.

The Birthday Bash

Yesterday, we had Bryan's party here at the house. This is our traditional "family" party, and it was fun as always. Bryan had a great time. I will just let pictures speak for it.

This is Bryan's cake. I picked this 'design' after he broke his board in two last week. It was a surprise (it was the ONLY surprise since he opened our gifts up early, the little stinker!)


This one is for Uncle Chris. He had to work, so they couldn't be here with us. But he still managed to crack us all up with what he sent to Bryan! (it's a long story) Thanks Chris!!

opening the gifts... lots of fun. lots of cash!

It's pretty obvious what is going on here.

Bryan & Papa... quite a pair!

He might be 12 now, but he still loves his Momma! I love you too Bryan. Hope your birthday was all you hoped for. I can't wait to celebrate every day this year with you!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Bryan!

Today is the big day. We partied hard tonight. Maybe too hard??



Happy Birthday, Bryan! I had a blast celebrating with you today. The party continues tomorrow!

Love, Mom

What happened?

Twelve years ago tomorrow, Bryan was wearing this.

That is the exact t-shirt that was put on Bryan just minutes after birth. I remember unwrapping his blanket and seeing him in that shirt. He was so tiny, it seemed to swallow him. I remember pulling him tiny little hands from under the sleeves and counting those precious fingers. I remember unwrapping him over and over again just to look at him.

Time flies, and babies grow. My 'baby' turns 12 tomorrow. What a great 12 years it has been! Bryan has brought so much joy and laughter to our lives. There are countless stories that we tell over and over in this house about his humor and antics. There is never a dull day with Bryan, that is for sure!

Sometimes I look at how he is growing, and I get a glimpse of the man he will be. It's really an incredible site to behold. I see more and more of his dad in him every day. He is sensitive and loving like Jeff, a real "people person". Bryan is truly one of the most compassionate people I know. He genuinely cares for others, and I am so proud of that! He's also one of the most fun and hilarious people I know. He has been from the very beginning!

Tomorrow night we will take Bryan out to the restaurant of his choice (family tradition around here for birthdays). On Saturday we have friends and family coming to party in celebration of Bryan's life. Should be a great birthday weekend! Oh... and to give you a little perspective on how he's grown, check this out....

LET THE PARTIES BEGIN

Around our house, we don't just celebrate birthdays for one day. That's not enough celebrating! I mean, the celebration of life is worth far more than one afternoon of partying, don't ya think?
On Friday, my boy will be 3. Yes, I said 3. He's a genius you know. He's almost 3 and in the 7th grade already! How, you ask??? Well, Friday is the 29th, otherwise known as Leap Day. Jeff explained it pretty well here if you need more info.The point is, he has a "real" birthday every 4 years. It's a pretty neat thing actually. One website I found says that for every 1,461 births, only 1 will be on Leap Day. In the U.S. there are approximately 200,000 people who celebrate this birthday, and 4 million world-wide. We have one of those 4 million in our home!


Bryan has completely rocked our world. From the day we first finally got to meet him, he has brought more joy to our lives than we could ever explain. He makes me laugh more than anyone else I know. And he loves like no other kid I have ever known. He is truly amazing!


So... here's to your life, Bryan. I look forward to celebrating all week long!