My Boy

My boy is 26 years old. And independent. And engaged to be married in June.  But he's still my boy. (As any mother will tell you, that never changes).  I'm proud of him. He's brought much joy to our lives. 

Stephen was an MK (Missionary kid) until he was 11 years old.  I believe that gave him his wonderful solid foundation in the Lord for his life and also some wanderlust.  He's always loved to travel.  We traveled around Guatemala planting churches, visiting other missionaries, helping with work teams from the States (Stephen helped with translating ) and he thrived on this lifestyle.  I have a picture in my mind of my blonde little boy with a backpack on.  He would walk into a house and ask "Where do I sleep?"  No one was a stranger to him.  He especially loved a place in Guate named Salama.  It was all desert with cactus, snakes, hot weather, plains, and hills off in the distance.  We stayed often with a family there and he considered that a vacation resort.

He would carelessly hop across the little streams of sewage in the villages we worked in, didn't care if his playmates had lice, or that the food or water he took in could make him sick. He enjoyed time with his fellow MKs and village kids as they played street soccer.  Stephen excelled in school and just loved life there in Central America. 

We returned to Georgia when he was 11 years old and he continued his excellence in school and sports.  He was single-minded in his determination to make excellent grades and enter University of Georgia.  He completed his four years and then headed to graduate school.  About halfway through he decided enough was enough and decided to work and travel.  Through his college years he had traveled out west and loved the beautiful landscapes out in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, etc.  He traveled to California and helped in a mission there for a week or so also.  Finally, he decided to settle down near UGA again and began dating Rachel, a beautiful girl who is in pharmacy school.  Now they are engaged and I am looking forward to that wedding and getting to know my future daughter-in-law well! She also loves the west so I'm interested to see where they eventually settle down.

Some random pics:

Stephen at age 8 with Erin and their dog, Kazan.  We were living in Antigua at this time.

Our landlord owned horses and Stephen often helped round them up in the evenings in Antigua, Guatemala

Stephen and Erin grown up

At Erin's wedding in 2007

 

On vacation with our extended family in Siesta Key (2009)

June wedding? Beginning of a new family within our own.  So happy for them!