A Quarter of a Century

Caleb's the one on the left.

Our youngest child Caleb turned 25 yesterday.  How did that happen?

25 years = 300 months.

300 months = 1300 weeks

1300 weeks = 9100 days

9100 days = 218,400 hours

218,400 hours = 13,104,000 minutes

And that's a long time to be alive!

Congratulations, Caleb, you are 1/4 on the way to 100.

Happy quarter of a century!

Wow, you're 25.  Can't believe you're still alive.

Nice work, you've made it halfway through your 20's.

Happy 2 dozen plus 1.

13,04,000 minutes, but who's counting?  (Moi.)


I have so many fond memories of your childhood and the years up until now.

I remember...

.....your first cry as the doctor put you into my arms.  We cried tears of joy too.

.....hearing the doctor tell us that "this apple has a stem on it."  (He is the same doctor that previously delivered our three daughters.)

.....you swimming fearlessly at age 3.  We were exercising you to help with your asthma.  Little did we know then that you would become a multiple medalist in state competition later in your life.

.....your first day of kindergarten.  You confidently marched to school and took your place in the class.  I was the scared and sad one.   You were my last and now you were off to school.

The Pilgrims and Indians in first grade.  

.....your first trumpet lesson.  You were so proud handling that trumpet.  How could we ever have guessed that someday you'd be a part of a world champion music group?

.....your first swim meet.  When you turned at the wall, you looked like a turtle struggling to flip back over.

.....you singing your first solo on the big stage.  You were in 9th grade and playing the part of Doody in  "Grease."  It was awesome the way you became another character.  So fun to watch.

.....sending you away for 3 months to travel, perform, and compete with the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corp.  They traveled thousands of miles, practiced hours a day, competed nearly every evening, and won the World Championship at the end of the tour.  Thank goodness we had cell phones to stay in touch.

The Cadets' 2005 show

.....you bungee jumping in New Zealand on our family trip.  Because you were 16 you were able to sign your life away the papers yourself.  I was dying, until it was over.  The things you do to your mother, Caleb.

.....your senior college trumpet recital.  As a trumpet performance major, this was the culmination of your music career up to that point.  You looked and sounded amazing.

.....the day you obtained your pilot's license.  For you, it was a change in the direction of your future.


The past to the present:  lots of memories, all of them good.

The future?  The sky's the limit (and you quite like being up there).

Happy birthday Caleb!  You are loved!