Seventeen years ago today, in a small home in Hanoi, Vietnam, Brian joined our family. How to describe our feelings then. We were nervous about becoming parents, tired from the flight, excited that our long journey to parenthood was almost over. And then he came around the corner. Oh, my. How precious. He was perfect. He didn’t seem to like us or dislike us!

Fast forward seventeen years. Today he is at Six Flags with his sister and the church youth group. He is about to enter his senior year of high school. He has joined the Marines. He has taken a mission trip. And, he’s still as handsome as he was that first day.

This will be the last gottcha day we’ll celebrate “together” for the foreseeable future. Next year at this time, he’ll be in boot camp in San Diego. It’s hard to believe that our baby is almost all grown up.

We are thankful to the Lord for bringing him into our lives. We love you, Brian, and pray God’s blessings on you for many, many more years. We are privileged to be your parents.