They Grow So Fast

When I think of my nephew, Jonathan, I still think of him as a little boy. We all do that, I suppose, but you would think the fact that he towers over me would help to remind me of his age. He is 26, almost 27 and his reserve unit is now preparing to go to Iraq. He has been attending various pre-mobilization trainings for the past few months and right after Thanksgiving his unit leaves for Fort Bragg. It does look like we will see him at Christmas but then they leave for Kuwait and then Iraq.

So, the little baby who sat in his seat in the middle of the dinner table as we ate, the cutie kid who recited Star Wars and Pee Wee Herman dialogue from memory, the teen-ager dancing to techno is taking a way bigger step away from us then I ever thought he would. I'm very proud of him and fearful at the same time.

Last night we had a party for him. Plenty of his friends came but also some of the family came up from MA. Not everyone was able to be there, so here are a few pictures of Jonathan with various family groups.

Jonathan w/ my parents

w/ my parents and grandmother

w/ my sister, his mother


all five together




















w/ my brother and his family


w/ his sister and cousins


all four w/ their great-grandmother


w/ my uncle and his family


w/ his cousins (once removed?)


w/ his aunts, my sister and me (see what I mean - towering over us)


w/ his step-father and his father & wife
There are pictures I didn't get that I wish I had but I'm happy with the ones I did get. I missed the family members who weren't able to be there but I hope they enjoy these pictures.