Five now, Three then...

HAPPY FIFTH BIRTHDAY!

If you stop to think about it, how many pictures do you see of people when they are sad?  Sadness is an emotion everyone experiences, but is rarely captured in images.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Reilly.  I wish I could remember what he was upset about in this picture, but he was crying because he got his feeling hurt.  It makes me think of how great a kid he really is.  He really cares about his older sister (Hannah 7) and his younger brother (Sullivan 2), and loves his parents.  If one of us is sad, he will come over and try to make us feel better.

When I am traveling and return to home after a week of traveling, I can count on Reilly to be the first to give me a "big squeeze" when I walk in the door.  On weekends, he typically sleeps a bit longer than his sister, they currently share a room.  But I know as soon as he wakes up and walks downstairs, he will come right over to me and give me a big hug.

Before he turned five today, he would give anyone a hug who asked, or even if they did not.  I hope that doesn't change, now that he is five big years old.  Mommy and Daddy could not ask for a better kid.

Go ahead Reilly, it's your birthday and you can cry if you want to (but I doubt you will).
-Daddy