The birthday post.

So, here's the video I made of my first-born (after going through and getting pictures AGAIN.  but it's okay because I got some cool ones I missed the first time around).  Oh I love my Jethro.  I can't believe he's 9.  I don't even want to think about how old that makes him next year at this time (and how old that makes me... sheesh).

Anyway, As I was saying.  I love Jethro.  Here are *9* things I love about him (and these are all true and absolutely unbiased facts ;) ).
1. He has such a wonderful smile.  When it’s a genuine, sweet smile it just knocks my socks off with how cute he is.
2.  He is super smart and curious and interested in everything and remembers a ton of cool facts and is pretty much intellectually astounding. 
3.  He has great taste in music.  He likes to go to my mixpod and listen to his favorite songs, which include some real winners, including Highwaymen, Hey Jude, Wavin’ Flag, Tornado (by Jónsi), Nothing Else Matters done by Apocalyptica, and, the best- all of the Les Miserables songs.  (side note: in fact, today we went to the church so I could play the piano and I started playing ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ and Jethro came over and started singing with me, and he had some great inflections and dynamics like the ones from the Broadway singers.  And then I made him sing some other songs with me.  I better get that kid in some kind of music lessons.)
4.  He is funny.  He’ll sometimes say lines from books that he’s read and it’s really funny.  Or there’s this one thing in particular that he says from a Peppa Pig episode (I hate Peppa Pig but Talmage really likes it) and I can’t find the right episode on youtube right now or I would link it, but anyway he says, “And this is a serious tour, so no jokes or giggling.”  Jethro says it just the right way and it is hilarious.
5. He is quite responsible.  For example, it’s been cool since we moved here that if I need something for dinner, I’ll just send him up to the little village grocery store with some money.  It’s sometimes I bit funny what he comes back with (leeks instead of green onions, pork or something instead of chicken, etc.) but it’s great and it saves my bacon often.  And one time he had a dentist appointment and the office is right across from his school, so I just sent him up on his own = awesome.
6.  He is tender-hearted.  He is a good big brother and son and friend.
7.  He is a very easy traveler.  Just give him a book or 10 and you won’t hear a peep from him for hours.  :)  (Our home teacher came the other day and Jethro was telling him about the 3 books that he’d finished in the day and a half since he got them in a package, and our home teacher said, “It’s entirely possible you’ve read more in your life than I have in mine.”)
8.  He is goofy and fun and plays/fights great with Talmage and the other kids when he’s in the mood.
9.  He has gotten up in church and given his testimony quite a lot, and it is powerful and wonderful and sincere and I love hearing it.
I am so proud of him.  I love him a WHOLE lot!
Here is his awesome video.  Please watch it because it is awesome.  Also, bear in mind that I would not have picked this song out except that I knew Jethro would like it a lot (he watches a video on youtube of a guy doing amazing skiing that is set to this song, and then he sings it for the next several days).  But it actually turned out pretty awesome.
LINK (cause it won’t embed, dumb thing.)
Doesn’t he have some Sah-WEET dancing skills?