Welcome to Adulthood, Andrew!

 Our handsome, athletic, hard-working and quiet Andrew turns 18 today.  

Our dark-haired blue-eyed boy.

We've raised another child to adulthood and yet our sweet little boy you will always be.  Senior year is upon us, and the adjustment has been hard.  Mostly for your mom if I'm honest :)  You are loving the independence that comes with age, especially when it allows you to escape the noise and chaos that can be our home.  We always joke that you should have been an only child, as you don't understand why everyone related to you has to be so loud all the time.  You forget that you used to be quite loud and rambunctious yourself!  From walking at nine months old to excelling at anything you tried, you were our golden boy, and not just because you tan easily.  

You were the unassuming leader amongst your friends, and the girls always had crushes on you, which you were mostly oblivious to, thank goodness.  Between the speech therapy you needed as a toddler to your level of physicality, you were never one to sit and read a book, and we still aren't sure if you've ever read one entirely!  Have you? Ha!  You couldn't even be bothered to sit through a whole movie without wanting to go workout or play outside.  

You figured out how to work hard enough at school to get good grades and you are currently trying to raise your 3.98 gpa to a 4.0 to earn a big college scholarship.  Speaking of college, you aren't 100% sure what you want to study but are leaning towards Physical Therapy and casting a wide net of applications, and we will all be intrigued to see what you choose in the end.  When JP called from Austria, he made sure to let you know that you would love the European lifestyle.  From his experience, everybody is active all the time and laid-back and enjoys life, and he thought you would fit right in.  He's right, that's just your speed.  Unless you're on the field/court, then your speed is push-it-to-the-max.

 

You are probably our most fashionably aware child, and I like to ask your advice when I need to choose which shoes to wear.  You have an effortlessly cool style and always have. 

You love to hang out with your friends, and since most of them are wealthier than us, you like to see how the other half lives.  While you enjoy the material pleasures in life, you aren't afraid of working hard to earn them yourself.  You are always up for a boating or skiing or hiking adventure, if there is some kind of danger and the outdoors involved, all the better!

You were very disappointed when the doctor told you she thinks you are done growing, as you hoped to be over 6 feet tall and are stuck at 5' 11.5".  You're still our tallest child, so there's that!  You love to try and ruin photos by giving thumbs ups, but joke's on you because it just makes me laugh.

While I wish I could go back in time and freeze you right here, 

I am also so excited to watch you grow into the man God created you to be.  You will never be truly happy apart from Him but you already know that.  You are a sensitive and empathetic soul, yet unafraid and strong.  You laugh easily yet hate being the center of attention.  You are content to be part of a group, but won't just follow anyone.  You hate noise and chaos, but are always looking out for your younger siblings.  You are going to be the best husband and dad.  You have one foot at home and the other out the door and I hope you feel prepared for what lies ahead.  You are the perfect Andrew Pauric Francis Martin and we couldn't be luckier to be in your life.  Happy 18th son, we love you to the moon and back and back again.