Day Three-Fifty-Three - Jacob Day!

Day 353 is a very special day.  It's my oldest nephews birthday!!!!  I will always remember the night he was born.  We all sat on the floor in the hallway of Medical Center Hospital in Nacogdoches waiting for the news that our Jacob had arrived.  He made that day special and so many others since.

When he was a kid he used to come and spend time with me during the summer.  Sometimes a whole week and other times just a weekend.  I'm not sure which of us enjoyed those summer visits more.  We went to countless Rangers games during those weeks sitting everywhere from great scalped seats on the third base line to crummy nosebleed seats and even the bleachers in left field.  We got on the Jumbotron at the longest game in Rangers history and stayed all the way until the end.

When he was 12, he and Rebecca along with Robbie and Eileen's family, me and Nana and Papa all went to Colorado together and we went white water rafting.  Jacob and Matt were the only kids big enough to be in the raft for the entire trip.  Chris wasn't able to get in until we had passed the bigger rapids.  Tim and Rebecca had to watch from the banks of the river and bridges as we passed under.  It was a great vacation!

For his high school graduation we went to NYC and made a Yankees game and a Mets game.  We both loved every thing about the Yankees game even though neither of us are or were Yankees fans.  We were at Yankee stadium for a weekday afternoon game and it was greatness!  We both hated the Mets game and I was really glad they lost.  Jacob got a Derek Jeter shirt and wore it with pride (pretty impressive for an Astros and Rangers fan).

We spent his 21st birthday in courtside seats at a Mavericks vs. Golden State game just across from the Mavs bench.  Dirk is as big as you think he is.  That was totally cool!  They were the only courtside seats I'll ever sit in unless Jacob is rich someday and takes me for my 65th birthday (hint hint).  Since it was his 21st birthday, he was in charge of buying our beer and he did a good job.

Now he is a college graduate working on another degree and beginning new phases of his life.  In my mind he will always be that adorable dark haired 3 year old holding up a live crawfish so I could take his picture during a crawfish boil.

Happy Birthday Jacob!
I love you!