OUR FIRST DEACON!

THIS WAS THE SMILE THAT WAS ALWAYS ON THIS BOY'S HAPPY FACE.  IT IS THE SMILE THAT MADE EVERYONE NOTICE HIM....AND WANT TO HOLD HIM...OR AT LEAST GIVE HIM FIVE!

I DON'T KNOW WHERE HIS SMILE WENT IN THIS PICTURE BECAUSE HE WAS ONE HAPPY BOY....AND STILL IS TODAY!

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JAKE WAS GIVING GRANDPY THE TOUR OF THEIR HOUSE IN SACHE (DALLAS).  THEY HAVE MOVED A LOT SO JAKE HAS GIVEN A LOT OF THESE TOURS AND HAS DONE SO HAPPILY.  HE REALLY DOES ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES!

ONE THING THAT WILL ALWAYS BRING A SMILE TO JAKE'S FACE IS GETTING (OR GIVING ) A PRESENT.  THIS WAS IN THE DAY WHEN I DID A BIG CHRISTMAS HERE AND EVERYONE CAME HOME. (AND JER WOULD SAY, "MOM...THIS IS RIDICULOUS.")

HAPPY BOYS AT HOME FOR BO'S FIRST CHRISTMAS.  JAKE IS THE BEST BIG BROTHER ANYONE COULD ASK FOR....HE LOVES HIS BROTHERS AND MISSES BEN SO MUCH!

THE BIG SEVEN AND FOLLOWING IN HIS FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS, HE REQUESTED DONUTS INSTEAD OF A CAKE....WISE CHOICE JAKE!  JAKE LOVES HIS COUSINS AND LOVES TO BE WITH THEM!

I THINK THAT IS A POCKET KNIFE IN JAKE'S HAND.  THIS YEAR HE GOT A 22-GUN AND HE WAS SO EXCITED!

JAKE IS QUITE THE PERFORMER AND HE LOVES TO ENTERTAIN.  WE LOVE IT WHEN HE ENTERTAINS US AND HIS COUSINS.  ANDREA HAS TAUGHT THE BOYS A LOT OF CUTE SONGS (WITH ACTIONS) THAT THEY SING AT WARD PARTIES OF FAMILY GET TOGETHER'S.  IT LOOKS LIKE HE HAS EVERYONE'S ATTENTION HERE.

JAKE IS THE OLDEST BOY IN THE FAMILY AND HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN GOOD TO MAKE SURE THAT NO ONE IS LEFT OUT....WHETHER IT BE HIS BROTHERS OR COUSINS.  I LOVE TO WATCH JAKE IN SOCIAL SETTINGS AND SEE HIM LOOK FOR KID'S THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED AND EXTEND A HAND OF FRIENDSHIP TO THEM.  THIS IS TRULY HIS SPECIAL TALENT!

JAKE IS ALSO A GIFTED ATHLETE.  THEY HAVEN'T BEEN IN ONE PLACE LONG ENOUGH FOR HIM TO GET WITH A TEAM THAT HAS PLAYED TOGETHER (OR EVEN BE ON TEAMS BECAUSE THEY PLAY ON SUNDAY).  YET, AS WE WATCHED HIM START BASEBALL AND BASKETBALL....WE CAN SEE HOW ATHLETIC HE IS...AND WHAT A SMART PLAYER HE IS...HE IS FUN TO WATCH!

JAKE HAS HAD TO HANDLE A LOT FOR BEING SO YOUNG.  HE HAS HANDLED IS TRIALS WITH FAITH AND OBEDIENCE.

BEN WAS OUR FIRST MISSIONARY....BUT JAKE WILL BE OUR FIRST DEACON.  WE ARE SO GRATEFUL TO BE IN HENDERSON WITH HIM ON HIS BIRTHDAY AS HE RECEIVES THE AARONIC  PRIESTHOOD.  WHAT A SPECIAL AND MEMORABLE BIRTHDAY.  AS JAKE IS ORDAINED TODAY, IT ONCE AGAIN BRINGS US TO THE BIG PICTURE OF WHAT IS TRULY IMPORTANT.  THE GOSPEL, WHICH ALLOWS OUR FAMILIES TO BE ETERNAL, IS THE IMPORTANT THING IN OUR LIVES.  I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT JAKE WILL HONOR AND MAGNIFY HIS CALLING.   HE HAS BEEN BORN OF GOODLY PARENTS AND HE IS FOLLOWING THEIR EXAMPLE AS A MEMBER MISSIONARY, AND A FRIEND TO ALL.
JAKE HAS DONE MORE MISSIONARY WORK IN HIS SHORT LIFE THAN MANY PEOPLE DO IN A LIFETIME.  HE HAS NEVER BEEN AFRAID TO ASK HIS NON-MEMBER TEACHERS TO ATTEND PRIMARY SACRAMENT MEETING PROGRAMS.  HE HAS NEVER BEEN AFRAID TO ASK THE CHILDREN IN HIS SCHOOL CLASSES TO COME TO CHURCH WITH HIM.  JAKE CONTINUES TO BE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN NOT ONLY SETTING AN EXAMPLE, BUT IN INVITING PEOPLE TO COME TO CHURCH WITH HIM.  WHEN NEIGHBORS KNOCK ON THE DOOR AND ASK FOR HIM TO COME OUTSIDE TO PLAY WITH THEM, HE KINDLY TELLS THEM HE CAN'T BECAUSE IT IS SUNDAY.
JAKE LOVES MUSIC AND HE LOVES TO SING THE PRIMARY SONGS AS WELL AS HYMNS.  I LOVE THE SPIRIT HE BRINGS INTO A ROOM AS HE SINGS THE SONGS OF THE GOSPEL.  I KNOW THAT ANDREA HAS BEEN A BIG INFLUENCE IN HELPING HIM WITH HIS LOVE OF MUSIC.  WE APPRECIATE THAT SO MUCH!
THANK YOU JAKE FOR THE EXAMPLE YOU SET FOR ALL OF US.  WE LOVE YOU MORE THAN YOU WILL EVER KNOW.  THANK YOU FOR STILL GIVING US HUGS AND BEING EXCITED WHEN WE COME.  WE HOPE YOUR BIRTHDAY IS YOUR BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!