A lot of the time I focus on my youngest son Blake a lot, because he's the cute little kid whose doing all sorts of fun things these days. But I don't talk as much about my two grown boys. So when Mama Kat asked us to write about the things we are the most proud of, I thought I would share with you how proud I am of raising these two cute little kids into successful, fully functioning adults.


If you're new to my blog, let me give you a quick who's who. Ryan is my stepson. He will be turning 28 next week, but he was only 2 when his father and I first started dating. Since his Mom had relinquished custody, we had him pretty much full time from age 3 until about age 12 when he chose to move to California to live with his mother. He is now married and has four children - two step children and two of their own. Even though he is my stepson, I usually refer to him as my son because I feel I've earned that right by raising him for the last 25 years!

Matt is my first born son and my husband's middle son. He will be turning 21 in a couple of months and he has just completed his training as a Medical Assistant. Blake is our youngest, but at 11, he's still got a lot of growing up to do. I hope in time, he will grow up just like his two brothers.




10 Reasons Why I am Proud of My Sons:

1. They are strong in their faith and give back to their community. Both boys attend church regularly without any pestering from me. Matt has gone on three different week-long Mission Trips with our church, partly at his own expense, to help people in poor areas. With four children, Ryan isn't able to do things like that, but I am glad he is raising his own children in the church as well.

2. They both did well in school. They both graduated from High School with pretty decent grades and while they didn't manage the College gig, both of them attended wonderful trade school programs that got them off to a good start.

3. They're both hard workers who never miss a day of work unless they are deathly ill. From what I've seen, that's pretty rare among kids this age. Ryan has worked for the state of California for 4+ years and Matt just finished his clinical internship and is working at a movie theater while he looks for a position as a medical assistant.

4. Both of them are very faithful husbands and boyfriends. No playas here! Ryan has been married for 5+ years to his lovely wife Tammy and Matt is on his third fairly serious girlfriend. The last one he was with for two and a half years, until she went to college out of state.

5. These are both very good boys. No tattoos or piercings (yet!), they don't smoke or do drugs (that I know of) and I don't believe either one of them has ever been drunk. They will have a beer now and then, but it's not a regular habit like it is with a lot of guys their age. Neither has ever been in serious trouble with the law, although they both had a brush with shoplifting in their early years - I think most kids pull that one at some point.

6. Both of them are surprisingly good with money. I don't think Ryan has ever come to us to ask for money, even though I know things can be pretty tough for a family of six with one income. His wife only has partial sight, so her work options are limited, especially with two little ones still at home all day. But they manage quite well, and so does Matt, mainly because I ride him pretty hard on this one. He still lives at home while he in school, but he pays his own bills and is such a smart shopper that I let him do the family grocery shopping most of the time.

7. Great personality. We constantly get comments from people about how nice our boys are. A lot of teenagers are surly and grouchy and you can barely get a grunt out of them most days. Not our boys. They were raised to greet people with a smile and a handshake or a hug. They can maintain a conversation with just about anyone in any situation, which has helped them a lot in the job field, since they both are in jobs that have a lot of public contact.

8. Talent. Matt is quite a talented artist and musician. He has quite a collection of guitars and used to play bass in the youth band at our church. Ryan is more sports minded and has been playing baseball for most of his life. Now he coaches his son's Little League Team. He's also quite a pro with computers, so I'm looking forward to his next visit so he can set up my network!

9. Good natured. I have to say, I am very lucky that all of my boys have the same basic personality type. They are all good natured, easy going, slow to anger, and talkative to a fault! I can always count on them for a hug even during the difficult teen years and usually Matt is quicker to compliment me on a nice outfit than my husband is. You know, I wasn't always the best stepmother, but I never once remember Ryan ever saying that I wasn't his mother or that he hated me or didn't have to do what I said. They always did their best to obey us and were pretty darn good kids 90% of the time.

10. They are good with kids. Ryan is an exceptional father to both his step children and his natural children and makes no difference between them. He is fair and consistent with them, and is actively involved in their upbringing. Matt is a little nervous around little babies, but he's great with the little kids at church and he's played a big role in helping us raise Blake. He's watched him after school nearly every day since he started High School and most of the time, he's pretty good with him. I think he'll make a great father - just not any time soon!

So, that's our boys. They have their faults, just like the rest of us, but I think they can be very proud of themselves and what they've accomplished so far in their lives. I look forward to what else they will accomplish over the next twenty-something years.






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