Some Kids I Know

8 Reasons I'm Thankful #4

I'm thankful for Harrison, Gigi and Jackson Brown. They are the kids of close friends and neighbors and are so much fun. We see them more than any kid we know (except Susan) and they mean the world to us.

I'm thankful for Caden Sorrells, the impossibly cute son of my wife's cousin. He's a big kid (just like his Dad is a huge adult) and he just keeps growing!

I'm thankful for Alanna Thompson. She is one of the sweetest individuals this world has ever seen, even if she is making me uncomfortable by, you know, growing up.

I'm thankful for Susan Thompson, with whom my wife and I often share our house. Susan is funny, and cute and dynamic and her frequent visits are a source of immense pleasure for my wife and I. Even her constant stream of questions entertains me. She gives us, almost every weekend, a little taste of what it must be like to be a parent.

I'm thankful for my niece Milana. She is the prettiest little girl I have ever seen and she lifts my spirit like few I've known. She's so pretty that she will be a handful when she gets older. I don't think I envy my brother's job of keeping the boys away.

I'm thankful for my nephew Alex. He is so funny and so sweet and so loving. I get such a kick out of him. I spent a few days with him and my brother in New York in September and it's one of those experiences I'll treasure forever. He also likes baseball cards. Maybe he's just pretending to make me happy, but I'll take it.

I'm thankful for my nephew Josh. He's 16 now which just amazes me. He is the first kid I really spent a lot of time around after I "came of age". I always liked kids, but I never really thought I'd want to be a father, but Josh changed all that. He changed my life and set me on the course my wife and I are on today. I can't possibly thank him enough for that.