Happy 9th Bithday, Damien!

Damien Isaiah Ray







After not having a baby in our family for awhile,
Damien was a sweet and special blessing!

~Why God Made Little Boys~
God made a world out of His dreams
Of magic mountains, oceans and streams,
Prairies and plains and wooded land.
Then paused and thought "I need someone to stand,
On top of mountains, to conquer the seas,
Explore the plains and climb the trees.
Someone to start out small and to grow,
Sturdy and strong like a tree" and so
He created boys, full of spirit and fun
To explore and conquer, to romp and run
With dirty faces, and banged up chins
With courageous hearts and boyish grins.
When He had completed the task He'd begun,
He surely said, "That's a job well done".






Sometimes Damien gets in with the big boys...




...and somtimes he's in with the little ones---



By nature he's pretty laid back and very friendly.
Matter-a-fact his name means "loyal friendship", and to
 Damien, everyone is a friend he hasn't met yet!
He likes animals and helping outside with the farm work.



And he had his heart set on a "John Deere" birthday:o)

Actually Damien wasn't supposed to come until January sometime, but he decided that he was big enough (at almost 9 lbs.!) and came on his Grandpa's birthday just three days before Christmas. So we usually celebrate their birthdays together and even though it is so close to Christmas and all the celebration and excitement that goes with that, we try and make sure his birthday is kept as his birthday. Damien had the cake and Pop had the pretty fruit dishes-:o)

Blow, Damien!!!

Opening birthday presents...

Cousin Steven and Kaiti observing his progress:o)

His own first Bible, from Mommy & Daddy--

And what could this long package be???

A BB gun!

Damien's sober look---dressed up in some of his new birthday duds-his new hat from Aunt Amie and his new sweater from Chad- Some of the guys in our family like clothes and some of them mainly appreciate being clothed!:o)

"You are worried about seeing him spend his early years in doing nothing. What! Is it nothing to be happy? Nothing to skip, play, and run around all day long? Never in his life will he be so busy again."





"O LORD, you are my God;
I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
you have done marvelous things,
things planned long ago."
Isaiah 25:1

We praise God for you, Damien... May your life always exalt Him for the wonderful thing He did when He planned and made you! We love you!!!