Eric Turns 30!

It's hard to believe our "baby" boy turned 30 last week. Although with Eric, he always remains the same--funny, boyish, caring and compassionate. He was dubbed "friend to all" in high school. He is known for his incredible sense of humor and his humility. He speaks his mind, generally with tact, but sometimes is blunt and to the point. You can always depend on his honesty in all aspects of his life.
Giving him a "surprise" party was a challenge for poor Nyki. He knew about it, just not the details of the party. She eventaully told him not to mention it and let her do her thing. He did. And he put on the surprise face when he arrived. The party was a lof of fun, with friends coming in from out of town that he hadn't seen for a while. It's always good to renew friendships!
Since marrying Nyki nearly 5 years ago, we have seen him go from fun-loving, anything-goes daredevil, to caring husband, and now protective father. Emery is all about her daddy. When he walks in and she hears his booming voice, her whole face lights up! She speed-crawls to get to his legs where she pulls herself up waiting for him to pick her up. I don't think there is anywhere she would rather be than in her daddy's arms. And he is such a good father. He is somewhat overprotective, but I chalk that up to being a first-time father. (What's so wrong about a grandma who lets her granddaughter teeth on a twizzler?)
At any rate, our thumb-sucking baby boy is now a 30-year old, dare I say, Man? How can this be? Being our last child, everything he did was special. And it still is.