Oh NO! My son can't be that old!

 OH NO! How can Charles be 35?! That makes ME Old!  haha! Remember, I was a baby myself when he was born!!!! ...... WOW, when I found this pix in some of Mimi's old picture I almost cried! Look at my baby boy! This adorable little fella is CHARLES, our oldest son! (have you ever seen such BIG EYES?!).YES, today is our firstborn son's b'day! (Yeah, yeah, I had 2 babies within a year, I know! Michael came 11 months and a few days later!).Look at that baby's pix! Isn't he adorable?! Terry Charles Fry, Jr. Wow, what can I say except that nothing prepared me for the love and overwhelming responsibility I felt the moment he arrived (hey, I had just turned 21!). I was euphoric, tho! OH MY GOODNESS, I was in heaven and loved having this baby so much I turned around and had another 11 months later! HAHA! Charles was 3 whole weeks early and NOBODY believed me when I went  to the hospital! Terry called my mom from the hall and I heard him say, "oh yes, Mrs Powell, the doctor said she if ready to have this baby!" 4 hours later our bouncing baby boy was born! I remember looking at him for the first time and counting those fingers and toes and just being in awe of him. I still am! He's amazing. Smart from the get-go, recognized alphabet letters at just over a year old! Having no others to compare him to, I thought all kids did that! HAHA! But one of my teacher friends FREAKED OUT about it and kept telling me how unusual that was. He continued to amaze me over the years with his understanding of things I had no clue about! He was, and still is, a  deep thinker. Some of my favorite things I will cherish forever are poems he has written over the years (I just might publish them one day and make some money! HAHA) and watching him study! Everyone who knows Charles knows he is the TALLEST one in the Fry Bunch and I can just see him now, stretched out, filling up the couch in Riverchase, STUDYING. ALWAYS ALWAYS Studying!!! Long legs stretched out and his brow furrowed as he was reading, and all the time the T.V. going/kids running around/phone ringing (remember, Charles was the oldest of 5 and he had younger siblings running around always!) and STILL he could concentrate!...Charles always loved school, and did so well. But it was his community service when he was even in high school that set him apart and set the motion for what he does today. He worked in East Lake United Methodist Soup Kitchen after school several days a week and his heart for helping the helpless was evident even then (Yes, I know what you are thinking, "LIKE HIS DADDY!" yes, Charles and Terry both are very MISSION MINDED!). He worked in the Inner City and was active  on the "Youth Leadership Forum"  in high school and continued projects that were similar when he was in college at Birmingham Southern in so many areas that served the poor and inner city. Of course, he and Michael both loved Camp Sumatanga and spent so many MANY days there! Camps/youth leadership stuff, etc. Today Charles is active with charities and fund raising at Children's Hospital and, of course, he is active in his church, Advent Episcopal, where he continues to lead a small group. Like all my kids he has lots of accomplishments but what I'm most proud about Charles is that , even in his stressful job, he relies on God to guide him and that his faith is an intergral part of his life. I know he will raise his son (who will be here in about 3 more months! HURRAH!),to put God first in his life as well....Today Charles and Rachel are in Savannah, Ga. and then on to Jacksonville to the Alabama game. I can't believe I won't see my baby on his b'day! Yes, he might be 35 and an attorney and blah blah blah ,but he is STILL my baby boy whom I love with all my heart and mind and soul and I still will miss not seeing him on his special day, SEPTEMBER 28th! ! (I ALWAYS tell Charles that we "grew up together"!haha). I am so glad, tho, that he and Rachel are getting to go for the week-end. I told him he better enjoy these little trips, soon they will be harder to go on when that baby boy arrives!!! HAHA ....

*HAPPY BIRTHDAY , CHARLES! I hope you have your laptop and can read this: I LOVE YOU! HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, to my sweet and precious first born son! I WISH I COULD SEE YOU TODAY BUT KNOW I AM THINKING ABOUT YOU ON THIS, YOUR SPECIAL DAY!  HAVE FUN TODAY! And, have a VERY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!(oh and yes, I'll be calling you in just a little while and will bug you off/on during the day! HAHA)