meet devyn jey

for those who know me well, know that my nephews and my niece light up my world.  if one of my sisters send me a picture or post something on facebook, it's likely that i'll ask those around me, "did you see that picture?"  or...if i'm feeling really pushy, i'll probably throw my phone in your face and say, "look how cute!!!!"  can you guess yet what is coming?  ;)

to these gems, i'm aunt randa.  aunt randa.  i love that.  it makes my heart smile.

allow me to introduce devyn jey.  he was the first one to steal my heart as the oldest nephew.  sometimes i forget that he too started out tiny, just like the newest nephew.  crazy what a difference ten years makes.  i remember meeting this little guy for the first time.  i got the news of his arrival while i was at softball practice (indoors because it was raining) my sophomore year of high school.  my dad took me straight to the hospital when he picked me up.  blonde hair, blue eyes...oh, was he just the cutest, little boy.  one memory i love about devyn:  i remember when he would dance along with the chimney sweepers as he watched mary poppins.  precious.  that little boy is, well, he's growing up.  devyn is a sweet boy who is well-behaved (he's even been known to come home and tell on himself before jaymie even has a chance to ask, "so, how was school today?)..  he's still a sensitive soul.  he's had the girlfriend (oh elementary love) and he got his ear pierced.  for the most part, he'll try new foods.  he gives up his bed for me when i visit.  he loves playing sports.  he likes having nerf gun wars.  {he's my all-star.}

same face.  same smile.

the older he gets, the more i have to let go of one hope of my own.  {time to be vulnerable again?!?}  since he was little, i pictured him walking down the aisle as my ring-bearer.   true story.  maybe it's one of those crazy things a girl gets stuck in her head, but it's what i've always pictured.  thanks to my dear friends, christen and vince, i did have the opportunity to see him walk down the aisle as a ring-bearer and a mighty cute one at that.  this is a memory that means more to me than maybe i've ever shared with even my sister.  i just went to pull a picture to share, and just couldn't decide on just one.  he was just too darn cute that day not to share more. okay, maybe this steals favorite memory.  {sorry, this post is becoming longer than i had originally anticipated, but i can't help myself.  ah, tears.  happy tears.}

okay, i just need to get to the original purpose of this post because i'm getting lost in memory lane looking at all of devyn's pictures.  i could post about a million of them.

this boy that melts my heart, even when he's too cool and has to play with his friends instead of talk on the phone with me, made me proud tonight.  he played in his first concert at school.  white top, black bottoms.  {was this the standard band or chorus duo for anyone else all throughout school?!?!?} wish i could have been there to hear him play his violin, but am so proud of his hard work and practice.  love you, all-star!!

 [[i am going to need to go through my boxes of old-school photos and find some of his baby, baby pictures, so i can post at least one.]]  [[let this be the first family introduction post.  i'll try to start posting some introductions for each family member.  this could take awhile, so i'll spread them out.]]