Phil's Birthday!

Phil is turning 18 on March 26th! 18 is an exciting time, not because you can legally smoke, but because it’s the time of the transition between high school and college. Phil will graduate in May and will be moving on to Iowa State University.

And we know he will thrive there because not only is he intelligent, but he is also great with people, really funny, musically talented, and very athletic.

And did I mention he’s a snappy dresser? Where he got his fashion sense I don’t know… I was the kid who insisted on wearing purple converse, pale green knee high socks, a white t- shirt, and black and white polka-dotted overall shorts to my 8th birthday party. We’ll just say it’s obvious that Phil is at the other end of the spectrum.

We know he’s going to dominate ISU intramurals because he’s good at all sports. As far as school sports goes he has played football, run cross country, and he is the goalie for the soccer team. But he also excels in tennis, ultimate Frisbee, and basketball. Once he tries it, I think we will have to add broomball to the list of sports he excels at. I think within 4 years he will have many of the treasured Intramural Championship t-shirts.

He’s also a little bit of a heartbreaker and the girls are always after him. One of my favorite stories about Phil in recent years is about how Phil caused an accident with his good looks. So Phil and my brother James and some of their friends were going for a run and it was burning hot so Phil had taken his t-shirt off. Their group was jogging quickly up a hill while a high school girl was driving in the same direction. She couldn’t help but shoot a quick glance at Phil, which might have been ok….except for the line of cars stopped at the red light in front of her. She slammed on the brakes, but skidded with a crunch into a minivan’s fender while the boys kept running. Poor girl, how do you explain that to your parents?


While these are some of Phil’s characteristics, I’m most proud of him because he is a genuinely good guy. He’s a hard worker, helpful and friendly, and respectful of others. He’s chosen good friends who like to have a ton of the right kind of fun. I know his life will be exciting and that God will use him to do many good things.

So happy 18th birthday Phil! Wishing you all the best during this exciting time!

Love always,
Rach and Brendan