Our youngest man child

Jonny becoming a man 2003

Jonathan was only six when he grew tall enough to meet the height restrictions at Cedar Point (amusement park in Ohio) for the dare devil rides. His brothers convinced him that riding the biggest roller coaster would be his rite of passage into manhood. The older two had read John Eldredge's Wild at Heart, and were concerned about how little time they had to "bestow masculinity" on Jonny before they would all grow up and leave him home with only sisters.

This is the same Jonny whose first (sort of) complete sentence was "Me a man!" after hearing his dad always say "You da man, Jonny, you da man!" The same Jonny who was his brother's best man at age 10.

Jonny with the groom 2007

Jonny, now twelve, returned yesterday from MK camp in Puebla, and was so excited that his own brother Mike was his counselor. Last year both Mike, Tim, and Heidi were at camp, but he had a stranger in his cabin as a counselor. I'm just so gratified that my boys love each other so much. The older three all got together this past November for American Thanksgiving in Canada at Tim and Heidi's house. Little brother felt left out. After all, he's next in line to marry Heidi if something would ever happen to Tim, or so he said when he was younger. What are best men for?

Thanksgiving in Three Hills, Alberta without Jonny

Chris, Tim, and Mike assume credit for making Jonny into the coolest little kid around. If only they had been blessed with cool big brothers, think how cool they might have turned out!

One of the guys, minus the sunburn

Oh yeah, they're cool all right!