He blazes the trail in his own unique way. Being the first carries much responsibility, such as teaching younger siblings how to extinguish candle flames with your fingers. First lick,

then pinch.

He chose the more conventional method Saturday night when we celebrated his birthday and Jim’s 40th with our family.

When asked a while back what he wanted for his thirteenth birthday, all Jake requested was a telescope. And thanks to all-family-hands-on-deck, a telescope is what he received.

He used the clear sky observatory website to learn that the forecast called for a break in the clouds for a couple hours at around 3:30 Sunday morning, so he asked Jim to please wake him up at 5:00. Jim happily obliged by setting the alarm. As he headed downstairs to make some coffee prior to waking Jake up, he found that Jake had already been up and outside observing the stars. In fact, Jake had awakened at 3:45am, threw on shoes and a coat, and trucked the telescope outside all on his own.

His determination paid off, as he was able to locate a few stars within the short clear sky window.

**this picture was taken at 6:00am as Jake was packing up the telescope to bring it in. The photographer was blissfully unaware of the middle-of-the-night stargazing activities.

LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? (Psalm 8)

He determines the number of the stars
and calls them each by name. (Psalm 147)