Ethan is 20!!

Ethan isn't here for us to celebrate with him, but he was in our thoughts today and we hope he had a great birthday.

Ethan is doing so great on his mission. 

He sure has grown up a lot over the last two years, and it's been great to see.

He has loved serving in the Dominican Republic, and has especially loved Puerto Plata.

So I just thought I'd share some of these pictures from the past few weeks in his honor today.

You can read all about his adventures over the past almost two years on his mission blog. 

He sends an email each week, and I just copy and paste them onto a blog for him, and then I'm going to print up a blog book for him after he gets home (and for Joseph and Melodie too and give them for Christmas this year. :) I was too late to do it for Joseph last year, but I've put it on my calendar to order them in the fall so they are ready for Christmas.) 

Ethan sure loves the people in the DR.

We talk to him each week on Monday, and he says he's already having dreams almost every night that he's back home and that he's sad and misses his mission.

He will be home the end of June and it will be great to see him. He's working hard so that he can come home with no regrets, knowing that he gave it his all each day. Corey often tells him to leave it all on the field, referring to that sport saying to put your best effort in each day and to not end the game  (his mission) feeling like he could have given more. Don’t leave feeling like you played it safe when you had the opportunity for something greater. If you give everything, there will be no questions about what you could or might have done better. We can tell that he's been giving his best, and we're so proud of him. He has survived his teenager years, and he's 20 years old and ready for another amazing decade of life. Happy Birthday Ethan!!