We Have Another Boy!

On June 22, 1986, our second son was born.  Far away from family, in a New Hampshire hospital, I felt scared and nervous.  It had been a little less than two years since the last time I'd been through this and I vividly remembered the long hours of labor it took me to bring a child into this world.  Because ultrasounds weren't a part of standard prenatal care, as they are now, we didn't know until he made his appearance that we had another son.  That moment when you've pushed for the last time and the doctor announces the gender of your child, ranks as a high point in this mother's life.  We were thrilled to have another boy, a brother for Travis.

And oh man, was he a cutie.

 His blonde hair and blue-gray eyes were a winning combination.

 Curiosity often getting the best of him,

he tried hard to keep up with big brother (who quite possibly talked him into climbing into the dishwasher?).  No, Travis would never do that!

Maybe I should have guessed that he would end up with a music career, when he was the only two year old in the primary talent show.  I loved those cute overalls and little red sneakers.   I don't even remember what he was singing, he might have just been standing there looking cute.  But the microphone was all his and he got the applause!

Uh, oh......  Isn't that an adorable picture and can't you just feel his frustration?

Dillon was pretty happy when Jantzen came along a few years later and he became a big brother.  Yep, now we had three great boys.  I love the expression on Jantzen's face, just hanging out.  As the years passed, those two would grow into the best of friends.

Dillon enjoyed all the things most little boys love.  He played sports, was a cub scout, liked camping and fishing and playing in the woods.  He went through an art period and drew pictures of the Tasmanian Devil on everything. 

And he was a fan of Miss Frizzle and the Magic School Bus.  We all were.  That was one of the coolest shows ever.  Even back then, he was a Rockies fan.

As a senior in high school, he had the lead role in the musical, Foot Loose.  I still remember the first time I heard him sing, how surprised I was.  That boy could really sing!  I went to every performance and smiled through each show.  This was a new side of Dillon that I had never seen before. Singing and acting?

After high school, came a NOLS trip to Mexico with Jantzen.

and lots of other outdoor adventures, including hiking sections of the AT.

In and out of bands all through high school (you wouldn't believe how many practices we had in our basement, if I told you), Dillon finally settled on a sound and a band that has become a career path for him.  Moving to Colorado, he joined Jantzen and together they formed Old North State.  I've always loved that they named their band after their North Carolina home.

I think it would be fair to say, at this point, music is his life.  I've been impressed with his tenacity to stick with that dream, when most people would have thrown in the towel.  It's a hard, competitive industry, but it's what he loves and he works at it nonstop.  Traveling across the country, driving through the night or sleeping in the trailer, and often going too long between meals, he's paid the price.  A mom could easily lose some sleep, worrying about how her musician sons are faring, if she didn't believe in the power of prayer!  Whenever I see Dillon pull out his guitar and perform, I'm happy that he's following his dream.   I think back to a time when this little boy struggled with a speech impediment, and we made weekly visits to the speech therapist who helped him with his stuttering.   Now, he performs confidently before audiences and gives radio interviews with ease.  He's really quite amazing.

In sorting through pictures for this blog post, I noticed that I tend to hold on to Dillon, maybe hoping to keep this wandering son around a little more often?  I totally get that desire to be on the road though.

See?  I gotta grip on that boy!

What a great young man, he's become.  Such a fun loving spirit, he makes me laugh.

He's hanging out more in NC these days, and I'm happy about that.  I can count on seeing him at least once a week, as he's become a real fan of family Sunday dinners.  But tonight, he will be performing in Utah and enjoying time with friends.  I love getting a text from him every few days, just to hear, "I miss you mom." And bright and early this morning, I received this one. "Hey, we're doing a night drive.  2 hours out of Ogden on I-80.  Just wanted to let you know.  Love and miss you." I'll wake up early any time for that!   He's a thoughtful, considerate son and a blessing to our family.  I sure do love him.

Happy Birthday Dillon!
Hope you have a fabulous day.