It was a beautiful day in England on 24 June 1997.   It was the day that I watched you, Jay, my first grandchild enter the world.   It was the most beautiful experience of my life and I will never forget the well of emotion that I felt at the moment of your birth.  I fell instantly in love!

Jay from the time Mommy brought you and Josh to live with us 20 years ago it has been a joy to watch you grow from that tiny little bundle of energy to the stunning young man you have now become.

We have made very happy memories together.  Of course you were full of noise and mischief but there were many more laughs than tears.  Finding you giggling in glee in the bathroom basin was just one such occasion.

To say that you were a dynamo would be an understatement.  You kept all the adults in the house on the hop and we were all exhausted at the end of each day. Thankfully so were you by 7 pm when peace finally reigned in our home!

You were the ring leader of all the mischief you and Josh got into but you were always a great big brother.

The school stage was amazing.  Of course the teachers were all enchanted by your charm and personality.  You could never sit still but nobody could stay cross with you for long.

Grandpa was your great hero and when you were very little you and Josh hid at the back of his car so you could go fishing with him.  You were not happy chappies when he discovered you and brought you straight back home.  But soon you were big enough to go along and what an excellent fisherman you turned out to be.

We all enjoyed many outings and holidays together – visits to the cousins in Kokstad, visiting the Cango Caves, fishing adventures in Struisbaai and Kruger with Si and Shan were the highlights.

Your childhood was full of activity.  You were a keen cub and later a scout.  We rode bikes every day after school and we were luckily enough to live near Fish Hoek Beach.

Jay the Cub

The years have flown by and suddenly you are a young man! Happy Birthday Darling Boy.  Mom, Grandpa and I are super proud of you.