I remember the first time I met Austen. Although Matthew and I had only been dating a few weeks, I felt like I already knew his little nephew from all the stories I’d heard about him. Matthew’s stories about Austen were all great, but NOTHING compared to how wonderful this little boy really was!
At only a year old, Austen already stood out as extremely happy, funny and smart. Oh, I was also convinced he was the cutest kid I’d ever seen! Matthew and I enjoyed him so much, we often found reasons to take him to the zoo (all 3 of us in matching, yellow shirts) or to go see late-night fireworks.
As Austen got older, honestly, all of the strengths I’d loved about him as a toddler just got stronger. By middle school, I absolutely REFUSED to play any type of ‘game‘ with him that would compare our math skills, spelling abilities or IQ, for that matter!
With no surprise to any of us, high school allowed Austen to shine even more. Not only has he soared academically, but he’s excelled in just about every other area as well.
I am so proud of Austen! 
