Ode to a Great Guy

This post is prompted by the great picture Sarah Beth took of Mark's "kid brother", Nathanael, for his missionary glamour shots. I asked her to send me one, so I could put it up on our fridge for the next two years. She replied promptly (thank you!), and I was inspired to go digging through my own photo files to see what great pics I have of this great guy.Nathanael. Have to love that kid! I mean, young man. I mean...man! I can't believe he's Elder Galbraith now! [Lucy took this picture of her grinning uncle]
Mark's Brother No. 5 entered the MTC this week, the sixth one to wear the "Elder Galbraith" badge...seven, counting Daddy Wayne.
[Mark and Nathanael in Nauvoo]
Nathanael is such a stellar example of what a great young man should be. I'm so glad to have a guy like him as an example to my children; particularly Hyrum, who has some shameless hero worship going on. I remember when Hyrum was two or three, and 'Thanael was nine or ten. Hyrum could only say "Nanyo", and he said it all the time, and followed his uncle around like a loyal puppy. Not that "Nanyo" was excited about it at the time. He got so tired of it, that he would be really mad if anyone else called him "Nanyo". [Ruth, Nathanael, Jacob & Sarah...they had me take this picture in 2005 - I think - to give to Cindy as a Mothers' Day gift.]
Nathanael is one of the best uncles in the whole world. He plays with the kids, and will babysit and change diapers. He is a good sport, and he usually has some goodies stashed somewhere that he's willing to share with a sad little tyke. He is an amazingly hard worker, and goes into the Mission Field with his mission entirely paid for, with a little extra in the bank for when he gets home. What a great guy!
[Nathanael and his good friend Keenan Aitchison, doing the uncle deed at Nana Nystrom's 100th birthday party.]
[during the concrete pour for Wayne & Cindy's house] [holding nephew Blake Galbraith on a Sunday afternoon] [Nathanael, Caleb and Mark]
[Nathanael was the second one of the Galbraith boys to earn his Eagle Scout. Here he is with all his brothers - except Jarom - at his Court of Honor. Left to right: Ammon, Nathanael, Jacob, Caleb, Seth, Mark] [and with his Mom and Dad...]
['Thanael and Mark, back when Mark still had a full beard.] [One day in the early spring, Nathanael took Hyrum and Jacob down to the creek, just because he's cool like that. They played around and got all wet and super muddy and had a fantastic time. Then they had to walk all the way back to the house, wet and muddy, and they got a little cold...] [Nathanael, Sarah, Caleb and Ruth at the annual Farwest 4th of July pancake breakfast.] [Jarom, Nathanael, Caleb and Ammon after a hard day of work, er, basketball.] [easy-going and friendly Nathanael leaves behind many sad teenage girls. It helps that he's easy on the eyes. Of course, I'm partial, having a certain fondness for the brand...after all, I did marry into the family.] [And what awesomeness does it take for a teenage boy to swallow his pride and let his nieces do his hair with barrettes?]

So, success to Uncle Nanyo! We will write and send lots of drawings. (And, man! I have a lot of pictures of that kid!)