Grant's 16th Birthday

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Grant is 16 today! Happy birthday to our youngest! In a matter of a couple hours, we will have six drivers in this family. 

Sixteen years ago, this guy threw our lives into chaos, kept us on our toes as he walked (and ran) at 10 months old, deprived us of sleep for three solid years, and completed our family in the best possible way. He is kind and servant-hearted, compassionate and passionate, can talk to anyone, and is just a great guy to be around. His older siblings’ friends were always his friends, too, and it’s still that way! He is pursuing God in his life, and I am so proud of him. I’ll keep reminding myself that you’re 16, not 11 like you are in my head. Looking forward to another year with you, Grant! Happy birthday! 

The ice cream cake didn't work out very well.  Grant usually has an outdoor pool party, and the ice cream cake usually melts quickly. This time we didn't take it out of the freezer early enough, and it was impossible to cut through the frozen hot fudge cookie layer. But the bottom of the cake, the part touching the metal pan melted quickly, making a slippery mess. It provided some entertainment for those watching Greg try to cut it and watching my face as he mutilated my pretty cake in his efforts to serve it. 

Everyone was able to make it Grant's party, and it was a happy occasion, cake issues aside. 

Grant had birthday breakfast with Grandpa that morning, and then I took him to Sandy for his DMV appointment to get his license at 10am. It was nice and quick, in and out in less than 10 minutes. He drove me home, and he and Aubrey drove off to Chick-Fil-A for lunch. My heart raced as it usually does the first time one of our new drivers drives off on their own, but I knew Aubrey was with him and would help him, if needed. 

When Grant drove off on his own a week later (we left for Lake Tapps the day after his birthday) to go get his birthday Dutch drink and go to the library, though, I really panicked. My heart raced as I tracked his drive on Life360. I was so anxious! (It might help if I changed his profile pic, so it doesn't look like a 7 year old is driving!) I texted Greg and some friends to pray for him on his first solo drive. I was so relieved when he arrived back at home, safe and sound. Turns out, it's no different with the fourth child than it was with the first! I'll be nervous for a while until he gets more experience driving. My schedule is going to get a whole lot simpler, though, with Grant able to drive!