O's Sweet 16

We hit a big milestone in our house this winter - Owen turned 16! He wanted his old standards: the traditional sushi boat (don't worry, he split it with his dad!) and Death by Chocolate cake. 

My boy is growing up! He's a driven straight-A student, proficient in cello, track and football. He stays out of trouble, has good friends, serves his community, loves God and his church, and is funny and handsome to boot! We sure do love him.

Age 16 comes with lots of perks, chief among them is getting that sweet, sweet driver's license. But it seems like this generation is in no hurry to get their licenses. We had moments where we didn't know if he'd complete the driver's ed in a timely fashion. The computer lessons were easy, but the 40 hours of driving practice (10 at night!) and 14 additional hours of instruction/ observation were slow going. To his surprise, we had a big carrot to dangle at the finish line. (He helped pick it out though.)

Isn't this a strange sight? But it's so nice!! Showing off his car to his little sis.

It's been a while since we've had a sedan (not in our adult lives, maybe...?), and it feels a bit like a go-cart sitting so low and close to the ground. But it's a really nice go-cart.

We had an appointment at the DMV, complete with a driving test, for the day before school started back up in January. And he passed! Hallelujah!

Driving himself for the first time! 🥲 Big milestone, but we're really enjoying him managing his own schedule what with bus troubles in the morning this year, sports practices at all times, random rehearsals, etc. Lots of practice adulting with gas purchases, debit card attached to a bank account, getting a parking pass at school, and driving to pick up dinner/groceries/sibling. Just the first of many more milestones to come. 💙