RH16 #licensedtodrive party

Rivers and Hannah have been friends since Kindergarten.  And after all these years, they are more like brother and sister.  Since their birthdays fall within a couple of weeks of each other, we decided to have a joint party to celebrate!

 

 

Schedules get crazy around our here, with every sport and activity imaginable going on it is hard to arrange a birthday function. Between baseball & softball season this time of year, one or both would have a game, tournament or playoff happening every weekend! 

 

But we managed to squeeze in some time for friends, family, food and fun.

 

Complete with nifty cups printed to commemorate the big birthday

 RH16  #licensedtodrive

Sure, I know one day, (a decade from now when the hashtag craze has passed on by), we will look back at these like people do of such things like beehive hairdos, parachute pants, and jelly shoes.

But sometimes you just have to LIVE IN THE MOMENT, people. And so we did.

 

 

Because these moments are fun. So are these kids.

#sweetsixteenmemories

 

There's been plenty of times I've told God I wasn't about to go to Ninevah.....

You know the story....Jonah and the whale. 

Sweet Sixteen is not so sweet for the mama.

Elder Son turned 16 on St. Patty's Day.  Then we took a spring break trip. Then I procrastinated some more by making up reasons why he couldn't go take his test today, or the next day or next week....because clearly, I thought I could keep him off the roads forever that way.

 

Finally, I came to my senses and decided he was, in fact, no longer 3 or 9 or any other age younger that 16. And I took him for his road test. And he passed. And we paid $23 to have his picture made and they said okie dokie, drive your heart out.

 

And he took that to mean that immediately.  After years and years of me driving my 3 precious babes through car drop off and car pick up lines for school, it ended. Just. like. that.   

 

 

 

 

Oh the agony of watching them drive away....without me. WITHOUT ME!

 

 

 

The party was to come later. But Elder Son's sweet cousins did manage to bake him a cake on his birthday to celebrate as well. They are thoughtful like that...and they even decorated it with his favorite colors!

 

I may or may not have indulged my broken heart by eating half of that cake after they drove off that fateful morning, without me.

Emma, aka the girl I want to be when I grow up.

 

This sweet girl was a finalist in the Bryant-Jordan Scholar Athlete, and we couldn't have been prouder to attend a fine dinner and ceremony in her honor in Birmingham, Alabama. She is special, indeed, and just as the award implies, a scholar and an athlete. A smart girl, top of her class, and an incredible athlete, who's also getting to play a little basketball after high school!

All the sweet H girls with their mama and daddy....this whole group we consider "framily".

 

Way to go, Em! You are awesome!