Dakota is 16!!!

So this is a little late, Dakota turned 16 in April. It's hard to believe. I remember when that little guy was just born. It made Tyler and I both feel really old! The day before his birthday, I stopped by their house and we talked a little about why he was excited. He said "16's a big deal to teenagers. I'm not sure why, but it is." (or something like that). He was so funny. He went on to talk a little about driving. He's not able to get his license yet, and he seems pretty content with that. However, the following words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them, "Go get dressed, we're going to the driving range!". The look of joy on his face was priceless. As he was changing and getting his shoes on, panic started to rise in my chest. I confirmed with him that my mother has taken him driving before, thankfully she had, and we hopped in the car. I couldn't take it back now!



He did a great job. He was surprisingly good, and the stick shift didn't really bother him. He had a hard time starting out and stopping, but got the hang of it soon. I never let him out of first gear. After about the 4th time around, I convinced him to call it quits. Our good luck could only last so long. He was pretty happy, so it was completely worth it to me!

For his birthday, my mom and I threw him a surprise party. A year before he mentioned having a "sweet sixteen party" and we had to explain that usually those were just for girls. However a surprise party could do no harm. Family and friends gathered at our place with silly string aimed as Dakota walked in the door. We had a great time and it was really a great night for Dakota!