Blake’s 17th Birthday
Dear Blake,
SEVENTEEN!! What?!? I honestly don’t know how this happened. I swear you were just my little Blakey Boo, and now you are driving yourself around, going to prom, dating a cute girl, and somehow almost an adult. I’m not sure I approve.
This has been such a fun year for you. You are right smack in the middle of all the good teenage stuff—friends, Cadence, drumline, driving, late nights, trips, and more and more independence. And I LOVE watching it.
And speaking of Cadence… Junior Prom! You guys looked like actual models. Seriously. And because I took the pictures, I feel like I can say that with authority. 😂 It has been really fun watching the two of you together this year. I love seeing you happy, and I love watching you learn all the things that come with really caring about someone besides yourself. 😉 That’s a pretty big part of growing up.
We managed to squeeze in some pretty great adventures this year too. Disneyland was SO fun, especially because everyone humored me and went all-in on the Disneybounds. Then there was Sedona, where you bounded up every mountain like some sort of mountain goat, did calisthenics at the top of Cathedral Rock, and experienced the mystical Sedona vortex… as pressure in the roof of your mouth, and we may or may not have let you drive an ATV that you technically weren’t supposed to drive. You called it one of the highlights of the trip, so obviously our parenting judgment was excellent.
But one of my favorite memories from the whole year is actually a really small one. On the way down Cathedral Rock, you handed me one of your AirPods and we listened to music together while we hiked. That’s it. Nothing particularly exciting happened. But I remember thinking how much I liked walking down that mountain with you. I’m learning that those little moments are sometimes the ones I want to hold onto the most.
Then there was Hawaii, where you even took over the family blog for a day. “Hawaii is beautiful (on the next day)” still makes me laugh. I love your sense of humor. You are just FUN, Blake. You make us laugh all the time—sometimes intentionally and sometimes because you’re just you.
This was also a pretty big year for our family. Halle graduated from college, Josh left on his mission, and suddenly YOU ARE THE ONLY CHILD LEFT AT HOME. Seriously, how did that happen?! You and Josh have become such good friends over the last few years, and I know having him leave was a big adjustment.
But don’t worry. Now you get Mom and Dad’s FULL ATTENTION.
You’re welcome. 😂
There is a Tim McGraw song that keeps popping into my head as I think about you turning 17:
“Seventeen only comes once in a lifetime… don’t it just fly by, wild and free.”
And boy does it.
I can feel the clock ticking a little louder this year. Senior year is coming. Graduation is coming. A mission and college and a whole life that belongs to YOU are suddenly not these far-off things anymore. They’re right around the corner.
So I hope you really LIVE seventeen.
Because seventeen really does only come once.
Blake, I hope you know how much I genuinely LIKE you. Of course I love you—I’m your mom, that’s part of the deal. But I really, really like the person you’re becoming. I like talking to you. I like laughing with you. I like traveling with you. I like watching you with your friends. And I love getting these little glimpses of the man you’re going to be.
I’m so proud of you.
And I’m really glad we still get you at home for a little while longer.
Happy 17th Birthday, Blakey Boo. ❤️
Love you SO much,
Mom
I was afraid we’d seen the end of “Guyser” nights. I’m so happy to report this one was bigger and better than ever. I love having all these boys around, they are such a fun crew! I think I’ve become a non picture taker. I didn’t even get one of Blake in the birthday chair! Sad.
