As the title of this week's blog indicates, the highlight of the week was celebrating Merrick's 15th birthday. I would be remiss, however, if I first didn't mention our family Labor Day adventures. The kids got a bee in their collective bonnets over the weekend that they really wanted to go to the beach on Labor Day. It had been really hot over the weekend and we had spent some time at the river, so I think they were envisioning a similar experience, but I knew that we were headed for a major cool down and the weather could be a little dicey.
Alas, my prediction was right and the weather was not great. It was chilly and windy, as it almost always seems to be out at the Coast, but we made the best of it. Jeremy found a hole on the beach and right away got to work carving it out and setting it up as a shelter for the day for us away from the wind. It was a tremendous help. We had gone to Pacific City, which is know for a massive sand dune. The kids have been loving the sand dunes in Astoria so they were really looking forward to it. We brought sleds, but those were mostly a flop. The sand was just too fluffy and soft to get much of a run going. We still had fun trying. Everyone but Elsie also climbed to the top of the dune (probably about 1/4 mile straight up in soft, fluffy sand-the kind you slide right back down with every step). Merrick somehow climbed it three times. Despite the weather, and thanks to Jeremy's shelter, it was still a great day at the beach.
Now on to the main event, Merrick's birthday. It was a pretty low key day and he spent the vast majority of it away from us. Since starting seminary this week, he has been leaving the house at 6:30am. While Seminary doesn't start until 7am, he has been going at 6:30 so he can shoot in the gym everyday prior it starting. So that's how the story went on his birthday as well. He stuffed some birthday cinnamon rolls in his mouth before running out the door. He did have a nice treat at school, his cousin, Quincy, drove him to McDonald's for lunch.
That night we finally got to celebrate Merrick all together as a family. We invited my parent's over for Merrick's choice dinner and dessert (homemade mac and cheese and cinnamon roll cake). We also opened presents. Merrick got a new cell phone and case, a new basketball, a bat weight, dribble goggles, some fancy hair product, and money. He did pretty good for himself.
While I think he had a good day, what he was really looking forward to what happened the next day. Friday, after school, he, Elsie, and I spent a super fun hour at the DMV so he could test for his learners permit. He had been taking practice tests for a few weeks, but never really studied the book. He was super nervous when we arrived, but he came in clutch. He passed with flying colors and ultimately we left with permit in hand. Within minutes, we were in the high school parking lot and I was switching places with him so he could drive us the rest of the way home. A little backstory here, Merrick had already driven with his cousin several times so this was by no means his first time driving. While he still has a way to go before being a comfortable, proficient driver, he's driven everyday since Friday and he is well on his way.
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