Ryan is a Teenager!

Ryan's birthday was really low-key this year. I felt a little bad--becoming a teenager is a big event that should have merited more celebration. Last year he invited some friends to Skate City, and the year before that he had a swimming party, this year he just wanted a family party. His birthday was on the Saturday of General Conference this year, so I wanted to celebrate a day or two early because church and General Priesthood Meeting would take up so much of the day. We couldn't find a time when most of the family was home. 

 One of Ryan's presents was too big to wrap, so we left in the box. What could it be?

 A new gaming system! A PlayStation 4! The other kids said that he was getting spoiled. It's true--that's the advantage of being the youngest!

A new game to go with it!

Because we had never pinned down a specific time for the birthday, I hadn't made a cake. I told Ryan we would have one sometime on the weekend. He was fine with that and chose a chocolate pudding poke cake. Britta said it couldn't be a birthday without candles, so she grabbed a carton of French Silk ice cream, one of Ryan's favorite flavors, and stuck 13 candles into it. He liked that idea!

 Thinking of a wish!

In one of Ryan's classes at school, they had to invent something. Ryan and Gavin invented towel clothes that you put on after a shower instead of using a towel. Gavin's mom, Tracy, is an excellent seamstress and she made some towel clothes for Gavin, and Ryan thought they were so great he REALLY wanted some for himself. When I asked him for some birthday gift ideas, towel clothes was pretty close to the top of the list. I wasn't sure how they would turn out, so I bought the cheapest towels Wal-Mart has, $3 each. He was pretty excited about them. The neck is a little big, but other than that, not too bad! 

I can't believe that Ryan is a teenager! No more little kids left at home for me!