David Turns 10010 (18 in Binary)

When I started this blog, David was 11 years old. My second post ever was about him. It's called A Preteen Thanksgiving Miracle.  I cannot really believe it, but a few weeks ago he turned 18. I'm so proud of him - he has surpassed my expectations in so many ways.

He's had a few birthday celebrations already. We had a nice dinner at home one night. Another night he and some friends went to a movie. And last Friday he had another batch of friends over to go kayaking on the Brazos river, eat dinner at our home, and then hang out at a downtown coffee shop. Here are some photo highlights!

[Lookin' for adventure...]

[Canoe canoe?]

[Paddling out under the historic Waco Suspension Bridge. It was built in 1869 to allow cattle from the Chisholm Trail to cross the Brazos.]

[Off they go up the Rio de los Brazos de Dios. This is what the Spanish explorers called the Brazos river. It means the River of the Arms of God.  As I prepare to send David off into the world, I am comforted that he is surrounded by the arms of God. This gives me a great deal of peace. You could say I've got peace like a river.]

[Outdoor Waco is where we rented the kayaks.  I really love that we live within walking distance now.]

[After kayaking, everyone changed clothes at our home while dinner finished cooking.  We're still unpacking and organizing, so excuse the mess in the background. While it may not seem like it, David does, indeed, have more than one male friend.] 

[When we first moved in, I was planning to remove the swing from the middle of our living room. But everyone who visits enjoys it, so we've decided to keep it.]

[Dinner was spaghetti and meat sauce with salad and french bread. Martha put the candles in the cake while it was still too hot and the bottoms of them melted and ran into the cake. Surprise!  Don't eat the silvery blobs you find in the cake.]