Teenager!

Dallin turned 13 on Tuesday, December 11.

We had birthday dinner on Sunday - the traditional shrimp pasta.  He wanted asparagus with it but Maceys didn't have any, so he chose green beans instead. 

Tuesday morning Parker & Kyralyn gave him their gifts.

This was the year for Nike Elite socks

and a new hoodie  (orange has been Parker's color until this year...we couldn't find the right lime green color that Dallin requested so we had to go with his second "bright" choice...thanks for sharing this great color Parker!)

I wasn't home when Dallin walked in after school...very strange feeling for me.  Instead I went out to pick up Andrew from preschool to come & play for a little while.  We made a special birthday treat - Muddy Buddies.

I tend to forget the "heavy, heavy hang over" part of gift giving.  I'm grateful the kids remember.

The one thing he really wanted (that he knew he had a chance of getting - unlike an iphone or new ipod!).  When the children were very young they liked to wrap my gifts in blankets...?!?  Nice idea, Dad!  They had fun "wrapping" and helping me do the unwrapping.  Really, it's a great idea sometimes!

also the year of the jerseys!

we don't make cakes very often at our house...the kids like to have different desserts for the birthdays (I think I encouraged that one early on...yes!)  To date I hadn't been able to make a single pretzel salad that had set up...disaster after soggy, sweet disaster.  This time I asked Aunt Jessica for help.  With her master tutelage, I avoided another disaster.

besides shrimp pasta Dallin loves hamburgers...usually the mushroom & swiss variety.  For his birthday outing he chose In 'n Out.

With cousins at Lowe's Extreme Air Sports for his birthday activity.  The night was made complete with a sleepover - which involved late night basketball playing, a little bit of sleep, more basketball and a bit of food.

Dallin:  At 13

Tall

Helpful

Playful

Dependable

Full of music

and energy

and strength

wanting an iphone

shrimp pasta

hamburgers

pretzel salad

Dwight Howard

Peyton Manning

Kevin Durrant

OKC Thunder

purple

trying to get to the pros

love family

(usually)

love extended family

don't care for snow

(until you're out in it)

hot chocolate

toast

science

puzzles

2K11 on the Wii

GoldenEye on the Wii

showers first thing in the morning

(turn it down!)

(save some hot water for the rest of us!)

making money

the iPad

hugs for Mom

(still)

Happy Birthday, Dallin

We love you.