Austen Turns 17!

It's gone so fast but our oldest turned 17 on Thursday. Now that he's been driving for a year we don't get those car rides to and from soccer practice and those detailed talks. But he still likes to sit at the island after school (when he's not at an afterschool practice) and tell me about his day - sometimes even class by class. And, when he gets home exhausted from his 8:30-10pm practices at 10:45pm, (and I'm half asleep on the couch), he wants to tell me all about how his practice went that evening. 

We're lucky that he still wants to go out to dinner with us, take vacations, play games and watch movies. There's some things that he won't do like our annual Gingerbread House brunch at the club or making Xmas cookies, but for the most part we're lucky to have him home more than I was at this age. 

He's still my neatest child and his room has always been the neatest (the girls are slobs). He's probably my hardest working and most driven. He wants to be the best in everything - even with things that don't come easily for him. He will continue to work at it rather than give up. He's very chill and rarely gets in trouble (I can't remember the last time I was mad at him - oh maybe when he lost my glove I let him borrow for a soccer game). When he's free, he's more than willing to help out - shovel the driveway, walk Sadie or ask if there's anything that he can do to help. He's a great leader on the soccer field too - calm and respectful as well as encouraging of his teammates. 

As he enters his 17th year, I'm wishing him his best year yet - and he'll need it - ACT, soccer recruiting, college applications, finishing out Junior Year strong and deciding on where to go to college. Seventeen is going to be a big year for him and above anything else, I hope he's just happy. So Happy 17th Austen! We love you!

Even after Xmas, he still gets lots of presents!