18th Birthday

Our babies turned eighteen.

I still can’t quite wrap my head around that sentence.

We wanted to spend the day making memories, so with the forecast calling for warm weather we planned a day at the lake. We loaded up the boat, paddleboards, kayaks, coolers, and everything else that seems to multiply whenever our family goes anywhere.

The guys (Greg, Ryan, Hunter, Jayden, and Jayse) got up early so they could get some fishing in before the rest of us arrived. The plan was for all of us girls, plus Brennan, to meet them later that morning.

As we were driving to the lake, Greg called.

“You better bring sweatshirts,” he said. “It’s getting really windy out here.”

A little late for that advice considering we were already halfway there…wearing bathing suits.

When we arrived, he wasn’t kidding. The wind was howling. Since our boat isn’t big enough to take everyone at once, Greg ferried us over to the dock in a couple of trips. Once we had all the coolers, paddleboards, kayaks, and food unloaded, we looked out at the water and…well…no one really wanted to be on it.

Instead, we settled in, ate lunch, visited, and hoped the wind would calm down.

Eventually I decided if I was going to bring paddleboards all the way out there, I was at least going to use one. I inflated both boards and thought I’d start with a kayak, but the second I climbed in I could tell the wind had other plans. It felt way too unstable, so I switched to a paddleboard instead.

Once I got moving, I actually warmed up quite a bit. I paddled along until I found a little cove where the wind wasn’t nearly as strong. It was peaceful out there, tucked away from the waves, and for a little while it felt like the lake day we had imagined.

When I made it back, Jaelee and Brennan headed out on the paddleboards while Greg and Jayse took the kayaks out for a bit. The rest of us stayed back on the dock, visiting and watching everyone from shore.

One little duck decided we looked like friendly company and kept wandering closer and closer. Before long, Brandi and Jayden were tossing it Goldfish crackers, and it happily accepted every one.

Meanwhile, my poor mom looked absolutely frozen. She sat huddled in a chair wearing a hoodie with only her face peeking out. Towels were wrapped around her like blankets, and she looked like she was questioning every life decision that had brought her to a windy Idaho lake in May.

After a couple of hours we finally admitted defeat. The weather had won.

It took several trips to shuttle everyone and all of our gear back across the water. Greg even towed the kayaks behind the boat. Earlier that morning, when the guys had first headed out, Jayse had actually been riding in one of the kayaks while it was being towed. At eighteen, I suppose that still sounds like fun.

Once we got back into town, all the kids headed over to PoJo’s for the afternoon. They had a great time together while the rest of us got things ready for the evening.

That night our house filled with family and friends. We ordered pizza, sang “Happy Birthday,” ate cake, laughed, visited, and celebrated two pretty incredible kids.

The lake may not have gone exactly as we planned, but looking back, that’s rarely what anyone remembers anyway.

What I’ll remember is Greg’s too-late warning about sweatshirts, the ridiculously windy lake, Mom bundled up under towels, a duck happily eating Goldfish crackers, everyone making the best of it, and ending the day with a house full of people who love Jaelee and Jayse.

Eighteen years.

I don’t know how we got here so fast, but what a privilege it has been to watch these two grow into the amazing young adults they are becoming. I couldn’t be more proud of either of them, and I can’t wait to see where life takes them next.