We officially have 3 teenagers in our home! Gabriel turned 13 on Friday. Thirteen is a special birthday in our home… not that other birthdays aren’t special, just that with turning 13 some extra privileges come, and extra responsibilities.
One of the privileges is that you can now drink coffee. Before 13 you can only have coffee on New Years day. The other privilege is that at 13 you can have a Facebook account. So by 10am Friday morning, Gabriel had a cup of coffee and had set up a Facebook account.
Did you know that Gabriel doesn’t really even like coffee, but it is a privilege and all privileges must be experienced on your 13th birthday! He does, however, like mint, notice the peppermint stick in his coffee.
And speaking of mint, he concocted this mint desert for his birthday desert, since he doesn’t like cake. It’s layers of mint oreos, mint chocolate chip ice cream and our new favorite mint M&M’s. yummy…yummy
We bought some crazy candles whose flame is the same color as the candle. Very cool and very smokey!
We also have a special birthday party on the 13th birthday, extended family and close friends are invited to speak (or write) a blessing to give to the birthday child. Carl and I have given each of our boys a sword on their 13th birthday, this represents the qualities that we hope to continue to help them develop over the next few years before they leave our home. Qualities like courage, strength and compassion. Always remembering that the Word of God is the Sword of Truth.
We see many of these qualities in Gabriel, and have no doubt that he will continue to grow in Christ become an amazing man of God.