Matthew is 16!!

The best part about turning 16 is the fact that you get to go behind the wheel and drive yourself!! Matthew even got to drive our rental van! Apparently the limits about age only apply if you are renting it for fun...if your insurance is covering the rental. I wasn't allowed to drive a rental vehicle until I had 3 kids...only Philip could drive! But because it is covered through our accident...Matthew can drive! He is probably really wishing that I chose that Jeep that I was offered when I first showed up for a rental. ;) But driving is driving...any vehicle will do. Even a minivan!

Since we can't skate at home anymore, Matthew decided we could spend some time at the skate trail to celebrate his birthday.

The trail was nice and empty during a weekday afternoon.

Lovely day for a skate!

And there is lots of room to zip around.

After an hour, though, it can get tiring.

The classic birthday picture in front of the cake did not work. By the time Matthew was done his trifle, I was able to get a decent shot of him.

As the celebrated individual, Matthew chose a board game for any willing siblings to play with him.

It took a while for the game to end...which is pretty typical for Monopoly.

And the chosen birthday meal was a meat fondue. Enough meat to keep all the guys in the house happy. Matthew let me serve some veggies on the side so that I could enjoy a meal that was a bit more well rounded.

 After dinner was time to enjoy gifts.

This year Evelyn gave Matthew a box of corn flakes. Every year someone finds a cereal box and wraps a REAL gift inside it. And the birthday person ALWAYS makes a remark about "Oh, goodie, cereal! Just what I wanted!" knowing that it will have something else inside. But this time, it really was cereal!

Don't worry, there was also a note in the box that told him where his real present was hiding, and Matthew got to enjoy a gift made just for him. And I got my box of cornflakes back.