Owen is EIGHTEEN

Owen - A very happy 18th birthday to you! I can't believe you are legally an adult. I remember like it was yesterday celebrating your very 1st birthday in Bogota, and now here we are, 17 years later. 

We had your birthday celebration with extended family the day prior to your big day. You were showered with gifts, lunch of your choosing, and of course a tres leches cake, the very same flavor of cake that you had at your 1st birthday party.

On the morning of your birthday, we started the celebration with breakfast hot, fresh and delivered to our door by DoorDash. You had found a new restaurant online called Colossal Cafe that served up your favorite breakfast - pancakes with fresh fruit and hash browns. You scarfed it all up within minutes. You are definitely a growing boy, and food is the way to your heart. 

Then it was time for gifts. Your mama Luz had sent a box in the mail packed full of all sorts of goodies from Colombia as well as hand-made items from her and your sister Laura.

We then surprised you with one more gift. You had been saving up for new AirPods, but there was no need to save any longer. You now had your very own pair of AirPods Pro.

You spent some time playing your favorite games on the Xbox, and Aria of course asked to join you. She loves sitting next to you on your makeshift lounge chair watching you play.

It was a beautiful August summer day, and that afternoon, you hit the greens with Pa and Popi Dave. 

Afterwards, we all met you at the golf club for dinner to celebrate your big ONE-EIGHT!

We had such a lovely day celebrating you, our eldest! We are so proud of you and how far you've come.

Owen, you are such a handsome, bright young man with an amazing smile. You love flashing that big grin of yours. These past couple years you have become a bit obsessed with your teeth. But I'm not going to complain. I'm glad you are taking care of those pearly whites. You wear your aligners more now than you ever did when you first got them and are always trying various whitening techniques. You are definitely on a mission to have THE straightest and whitest teeth possible.

Second to your teeth obscession is most definitely your hair. You are quite the hair stylist and have been cutting your own locks for years. How on earth you are able to do so is beyond me. But somehow you manage to pull it off looking as dapper as ever with that thick, gorgeous wavy head of hair.

You are a typical teenage boy, always thinking about food. Thankfully you've become quite proficient in the kitchen whipping up all your favorites. Pancakes and noodles are at the top of that list. In fact, you eat your noodle "recipe" nearly daily which typically includes either penne or angel hair pasta (rigatoni is a big fat N-O for you) topped with shredded chicken and doused in chili powder. The more chili powder, the better to you! You have an abnormal love of chili powder. You are the fastest eater I've ever met, inhaling a huge serving all before I even sit down at the table.

You love to smother your baby siblings Aria and Sam with hugs and kisses. You simply cannot resist smooching on their faces. They are adorable, so I get it! But you, more often than anyone else in the family, can be found nose-to-nose squishing on their cheeks and planting a big kiss on their foreheads. 

You are a Mister-Know-It-All. You can talk, and talk and talk anyone's ear off about a vast array of strange and unusual topics related to history, politics, and entertainment.  Did you know they used real skeletons in Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean ride? Can you believe that Kate Winslet trained to hold her breath for over 7 minutes to film Avatar? You are my real life Cliff Clavin. 

You can pretty much fall asleep anywhere and anytime. It can be the middle of the day and you'll be snoozing away at home, while on the drive home from school, or even in the middle of a family gathering. 

You still really, really want a dog. You've wanted one since I can remember. And even though you will be flying the coop soon, you recently mentioned yet again that we should get a dog. Of course, I know the bulk of the puppy cares would fall on me so you will have to wait a few more years until you have a place of your own and can finally get a pooch to share it with.

You are always complaining about all the photos I snap. I try to document these days, which quickly have turned into years. But you often give me the eye roll, walk right up to the camera so all I can see is a blur, or reach out to grab it from my hands. But I'll continue to take as many pictures as I can, so one day, we can look back at them, remembering the days gone by.

Owen, you were the most adorable and creative little boy who has grown into such a handsome and smart young man. We are so proud of you and look forward to seeing where this 18th year will bring you. We are blessed to be a part of your journey in this thing called life. A very happy 18th birthday, Owen. We love you forever and for always!