Jackson is 16 (actually he turned 16 on July 27th but I've already lost mother of the year this year so just add this to the reasons why!)

While he was living it up on BYU campus my oldest baby turned 16.  I know, I know, driving (gasp), dating (gasp, gasp), but don't fret--he turned 16 so I did the only thing a mother can do, I broke his arm.  Now no worries about driving licenses, they won't let him test with a cast on, and as for dating I told him it's far to dangerous in a cast, he might go to put his arm around the girl and accidentally knock her unconscious which would not look good on his dating resume.  So there -- I gotcha boy!!  He actually hurt his arm in weights class before school got out and one of his parents (I'm not naming names or pointing fingers, but I'll give you a little hint it twasn't moi) took him to the Doctor and the saw the swollen elbow, did the x-ray and didn't see anything; however, they did tell Jackson and his parental guardian that he should come back in 2 weeks if the elbow still hurt.  Fast forward 2 months, during which he fell out of the gator at the bike-a-thon, and rolled his four wheeler, and I am picking him up from football practice and I ask him if his the elbow he hurt in June ever bothers him when he is lifting weights for football, he gave me a look that clearly said, "silly little mother, you are so clueless and I am so 16", and he verbally informed me that he can't lift weights with that arm, that it still hurts and that he still can't straighten it.  I took him back to the Doctor the next day and the new diagnosis is a broken elbow---so cast.  In true Jackson luck style the day he got his cast on I stopped at his friends house that we didn't have a mailing address for and had Jax run a thank you card to their door, he would have made it to the door if the giant black dog hadn't bit him.  Luckily the friend came out before the bite became two bites and Jax made his escape.  Then two days ago the Jackson luck continued and he fell down our front steps giving himself a lovely goose egg on his forehead between his eyes, with a cute little cut in the middle of the goose egg.  He is a walking testimony about 16 not being as cool as teenagers want to believe!
We had done cake at Aunt Holly's house before EFY.  Then he turned 16 at EFY and I sent cupcakes and he had the entire group of hundreds of kids to celebrate his birth.  BUT his mother couldn't sleep unless he had a sweet sixteen party at home.  Unfortunately his mother is also a big procrastinator and after she got home, got unpacked, had another weekend of company and got organized the party day happened during Grant County fair week which many a Royal City Teen has a cow, pig or lamb at!!  Jackson wanted to go paint balling so that further limited his invite list to the number of paint guns I could beg, borrow, or steal.  But I think he had fun, and he didn't have additional injuries (just minor bruising) so it was a success. 
Normally this would be the part of the post where I would write a little about my birthday child.  But I can't, because I will cry.  So I can't write that every birthday he celebrates reminds me of how lucky I am to have him HERE on earth to celebrate them.  How Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis, though often not fatal, IS fatal for some.  That Neurodegenerative Central Nervous System Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis is a cat of a whole different color and I can't help but wonder what he will look like, sound like, move like on his next birthday.  How I KNOW he hates going to the Oncologists and getting MRI's, and BAER tests, and lab draws, and Endocrine appointments but he stays cheerful and tells me how bad he feels for the other kids he sees there. I wonder how his life would be if there would have been no cancer, no chemo, no brain lesions.  Would he be as athletically talented as he was as a young boy?  Would he be tall like his Dad if cancer had left his pituitary gland alone?  Would he be as kind, and loving, and patient, and empathetic, if he hadn't gone through all this?  So I better not write about my birthday boy, my hero, my limited vocabulary wouldn't let me put what I feel about him into words anyways.

 Before you say anything Brenda, I think I may better getting a better camera soon!  This poor quality picture is illustrating (barely) that Jackson preferred to be hunkered down during the "wars".

 We have not had our usually hot weather this summer, but don't worry the day we make kids put on layers of long sleeves, and  long pants we hit the high 90's.  Luckily Gatorade saved them from dehydration, many a war has been lost due to dehydration according to no survey.

The gang (they actually look like a gang)  BrittneyJo Hebdon, Selia Jenks, Becca Lee, Tanner Christensen ( who informed me is the only person besides Jackson to make the invite list to all 3 of Jackson's parties this year!!) Jackson, Kai Jenks, Jacob Lee, and Carter Allred.

The Noftle version of a volcano birthday cake, birthday boy sold separately.

Just a suggestion, don't use GIANT sparklers, they sparkle a loooong time.

                                      Masks up---they must not be in a real gang, any reputable gang member knows not to get their face caught on camera with the gun still in their hands.