Why Turning 16 is so Exciting!

Jovan has been looking forward to this summer; he will be turning 16 and we all know what happens when those double digit numbers come around! But in case you don't know, which is highly unlikely, here's the rundown....

His Birthday!

Because who doesn't get excited about their birthday?

Driver's Permit

Yup! Exactly a month from today we will be standing in line at the RMV waiting for Jovan to get his driver's permit! Can't wait!

Driver's Ed Courses

Well thah...obviously one of the perks of getting his license is that he gets to start taking Driver's Ed courses to learn how to be a responsible driver. Because obviously he will never drive my car without finishing this course lol. 

I'm actually excited about this too—it's payback! Now HE gets to drive ME places while I chillax in the passenger seat...aaah, bliss! Or not.  

First Job

Money moneyy moneyyy! He will finally be old enough to work and earn his own money ;).

As a matter of fact, he already did—and he didn't just get one job, he got TWO jobs! Yup, you read that right! And they're fun jobs too!!!! <— **I'm too excited to stop adding exclamation marks lol**

Job stories...

Caddy Job: A couple of months ago I came across a FB post about a city program that was opening up this summer at the city golf course for kids between the ages of 14 and 16 yrs old. They were offering Caddy jobs for twenty city kids. Their main goal is to encourage kids to learn about the sport while earning some money on the weekends, over the summer months. If they complete a two year program, then the teen will be eligible for a $1,500 college scholarship.

I took Jovan and his friend to the open house on a rainy, cold day. As I waited in the car, I could see busses full of kids arriving and I started to get a little nervous for them and losing hope that they had any chance of getting this job. Waiting there in my car, I said a prayer while about fifty kids sat through a video, discussion and on-the-spot interviews. 

A week later Jovan got an email—both him and his friend made the cut and got the job! 😍

Green and white looks good on him!

Me: Show me the hat.
Jovan: *strikes a pose*
Me *smiles*

Youth Camp Counselor job: I saw another posting, again on FB, about a job for our city youth, this one for Youth Camp Counselor. This job consisted in supervising kids in a city sponsored summer camp program under the director of the program.

The application stated that in order to apply for this position, you needed to be at least 16 years old. Because Jovan was just a few weeks shy of turning sixteen, I knew that it was a long shot, but it would be worth it. I helped Jovan put together his resume and fill out an application and to my astonishment, he was called for an interview! 

The day before the interview we went shopping for an outfit and I gave Jovan a few interview pointers..."make eye contact", "shake hands firmly", "smile", "sit straight"...to the point where he got super annoyed with me lol. During the interview, the director of the program said he was a perfect fit for the position, but his age was definitely a problem :(. And then a childhood friend of mine messaged me on FB to tell me she would speak on Jovan's behalf. Then, last Friday they called to inform him that he had been hired, not with full work full hours, because of his age, but they have agreed to give him a few hours a week!

Like really, how blessed is this young man?! 

Although I had prayed for God to bless Jovan with one of these jobs, I must admit that there was doubt in my heart. But God proved to me that I was wrong. He proved to me that He is always in control and that He had a plan in place. That He would come through in a way that only He knew He would. I will be eternally grateful for His blessings. 

My ultimate goal for Jovan this summer was for him to stay busy. What I didn't know was that it would also be such an exciting summer as well! 

I can see a future full of exciting, new adventures for him. I'm such a proud Momma! 💙

~* Yamilka *~