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Last Day of Spring Break

The beauty of having a teenager's birthday during Spring Break is that she will sleep in and won't demand breakfast early in the morning. So what does she do on this special occasion? She gets up before noon. Seriously. It's her birthday. I stayed up late watching abc.go.com. 9:00 a.m. she came and sat on my bed and stared at me. Just stared. When I pretended to be sleeping, she nudged me and sang happy birthday to herself, adding words about me cooking an omlette.

It's hard to believe that the long, lanky, 5'6" 14 year old was nestled in a little ball within the confines of my womb 14 years ago. Difficult to picture that tiny person wrapped in a blanket and handed to me is the same beautiful daugher I enjoy today. She could do nothing by herself except melt my heart and change my life. She has patiently endured being our little guinnea pig as we tried to figure out what we were doing. What was Heavenly Father thinking to trust us with such precious cargo? As I was wheeled out of the hospital holding this tiny and helpless person, I remember wondering where the parent police were. Aren't they going to stop us? Isn't anybody going to visit us and tutor us at home? We were just handed something amazing with no instructions and told to take it home. What if it broke down? What if I broke down? What's the back up plan?

Incredibly, she has survived her parents for 14 years. There have been many times we have made mistakes but she's somehow not given up on us. She continues to trust me to be her mother. She continues to grow and develop into an even more amazing young woman. She sets a good example for her siblings and parents, she builds up others, steps aside so others get accolades, and she is truly the most amazing person I know.


Today she is an independent young woman with an amazing spirit and confidence that exudes love. I still worry about her but I trust her common sense and good judgment more than I ever thought I would trust a teenager. I love having her as my daughter and my friend.



For a surprise, her little sister drew Hobbes on a magnet board with dry erase markers by memory. She's incredibly artistic with pictures. The older sister is incredibly artistic with words. Note how even on her birthday she is willing share the spotlight with her sister.



Comments

  1. She is changing so quickly and she is very cute. I love her heighth. I was 5'6" and skinny like that back in the day. Make sure she always stands up straight. She will be taller than the boys for a while but they will catch up. I had to be prodded. Now she can go to church dances...wow she is growing up. Tell her happy b-day for me.

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  2. Beautiful family. Hindsight? I would have stayed in St. George.

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  3. Beautiful Family. Hindsight? I would have stayed in St. George.

    ReplyDelete
  4. i wish I could remember why I got up before noon. What was i thinking?

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