Sweet 16

Here are a few photos and thoughs of our marvelous and talented daughter.  She is a wonderful girl with many gifts.  She has done so much growing in her 16th year already, and been to so many places and had so many experiences.  She is mature for her age and oh-so-thoughtful about many things.  She is already learning what it is like to be a college student with taking a few college classes along with her high school classes.  Some experiences have been phenominal like all her travels, and others have been soul-stretching and painful.  Growing up in this world as a teenage girl can be very challenging.  She has so many opportunities, people, family, mentors, and friends that love her and think the world of her.  She has grown up in a beatufiul world and community with many educational benefits in our public schools.  And most of all, we love her.  She is a blessing to our family and is so quick to obey and help here at home.  She is conscientious and courteous.  Fun and funny with a quick whit.

We did something a little extra special because it was her Sweet 16.  We got her a cool chair for her birthday and we went shopping for it everywhere.  Not kidding.  Took a couple weeks and many different stores. At first she wanted a fuzzy white chair but that was a little too expensive, so we found the perfect alternative- a fuzzy white pillow instead!  Awesome!  We served her favorite meal- taco salad.  She eventually got together with friends the next weekend even though she made it clear it wasn't a "party."

16 Sweet Things about this Girl
1. She is sweet, truly sweet.
2. Music rings from her.  Her daily piano playing MELTS my heart and makes my soul sing. When she is happy and when she is sad- we find her making music.  She has a great capacity for playing many instruments. (we found a wall in downtown Minneapolis and this is HER wall!)

3. Very senstive to things going on around her.
4. Very thoughtful.
5. Has the best laugh.  I've never heard anyone laugh like her and just hearing it makes me laugh.
6. She loves to read and think
7. Chasing sunsets (might even say a slight obsession with sunsets and lakes)- she loves nature and looking at light and the sky (I love this photo because it shows her love of nature and also her silly side).

8. Loves hiking and nature walks
9. Deep thinker and introverted.  She gets renewal by thinking, reading, drawing, piano, cello, etc.
10. Artistic.  Beautiful at drawing.
11. I love her long dark hair and how it reminds me that she and her sister and I all come from a line of extremely thick hair.
12. Dedicated to taking good care of herself and working out often
13. Self-motivated and organized
14. Loves to travel (I like this photo because it shows her with two loves- her cello and her map of travels!)

15. Leadership skills
16. Tender hearted

We decked the halls for her birthday dinner.

And these are her Sweet 16 photos from a photographer friend of ours.  I love my daughter with all my heart.  She is so special to me and my family.