Brittany's TEN day Sweet SIXTEEN Celebration!

On March 15th, 2009, our first-born turned SIXTEEN years old!

How can that be??

I find parenting quite strange and somewhat scary when I, as the parent, vividly remember being the age of my children (it was only yesterday, afterall). I'm delighted that Brittany is so much different than I was at sixteen. NOT that I was a horrible sixteen year old, but I certainly wasn't as quiet and gentle spirited as she is (nor am I today...ugh...the quiet and gentle thing just isn't in my genetic code).

Some other things I love about my sweet, sixteen year old daughter:

She is selfless,

patient,

kind-hearted,

imaginative,

nonconforming,

responsible,

always truthful,

self-assured,

optimistic,

easy to please,

content,

humble,

a great big sister,

a parent's delight :o)!

I so badly wanted to do something special for Brittany on her 16th bday, and I thought and thought about what would thrill her the most. Unfortunately, Joe Jonas had other plans on Brittany's bday, so I came up with something I thought she might enjoy almost as much -- a visit from her best friends who moved to New Jersey last May...a TEN day visit!! She was SO very, very excited to find out that they'd share her special day/week with her! Another best friend who lives here was able to stay almost the entire ten days at our house, too. It blessed my heart to hear them giggling late into the night, making memories that they won't soon forget.

The Jonas Brothers did show up after all!

Happy Sweet Sixteen, Miss Brittany!