We have no idea how it's possible that our baby is a teenager! This journey from baby to toddler to preschooler to adolescent to teenager went quickly with your older siblings, but even faster with you. We tried our best to soak it all in even more with you because we knew just how fast it would go. Thankfully, even though time flew, we definitely feel like we made the most of it all. Watching you grow to this point has been an absolute blast and we love the person you are becoming! From early on until now, you've had some of the most admirable qualities. We love your curiosity, your determination, and how incredibly well rounded you are!
There is no doubt that you are curious. In the thirteen years that you've been around, you've probably set a record for how many questions you've asked! In the earlier years, it was usually up to us to answer those questions. However, as time has passed and your inquisitive little brain has grown, you've learned to find answers all on your own. Whether its a book you read or a YouTube video you watch, you're always seeking to find out more about the world around you. You've gone from a novice to a near-expert on so many things and we find it funny to hear you spout off the most random pieces of information (a gift you certainly inherited from Grandpa Rob). You are a shadow at home...mostly following Dad around, but occasionally interested in what Mom is doing. You watch closely to see what is required in the world of "adulting" and our whole family knows that you'll probably be the most prepared for adulthood!
Your curiosity is also intertwined with your incredible determination. You strive to be the best at almost everything....well, except for your handwriting, but we've come to accept that you'll never put much effort into that! You will spend countless hours researching how to be better as a runner, sewer, golfer, you name it! You put so much time and effort into your running this past summer. You signed up for the high school camp and pushed yourself further than you ever thought you could. Keeping up with runners who were much older than you was a challenge, but you never gave up! You also became so knowledgeable with sewing this past year and have created some really cool projects. Your 4H quilt should have taken several weeks, but you laser focused for two days and had the entire thing done. That same laser focus has helped you grow tremendously as a golfer this year. You watch videos all the time in an effort to improve your golf game and you never miss a chance to hit up the driving range with Grandpa! When you're not at home perfecting your hobbies, you're at school doing great things. School comes pretty easy for you and, therefore, you have set your own standard of having the highest grades possible. Sometimes we have to bring you back to reality and remind you that you cannot have a perfect 100% in every single class!
One of our most favorite qualities about you has always been your well-roundedness. From very early on you've been able to get along with just about anyone and can find something to enjoy in just about any situation or environment. You are amazing at entertaining little kids and that's been proven by our little neighbor's affection for you. You can sit and shoot the breeze with people who are decades older than you. You have a heart that knows how to treat everyone with kindness and dignity. That shows in how you spoke of your interactions with the Cherry Hill buddies - a program that brought kids with severe needs to your school to hang out with kids in the general ed population. Girls or boys, young or old, verbal or nonverbal...you can handle it all! In the same way, you can be thrown into any situation and manage to make the most of it. You love to try new things and have, what feels like, a million different hobbies and interests. When change comes your way or new situations arise, you just roll with it. The transition to junior high was seamless for you this year. We didn't even make it to your walk through day because you had your older siblings take you (which was certainly way more fun and cool). Just about any time we've worried about something new or unpredictable coming your way, you've already problem solved it and have a plan in place.
We should probably knock on wood, because the teen years are ever so unpredictable, but parenting you really is easy! You're easy to love, easy to guide, easy to please, and just a joy to be around. You have always been the exclamation point at the end of our sentence...marching to the beat of your own drum in your quirky ways and bringing excitement and fun to all that we do! We are so thankful that God chose us to be your parents. If He hadn't, we'd be pretty jealous of whatever other family got you! We can't wait to continue to watch you grow into the amazing adult that we know you'll be. For now, we are going to soak in these teen years and are hopeful that we will enjoy this phase just as much as we've enjoyed the past thirteen years!
Love,
Dad and Mom
