Oh, So Sweet! And Now Sixteen!!

Kathryn, Michelle, Kristen

Today is my daughter Michelle’s sixteenth birthday. You know what that means—driver’s licenses and dating. Personally, I find both rather terrifying. Although I did offer to make her a t-shirt to wear to school that said, “Michelle can now date.” And then write her phone number below, but she nixed that idea . . . for some reason.

Instead of regular gifts, she opted to have us use the money we would have spent on her for a party. I am including pictures of that on the bottom of this post, but first . . .

I want to tell you about Michelle.

She is my tender hearted, nurturer. One day when she was just under two, I received some bad news that made me cry. I remember sitting on the couch crying and Michelle was on the floor playing with her toys. When she saw my grief she immediately got up on the arm of the couch next to me and pulled my head towards her chest and held it there until I quit. She then got back on the floor and continued playing with her toys, never saying a word.

When she was five she was telling me about her three grandmothers. I explained that one of them was actually a great-grandmother and in reality she had four of them. I then added that she also had eight great-grandmothers. Her eyes got wide and she asked incredulously, “Are they really all mine?” When I said yes, she exclaimed, “I am such a lucky girl!” And she is.

A couple years ago my husband and I had to be out of town at the same time my son scheduled knee surgery. I felt so bad being gone when he needed someone to care for him. But Michelle stepped up and took care of the job, even better than I would have done. For two nights straight she stayed up all night taking care of his every need. He was totally immobilized and in a LOT of pain so his needs were great--and constant. But she never complained. She just lovingly took care of him. I was so impressed with that.

Michelle loves reading, dance, basketball and doing hair. She is smart, and cute, and kind and fun and can out eat her 15 year old male cousin in a pizza eating contest—an honor we aren’t exactly proud of.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHELLE!!

WE LOVE YOU!!

Just some of the cute girls who came to celebrate with Michelle



We learned you can never have enough games at a party for teenagers, as they blew through everything rather quickly. But here is proof you are never too old for musical chairs!!


For one of the games we had a pedestrian road rally. As part of that, they had to get everyone on their team on a twister map and take a picture.

They also had to shoot ten baskets with a basketball, sing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" to the neighbors down the street, chew gum and all blow a bubble at the same time, spell out Michelle's name on the front lawn and . . .


Take a "family picture" using the costumes provided.

Here is one of the 'families".

Now wouldn't you want to have them as relatives? :-)

I think everyone had a great time. We had fun doing it.

And we didn't have too many casualties just . . .
1 bent chair
1 torn shirt
1 cut foot
1 broken phone

Special thanks to my helpers, Amy and Wendy. We could never have done it without you!

Also thanks to Amy's husband, Michael, who after driving in a car for two days came straight to our house and stayed until midnight helping clean up.

You are all the best!!