Sweet 16...

 my SWEET Taylor is 16 years old today.

sweet 16...whoever came up with that phrase must have known that someday,

somewhere, there would be a 16 year old who was just pure sweetness.

and how blessed I am to be able to say I am her mother.

after the gift of His love and grace,

giving me a little girl and now young woman like Taylor

is one of the greatest gifts God has given me.

sweet Taylor...

how do I write this post?

I can't pick out a card for you in the Hallmark store without crying my eyes out.

you went from a little girl with cake on your face to
this beautiful young woman.
yes, i get a bit sad sometimes...
because i feel you might leave tomorrow.
(sorry for the dramatics:)

but then I remember that you are the lovely young woman that i raised you to be.
that i prayed you would be...
and you'll ALWAYS be my little girl:)
SO, it's also a BEAUTIFUL day...

one to celebrate your life.

and that makes me HAPPY.

I have learned so much from you.

yes, you have taught me.

to smile and bring joy and laughter to others...

you do this so naturally while most of us have to work at it.

to be a good friend...

how I wish I had known a friend like you.

to forgive easily and often...

to love with your whole heart...

to be curious...

to be cautious...

to think of others first...

to find something to laugh about in many situations...

to go after something you dream about...

 YOU have taught ME...

and so many around you.

you have so many gifts...

and by sharing them you bring such joy to the rest of us.

 never lose your sense of wonder.

your excitement is contagious.

 I saw a quote recently that read

"many things in life will catch your eye but only a few will catch

your heart. Pursue these."

 make good choices.

how you spend your days are how you spend your life.

 be in control...

of the things you put in your head, of the decisions you make...

be happy, be smart, be safe.

you will uncover many treasures in life.

thank you for being one of mine!

okay, the moment you've been dreading is here.

the moment I get to share the video of you dancing the role of the Snow Queen 

in the Nutcracker this year.

yes...a home movie.

well, sort of.

let me tell you, the quality is bad...not even as good as a home movie.

but I did the best i could.
the spotlight makes it difficult to view at times but it clears up after a moment.
there is some dark scrolling lines from time to time.

thank goodness we have the actual dvd to keep forever.

if you would like to watch my sweet girl perform, click on the link.

first up you will see her pas de deux (dance with a partner)...a big deal and a big milestone for

any young dancer.

 after that is the dance with her snowflakes.

she's easy to keep track of...

she's the one in the short tutu with the bigger crown.

(hey, she IS the snow queen:)

thank you in advance for any birthday wishes.

i'm sorry if i got behind on my blog but you see,

i kind of had this really special day to celebrate!

Happy Birthday SWEET Taylor!

We love  you more than you will ever know.

XOXOXOX

P.S.  can I borrow your car sometime?