C is 14!

My Sweet C, 

14 years. That's how long I've gotten to know you. And what a crazy ride it has been this last trip around the sun. 

The good news is that you are very much the same. You like Walruses, Bluey, Penguins, Snoopy, Mo Willems, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Theater, and Music. How lucky that we always know what to get you. 

The teen years are not without challenges. The desire for more freedom. The staying up late. The "sleeping in." (If we can call 7:00 AM sleeping in, which I know for you it is, but come on. That doesn't even make us late.) The attitude. Your hair has an entire mind of its own, and I can't seem to figure out how to get it cut so that it isn't crazy. 

But there has been so much goodness. Your first big show. Another year of choir. Voice lessons. Trying a lot of new foods. You still don't eat potatoes that haven't been French Fried, but we're working on it. I am so proud that you've embraced the gifts God has given you and you're sharing those gifts with the world. I love to listen to you sing. 

This year, I have seen you blossom, no longer content to be a witness to your own story: you're chatting up classmates and cracking jokes. You're just more engaged with the world, and I can appreciate that so much. I am so lucky to get to be in your corner to help bring you back to reality when you need it and push you when you need that too. 

It absolutely blows my mind that you could get your learner's permit today. And I am grateful that it will not be part of the plan for a while. You're still so tiny that I don't even let you ride in the front seat, much less DRIVE. 

Remember that even on the hard days that you are so impossibly loved. By Jesus first and then by me. Happy Birthday, Goose! 

Mom