Go Amanda! It's Your Birthday!

I had to go in and edit that little bit of script at the top of this page today. You know, the description of what Snarkfest is all about. I had to change it from 18 & 15 to 18 & 16. Why? Because my baby girl, my youngest daughter turned Sweet Sixteen today. How is it even REMOTELY possible that I have a daughter in college AND a baby who is 16?

It was just last month that I was dropping her off at Pre-K and she held a death-grip on my leg.

It was just the other day that she walked onto the soccer field for the first time and just stood there.

It was later that same afternoon that she was in goal and LOVED it.

It was last weekend that she picked up a volleyball and realized that she is a pretty damned good volleyball player.

It was just yesterday that she learned to play the alto sax and kicked ass in the Marching Band, Symphonic Band and Jazz Band.

It was only this morning that she won the Knights of Columbus Foul Shooting competition for her age group. In the entire state of WV!

It seems like only a moment ago she was my little baby. And now, she's 16 years old. Driving. playing in the band, playing on the volleyball team, fitting 4H meetings into her already crazy busy schedule. And yet, she still holds my hand, still hugs and kisses me goodnight every night.

Happy Birthday, baby girl I love you to the moon and back.

How can you be 15 already??

You were just a baby yesterday!! It's not possible that you are turning 15 today. Just not possible. Stop growing up, do you hear me?? You stop growing up right now!

T-ball, circa 2003

Hawaii 2005

Keller Williams Race for Kids Health 2013

Homecoming 8th grade, 2013

Blowing the horn onstage with her Uncle Terry, summer 2013

Kicking ass at volleyball, winter 2014

Happy Birthday, my amazing, incredible, sweet, funny, talented, generous and beautiful 15.

Happy Birthday, 15!!

I'd like to take a moment to wish my oldest a very happy 15th birthday. For the next 6 weeks I will refer to my children as 15 and 12. It's crazy, there's NO way I can be old enough to have a 15 year old child.

As we were losing Princess Diana in a Paris tunnel 15 years ago, I was 'hee hee hee hoo hoo hoo'ing' in labor ON Labor Day with 15. I was in labor from about 4:00 a.m. on September 1, watching the coverage of Diana's death and thinking, 'wow, such a sad day, who didn't love the Princess?' And just 19 little hours later, 15 was finally delivered, via C-section. One princess lost, and another princess brought into the world.

15's been a learning experience for me. I love her with all my heart and my soul. When she was small, she wasn't the nicest little girl to her family. She was wonderful to anyone to whom she was not related. But to her mom, her dad and her sister, she was trying. Trying to dance on my nerves. Trying to be smarter than everyone. Trying to see just how far she could push my buttons. But as she began growing up a bit, I started noticing a change in her personality. She's much nicer to all of us, she's learned that she actually CAN be nice to us and we're all much happier about that. I find myself yelling a lot less, which is an all around win.

She's growing into an amazing young woman, finding out who she is, learning what she loves and what she doesn't, and I'm so blessed to be along for the ride. So to my beautiful, amazing 15, I wish you a very Happy Birthday and many many happy returns. <3

The beautiful, lovely, gorgeous, talented, friendly and amazing 15.