12 Years, 12 Things

Today is D's last day as a 12 year old.  I find it hard to believe that she will be a teenager soon, but she will be...we have the attitude to prove it some days already.  I asked her for a list of her 12 favorite things over the last 12 years.  She gave me a list, in no particular order.  After she thought about it, she had more than 12 things, so I grouped a few together.

  Drum roll please.....

1.  Pink Bear and Mrs. Hannon:  Pink was given to her on her first day in the hospital.  She picked Pink Bear up sometime in her first year and hasn't been put down since then.  Mrs. Hannon is a quilt made by our friend Mrs. Hannon with fabric picked out for D by the Hannon family.  Both Pinkers and Mrs. Hannon are filled with love and memories for not just D, but Jim and I as well.

2.  Band:  Marching band, Pep band, classroom band.  I cannot say enough about band.  D loves band so much.  I am glad that she found an amazing place that allows her to grow and thrive.

3.  YMCA/Camps:  D has spent every summer since kindergarten at YMCA day camp.  Last summer she was a counselor in training (CIT for those in the know).  She sometimes complains, but since she wants to be a CIT again this summer, she must love it.  She has also attended church camp and 4H camp.  Those camps allowed her to grow and become more independent each year.

4.  Swimming:  D went from a non swimmer afraid of water over her head to becoming a member of a swim team.  She learned to overcome fear, work hard, and be part of team.  She had amazing coaches who believed in her and pushed her.  She had teammates who encouraged her to work harder than she thought possible.

5.  Riding:  D had horse riding lessons for a few years.  She made new friends and learned that things that are fun also come with responsibility.  Before and after riding, she had to take care of her horse, brushing, cleaning hooves, detangling, watering, and sometimes mucking out a stall.  And she loved every minute of it.  

6.  Friends:  D is quiet in groups...sometimes painfully so.  Along the way though, she has made some great friends.  Some were there for a season of her life, and hopefully several will be around for her entire life.

7.  Family:  We have a small family, but we love fiercely.  Jim and I also have long time friends that we think of as family and they treat D as family.  We might be a small group, but we are large in love.

8.  Vacations:  We love to travel and take vacations.  Our goal is always one a year, but that doesn't always happen.  We have had some great trips...Disney, Maine, Wisconsin, Michigan, Tennessee, each one special in it own way.  We love to plan our trips, even small road trips are an adventure!  

9.  Dogs:  D loves her animals.  Princess was the first dog that I didn't want, but I couldn't say no to a dog that I knew she would love.  When she died, D's heart was broken.  Izzy is our wild child puppy that we hope will calm down, but until then the two of them roll around on the floor and act silly.

10.  Harry Potter:  She discovered the movies first.  One day she will discover how much more there is to love about the books.  Until then, she loves all things Potter.

11.  4H/Crafts/Pottery: D has been going to 4H since kindergarten as a mini 4Her.  She has learned to love photography and crafts because of her 4H projects.  Pottery is something that she discovered that she has a talent for and 4H has given her a place to show her work.  My guess is that some day she will have a "she shed" for all her crafting needs!

12.  Books:  I am a book lover...have been all my life. D finally discovered her love of books a few years ago.  She is an avid reader now and has books that she reads over and over.  The biggest problem that we have is finding space to store all our books!

That's it...D's 12 years, 12 things.  Tomorrow she will be an official teenager, but she will always be my baby girl.  I love the little girl that she was, I love the young lady that she is becoming, and I look forward to what the future holds for her!