Today she’s 16!  My baby girl is 16.  She isn’t supposed to grow up — she’s the baby! 

Today she is  16 and is now a licensed driver.  I watched her drive off today in that bright red jeep and she was so excited.  In that moment I realized that she is more young woman than little girl and that beautiful young woman is ready to embrace her life.  She’s so ready to fly, but I don’t think I’m ready for this little one to leave the nest. 

I better get ready, she’s 16 and it seems like just yesterday she was this little girl

What baby sweetness!!

What baby sweetness!!

 Sweet bunny face!!

Sweet bunny face!!

Wasn’t it just yesterday that my living room was the place where she and sissy danced, played, laughed, and fought.  Where did the days go? 
 
Cowgirls!!   

Cowgirls!!

 
 
  Wasn’t it just a couple of years ago when my girls played in sprinklers?
 
Bathing beauties --with some stylin' hair 

Bathing beauties --with some stylin' hair

Don’t you just love my mad hair fixing skills? Is it any wonder that my oldest decided to be a hair stylist? Bless their hearts, Mom is just hair fixing challenge.

She is growing up and drives ALL BY HERSELF, but she still loves her Daddy (although his mustache has shrunk)

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She still sports a bit of this ‘hand on hip’ attitude.

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Sixteen years ago a blue eyed girl came into my world just screaming her little head off.  She was mad and wanted the world to know it.  She stole my heart at that moment.  All cute and cuddly, my little baby girl with the bright blue eyes and gorgeous blonde hair is all grown up.  She’s  ready to gain some independence from her Mom and Dad.  She’s ready to test her wings  and we’ll let her go (just a little).  Not because we want to, but because it’s time.   We’ve been through this before  — the 16 year old and the car, but it’s much harder this time.  We know that this is her first step to independence.  We know that in just a couple of years she’ll head out for college.  We know what to expect — less time with her.  It’s harder because she is our baby. 

The little girl who stole my heart 16 years ago today still has it– and it goes with her every time she drives away in that red jeep! 

  She is smart, funny, and beautiful and my prayer is that she continues to lean on her Daddy (and me, too), but most of all I pray that she will look to the Lord to guide her. 

Lord, she’s yours. She always was.  Thank you for the pleasure and the joy we get from having her in our lives.  She is our blonde blessing! 

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