Happy Birthday T!!!

Nov. 19, 1997; 8 lbs 1 oz

I can't believe it has been 14 years since T was born!!!  In a way, it seems like a lifetime ago...we were so young and unprepared for parenthood!!  But in other ways, I feel like she can't possibly be a teenager, in high school!!  She should still be my little girl!!

T was a special child from the beginning.  She was totally unexpected, but the best surprise ever!  She changed the hearts and lives of so many people. 

She turned R from an unmotivated guy with no plans for his future, to a man on a mission to provide for his little family, no matter what it took!!

She brought out the best in my parents.  I saw them love her in a way I had never seen!!  I know they loved me growing up...but they thoroughly ENJOYED this little girl!!  She was the apple of their eyes...and still is in a lot of ways!

T was born on her due date.  She arrived after only about 10 hours of labor, healthy and happy!  She was such a fun baby...happy, playful, content...and we got comments from strangers everywhere we went with her!  She was a great baby, and made parenting fun....most of the time!  The every-2-hour-around-the-clock-nursing was a little NOT fun for me! : )  She would go to strangers, stay with family, and was happy at home with us.  She just really was happy all the time, as long as she was fed!

Fast forward 14 years...and the T we have today!  She has been through a lot in her 14 years, and I definitely think those things have shaped who she is.  She has moved to different schools 8 times; she has endured her Daddy being deployed two times; she has had to leave friends and family behind so many times...and it never gets easier!!  She has welcomed a brother and sister into her family...and both of those changed our family dynamic in soooo many ways!

T is CRAZY talented!!  She is artistic, and can draw things I couldn't even imagine drawing!!  She can play the piano like a pro...after less than a year of lessons and lots of hours in her room at the piano!  She has taught herself how to play numerous songs, just by listening to them over and over again.

She is super smart, too!  She has done so well in school, even with all the changes in her school career.  And when she doesn't do well, it is more a lack of desire than intelligence!

She is a collector!!  She has numerous items that are very special to her...that she has picked up along this journey; and while I don't like the clutter, these things are important to her!

She loves animals!!  The love of her life so far has been a big yellow dog!!  She loved her more than anything!!  She is also pretty crazy about a certain kitty that lives in her room!!  She shows affection to animals that we never see directed at us! : )

She is very shy!!  She hates speaking in groups, or to people she doesn't know.  Her crazy, outgoing Daddy can't understand this at all...but I do!! 

So all that to say, T is turning into a fine young woman.  We are so proud to call her our daughter!  She isn't your typical teenager...and we like it that way just fine!  She amazes us with her creativity and talent...I can't wait to see how she uses them in her future!!

For her birthday, she chose to spend the day at an art museum, and then dinner out.  We found a great Art Museum in Stuttgart, and admission was free!!  We spent a couple of hours there, and she had a great time!  Then on to dinner at the restaurant of her choice...she chose a place callled Casa Del Sol...it is supposed to feel very American...but didn't really to us.  She had schnitzel, and LOVED it, so it was a successful dinner!  Then we came home and had cake to top off the day!!  It was a great day, celebrating a great girl!

The museum in Stuttgart

Dinner!!  Schnitzel mit pommes!!

We ALL had plenty to eat! : )

The "disaster"!!  The cakes wouldn't come out of the pans...they fell apart...so I had to put them back together (in the pan) and cover them with frosting!! : (  I've never destroyed a birthday cake before, and I have done much more difficult cakes than just a homemade chocolate cake with chocolate frosting!  I felt horrible!!  But, they tasted GREAT...and T was very forgiving!! : )

We love you, T!  We had a wonderful day celebrating YOU!!  We can't imagine life without you, and we can't wait to see what the future has in store for you!!  We can't promise fewer changes in your life, but we can promise that we will continue to be there with you through them all!!