Another Milestone Birthday

I have an 18 year old daughter.  I have an 18 year old daughter.  I have and 18 year old daughter....

No matter how many times I tell myself, I still can't believe my oldest is 18 years old.  It won't be long and she will be off on her own at college.  People ask me all the time if this makes me sad.  I tell them that the only thing worse than her leaving for college would be if she weren't leaving for college!

What I mean is, while it is sad to think that she is leaving and growing up, at least she is leaving to BYU and growing up to be such a wonderful young lady.  It would be much harder if she had no direction, didn't want to go to college and continued to hang around home refusing to become a responsible adult.

Kennedy has worked so hard her entire life to get where she is today.  I still remember her coming home from school and asking me which would look better on her BYU application, being Mayor or  Governor of her 2nd grade class!  We learned quickly that we didn't need to say anything to her if one of her grades could improve, because she had already beat herself up over it enough.  She is driven and motivated because it is important to her to succeed.  It is hard to be too sad over a child like that...even if she is 18.

Scott let her drive his car all day for her birthday.  She was grateful for a day off from the beat up suburban with a family sticker on the back window!

We took her to Stardust Diner for a huge breakfast and presents.  Her favorite gift was something she had been hinting at for quite awhile.  Red cowboy boots of course!  She wanted a pair of red ones to wear with her cap and gown for graduation.

As much as I love planning birthday parties for my kids, I told them I am done after their 16th party.  All they want to do at that point anyway is hang out.  All of my creative efforts are wasted on a bunch of ungrateful teenagers so after age 16 they are on their own.  The thing Kennedy has done is invite a bunch of friends to have dinner with her at a restaurant of her choice.  Instead of bringing the gifts, the girls pay for their own dinner and they have a great time going out all by themselves.  Kennedy chose "The Screen Door" restaurant in Portland because they have fabulous southern cooking!  The girls knew they had better come dressed the part for this country girl's party!