Look who's 13 today!

On August 11, 2009, our family officially has a teenager. Sarah, my sister Sara's step-daughter, hit a huge milestone in her life - the start of the teen years!! Wow, how can this be possible!?

Sarah, I have watched you grow up since you were a little 3 year old girl, blond-haired with the cutest freckles, and an infectious smile. Through these years you have grown into a young lady with a passion for God, and a sweet temperament towards others. You love to giggle about the boys, and though you might say "he is cute...." you adamantly stress to me that you don't "like" boys. You love to put on your make-up, and take 45 minutes to do your hair. You're a wonderful big sister to Evelyn, though you say she "gets on your nerves" at times (but all sisters do this ya know?). You're a sweet cousin towards the many that you have, and you love on the little ones with such tenderness. You and your cousin, Amanda, spend lots (did I say lots?) of time on the phone with each other, and enjoy spending time together sleeping over, etc; disagreements between the two of you are few and far between, but when they do happen, they resolve rather quickly (could it be that God is whispering in your ear?). You are a talented violinist, and have some smooth moves on the volleyball court (um, how bout invitin' me to a game sometime?). It's such a joy to have you in my life, and my heart swells when I can say "that's my niece"....Happy 13th Birthday, Sarah.

13 THINGS I REALLY LIKE ABOUT YOU:

1) Your smile

2) Your love of Jesus

3) Your tender heart

4) Your silliness

5) Your compassion for others

6) Your beautiful blond hair

7) Your desire to achieve

8) Your love for Evelyn

9) Your politeness towards others

10) Your love for your dad, and "big" Sara, too

11) Your love for your cousins

12) Your desire to learn

13) ....and having you as a blessing in my life - my niece