Today Elle turned NINETEEN YEARS OLD.

This is me saying enough is enough, quit growing up, will you?


And I can’t let the day finish without writing how much I love that girl.  Here are my 19 things for August 12th:

1)  She goes with the flow.  Easy to please.
2) Low maintenance.  Her favorite store is Savers (second-hand store) and that’s where she buys her clothes.  She didn’t ask for a single thing for her birthday (I wish she would have, would have made my job easier, but just illustrating my low-maintenance point 🙂
3)  She radiates an inner beauty that people are drawn to, and as they draw close to her, she doles out light and goodness that just keeps replenishing.
4)  I love hearing her voice on FaceTime when she’s away at college.  She is full of questions and love for her little sisters…and for me and Dave too.
5)  She asks good questions.
6)  She’s socially so aware.  She knows when someone is sad or frustrated or conflicted and she has a knack for knowing what to do to help remedy a myriad of situations.  I know this from first-hand experience countless times when I’ve been the frustrated one all in a huff.
7)  She’s an adventurer.  Her eyes light up when she thinks of a new one to take, just like her mother 🙂
8)  I love how hard she works when she has a job to do.  She knows how to focus and get the job done.
9)  She studies hard.  And works her tail off.  Which leads to good grades.  Which leads to college scholarships.  Which is good any way you look at it.
10)  She is a saver. 
11)  Her sense of style is on point.
12)  She’s a great conversationalist.  I love watching her engage with those around her whether they be little kids or grandparents.
13)  When she shares her thoughts about the gospel and the Savior I can feel it deep in my heart.
14)  She has an eye for beauty.  I love how she sees the world and captures it in her photography.
15)  One of my favorite valentine’s hearts (the hearts we put up in our kitchen each Valentine’s Day) was one Max wrote about Elle.  He said, “she is humble even though she has a lot to brag about.”  And I totally agree with that boy of mine.  
16)  She doesn’t care what anyone else thinks, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, or kind, or good.
17)  She is an artist!  She found that out in her drawing class this year and surprised herself with how much she loves it.
18)  She loves and respects her parents.  And is grateful for everything we do.  Which means the world to the parents.
19)  She is “going confidently the direction of her dreams” and “living the life she has imagined” as Henry David Thoreau encouraged, and I love watching where those dreams take her.

Love you forever baby girl!

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