my newest seventeen-year-old

Today this girl turns SEVENTEEN:

…to this spunky toddler:

To this beautiful young lady so dang quickly?

Seventeen things I adore about this girl:

1)  Her eyes sparkle.  In fact, her whole countenance does.  It is one of my favorite things about her and it’s the kind of beautiful sparkle that can only come from a good soul.

2)  Hard worker.  I love that she knows how to work when she sets her mind to it…whether it’s at Old Navy or with random jobs around the house, or helping her little sisters, she’s good at it.

3)  This girl has spunk. She has the power to pump up our whole family with her antics and attitude …and that awesome sparkle in her eye, and love it!  Everything is more fun when Grace is around.

4)  She has the best hair and doesn’t even brag about it 😉

5)  She knows how to “be in the arena.”  She’s not afraid to try new things, from foods to experiences, and she’s learned so much from them all. 

6)  Her style.  Grace knows how to make anything look good, from styling things she picks up at Savers to pink hair 🙂

7)  She shines as the oldest child at home.  She steps up to any task with a smile and is such a great example to Claire and Lu.

8)  She’s a pretty phenomenal sister.  She makes things so fun for her little sisters, she’ll take them on dates or sit and talk with them for hours.  She makes them feel important.  She’ll reach out to support Max and Elle in everything they’re doing and is so genuinely excited for everything they do.

9)  Her cooking skills have blessed our lives…she can whip up so many tasty things.

10)  Her sense of humor is pretty sweet.

11)  She is the least picky eater in our family.  Hallelujah that we have someone who won’t turn their nose up at the most delicious delectable things, healthy and not-so-healthy alike 🙂

12)  Adventure is her thing.  From heading off with a group of people she doesn’t know to a different country (in a few weeks) to finding a great place to watch a sunset from the back of the truck, she is up for it.

13)  She knows beauty.  From how to do hair to make-up to styling, she just “gets” it.  I’m counting on her to figure out how to keep her mom presentable as she grows old.  Ha!  She knows the nature kind of beauty too and will point it out to us…oh, I love it.

14)  She is kind.  Even when it’s hard.

15)  Awareness.  She’s aware if I’m having a bad day, if friends need help, if she needs to step something up.  And she works hard to fix things.

16)  She knows God lives and loves Him.  She works on her relationship with Him.  As I’ve watched her try to get guidance in life she knows where to turn.  She’s willing to search through pondering and prayer for answers to things even when the going gets tough.

17)  She’s a good friend. Not only to her friends, but to her family.  She’s one of my very best friends.  I know most mothers can say that about their kids…of course they’re our best friends, right?  But Grace has an element of social maturity where we can have such good discussions and we can be pretty honest with each other and I treasure that.

Love you forever Grace-Jam!  I’m the luckiest lady to get to be your mother.