Fabulously Fourteen!

Happy birthday, sweet child of mine!  Oh, Hannah Linn, you are growing much too quickly. Please, stop it right now!!!!!    My mind is flooded with amazing memories of you.  Fourteen years ago today you entered the world and our lives have forever changed for the better.  You were the most gorgeous curly-blond-headed baby in the nursery.  I know, because every nurse told me so.  You are still the most gorgeous curly-blond-headed baby girl that I know!

I want to remember exactly how you are on your 14th birthday, so here are 14 wonderful things about wonderful you:



1. Growing much too quickly! This time last year, you were 5'10" tall.  I am now looking up to you and we are guessing that you are nearly 6 feet tall.  I can't wait to measure you tonight!

2. You finished your second official basketball season with the Junior High Buffs and wow what a season it has been! You have improved so, so much this year. We have marveled at your ability to really play the game but your humble heart as well, even when you have scored 21 points in a game.

3. I love it that after your games, you find me in the stands and always give me a hug. Please, don't ever stop! It's one of my favorite parts of the game!  But, now when you hug me, my head is on your shoulder and I'm looking up to you.

4. You can be a star athlete, who always gives her best effort, and an A honor roll student too. Your teachers always have good things to say about you and that fills me with all kinds of joy!

5. You have one of the kindest hearts I know.  The children in our Elevate class at church adore you.  Just last week Nicholas came running in the classroom and jumped in your arms.  He was so happy to see you!

6. You love the Lord with all of your heart. I love to hear you pray as you talk to your Heavenly Father about absolutely everything.

7. You are a true friend. You have the incredible wisdom to be able to tell your friends what you think about a matter, settle conflicts with ease, and still remain friends in the end. Please, tell me your secret!

8. You are so stinkin' funny!  Just last week you were dancing to Dance Central on the XBox Kinect.  You were dancing to a weird song that says something about, "Hey Mommy, you sexy!"  So about two times a day, you will sing it for me.  And you always end it in laughter. You are a funny girl!   

9. You are the best little sister in the entire world! As I drove you home from your basketball game Monday night, I told you about some issues Rachel is having with a punk boy at school and you were ready to jump into action for your sister.  Instead, you told me about a wonderful paper you wrote at school that day.  Your teacher asked you to write about someone that you admired...and you wrote about your Rachel.  You explained that it was the easiest paper you had ever written and that you would have written more than two pages but your teacher only wanted two pages.  I am so looking forward to reading this paper.  When you got home, you told your sister all about it and I quickly snapped this picture above.  I love the relationship you sisters have.

10. You are the student council president this year and you have had such a blast helping to plan the dances and organize things.  Just this week you helped sell Valentine hearts.  The hearts were 25cents each and you bought enough hearts, with your own money to spell out :  Happy Birthday Shelby and Nat. who also share your same birthday.  (Each heart contained a single letter.)  The money raised goes to support Cystic Fibrosis research.  You told me that you helped sell the 500th heart. 

11. You have an incredible voice and hope to try out for American Idol one day.  Keep dreaming big dreams for your life because your family and your Heavenly Father do too!

12. You have started wearing a bit more makeup this year.  I taught you how to line your beautiful blue eyes to really make them pop and you like to wear a little mineral makeup.  You are so beautiful with and without makeup!

13.  Your favorite foods right now are still hamburgers-plain and dry, Dr. Pepper (you just might be a Baylor girl one day), and Baby Ruth candy bars, and honey buns. You ate a King Kong double meat burger last week and finished the whole thing.  I don't know how you did it...but you loved every bite. 

14.  You can rock your cowgirl boots like no one I know. 

I have so many, many more things to write, but I'll close for now. Fourteen things for your 14th birthday. You are the heart of my heart, apple of His eye, and one of the daughters that I hoped and prayed that I would have. The Lord has blessed us indeed! Happy birthday baby girl!