Eighteen Years - Celebrating Tenant #1!

I can't even.

I mean, how am I writing a post about my daughters 18th birthday?

How has this happened so quickly?

I remember, about 13 years ago, sitting in church, wrestling with four rowdy kids (all under the age of 6) and feeling frazzled, and tired, and anxious, and so, so overwhelmed.  After the meeting, a man who had patiently endured the trial of sitting in front of us, turned around, looked me straight in the eyes, and said, "Cherish this time.  It'll be over before you know it."  

Perhaps sensing that I wasn't quite buying it, his wife chimed in, "Yes. You really are living your future 'Good old days.'" I can not tell you how many times I have thought of that conversation throughout the course of this girls life. 

💛In my most anxious moments, I've tried to remember ... these are the "good ol' days."

💚That night I went downstairs to check on her and found that she had cried herself to sleep again (curse you junior high drama) ...the good ol' days.

💙The day she got behind the car for the first time and we ended up ON someone's front lawn, high centred on a pile of snow... the good ol' days.

💜The blue hair, and the purple hair, and the dark brown, but shaved hair... the good ol' days. 

💛The hours she's spent shut in her room reading, and painting, and sewing, and sometimes studying...the good ol' days. 

💚First dates, school dances, good days, bad days, great games, and all the firsts she's had along the way...all a part of our "good old days."

I hope she knows that the past 6570 days (and counting) really have been so, so good, and we are so in awe of who this girl is becoming. It was never her job to make us proud, but she certainly has.

For her birthday week, we made a "girls trip" to Lethbridge (crazy, I know;) and a late night caper out to the "White Church," which is something we've always wanted to do.

 

Apparently this is something everybody around here does at some point, and it is best done late at night?

I'd better be honest and admit that we went on her birthday, but ended up being too spooked to get out of the truck, which is soo not very "Carpe Noctem" of us.

We made a brave return to the White Church the next day, just before the sun went down. 

Happy Birthday, Abby!

Welcome to life as an adult. 

It's about to get wild!!