Madeline's Sweet Sixteen

 

Happy 16th birthday to our Madeline Grace!  It seems like yesterday that you were our little bitty girl dancing around the house with your fly away blonde hair! Time marches on and here you are all grown up!  You have lived up to your name "Grace" as you have been so easy to raise.  We chose the name Grace because you were born after a "stormy" season of life.  Your grandma had just come through breast cancer surgery and daddy had a pretty big job change. You were such a ray of sunshine and God's gracious gift to our family!  McKenzie wanted a sister so badly!  I'll never forget when I took her to an appointment with me she was in awe and kept saying, "I just can't believe it!"  You two are as different as night and day and have always been so close.

 

 

  Madeline had geometry class early on her birthday morning.  Her daddy always takes her and I pick her up.  She was treated to coffee with her daddy on the way to class, and when I picked her up we went to Panera for smoothies!  The day was a little rough because we had a "sickie" in the house.  Malachi had vomited during the night before.  My girls don't just not like stomach bugs, they try to avoid them like the plague!  Everyone was downing a spoonful of honey with fresh garlic in it and drinking fresh rosemary tea.

 

 We had to take her picture by the daffodils.  The tradition began when I was in labor with her and went for a walk in our neighborhood.  I picked a handful of daffodils and put them in a vase.  Every birthday since, we have picked daffodils and had them in the house on her birthday.

 

A little "M" baby trivia.  Madeline was born on 3-3.  Since then we have had a 1-1 and a 2-2!  McKenzie's is on the 4th, but it is June! :)

 
I wanted to get some pictures done on her birthday but it was really bright and bothering her eyes.  Hopefully, McKenzie will be taking some good pictures of her this spring!

She requested steak sandwiches, homemade fries and salad for supper and chocolate cheesecake for dessert!  It was SO good! :)

Our tiny family!  I'm used to the seven standing together on birthdays!  Malachi and Macheus were in the bed.

 

                            Myles is always ready for a party! :)

I think she was growing weary of the camera!

We started the tradition  of getting a hope chest on their 16th birthday with McKenzie.  Madeline fell in love with an antique hope chest last fall.  We went ahead and bought it and obviously couldn't hide something like that.  I wanted her to have some surprises on her birthday so we got her some things to go in her chest and some new spring things.

Poor Malachi.... he watched "present time" from afar!

It was 10:00 at night and I realized I hadn't taken a picture with her for her birthday!  We were both looking pretty rough but I wanted it for posterity sake! :)

 

 Madeline, I am so thankful to have you as a daughter.  I know these years can be hard and sometimes lonely.  I am thankful that you are willing to stand alone, but I also know that it isn't always fun to be "different".  I love that you love the Lord and His truths more than you love being popular.  I have watched you go from being a little girl with lots of friends to a young lady that has realized that true friends are very hard to find.  I always pray for you like I did McKenzie that one day you will find a true friend.  I pray that you will always keep your sweet, sensitive spirit and your positive outlook on life.  I love you!

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9