Sweet 16!

Our oldest daughter turned 16 this week! Tori is such a dear child. She was such a good baby. I made sure to do everything "right" with her. Cereals first at 6 months followed by orange veggies ... you know the routine. She was so polite that at less than a year old, she would cover her mouth when she coughed. She never ripped the bows out that I put in her hair and by the time she was 5 I was begging her to wear jeans to school instead of a fancy dress.

Tori is a child with her own mind and although she cares so much about other people, I am most proud that she does not compromise herself in the process. She is so helpful at church in the nursery and loves to help in the 3+ month room the most. She is so good with the babies and they feel comfortable with her.

Tori is a blast to go shopping with! She is easy going and loves the coffee shop breaks the best. We took a road trip together this last fall to California with the two little ones. It was so much fun. Tori was the perfect road companion and we even managed to fit in a trip to a HUGE Forever 21 store in Sacramento where we found her a perfect Homecoming dress.

Tori is about to finish up her first quarter of college classes. I am so proud of her. I never dreamt of being able to attend college by my sophomore year of high school! I was so worried about homeschooling my kids and Tori was not easy to work with in the beginning. She struggled in math and reading ... what else was there? One day she decided that she didn't like being behind so she asked to use a harder book for math. I told her she could try but I figured we would be back in the old book soon. I couldn't have been more wrong! She began to whiz through her new book and never looked back.

When I see Tori with her dog Juliette, it reminds me how big her heart is. Juliette was rescued from the puppy mills that were shut down in a town near us. No one really knows how old Juliette is or how many litters of puppies she has had. If it wasn't obvious that she was mistreated by her low weight and horrible teeth, the fact that her bark had been removed was. None of that mattered to Tori, she just simply fell in love with her and hasn't stopped since.

Tori brings a variety to our family that we would be at a loss without. We are blessed that God gave us such a beautiful daughter with such a beautiful heart. I am so happy that she loves the Lord and desires to draw closer to him. I pray that you were blessed on your birthday Tori and that you have the most amazing year ever! Love you!!!!