Happy Birthday, Kylee!

 Happy 17th birthday to Kylee today!

It's been a BIG year for our girl.  She made National Honor Society.  She passed her Seal of Biliteracy exam for Spanish.  She has maintained her 4.0.  She ran at the Drake Relays AND State track and is part of the school record-holding team 4x800 time. She went through The Walk at our church and publicly declared her faith.  She volunteered countless hours for FCA and also at youth group. She has been working full time as a nanny all summer long.  She went on a Mission trip to California, a cross country retreat (where she was the only one who knew how to waterski) and family vacations to Nevis and Switzerland where she enjoyed meeting people from all over the globe.

On paper, it's been amazing. In real life, she's navigated some pretty serious ups downs with friends and her (ex) boyfriend. She's dealt with some tough pain in hips and knees- running is not a very friendly sport for your body. She spent the better part of track season in physical therapy. She puts immense pressure on herself in her school work. The standards she sets for herself have become nearly impossible to maintain.

Something in Kylee has shifted over the last few months.  She's always been an old soul, but she's growing and changing in ways that are hard to put into words. I'm just so thankful to have a front row seat watching this girl become such an amazing, ambitious young woman. 

Her social life has completely blossomed these last couple months and we find her almost never at home.  I am thankful for all her different friend groups and especially thankful for a couple very close friends she's been able to count on lately.  Here they are at the drive in movie! She has also turned into a total lake girl this summer, heading up there any chance she gets.  

Kylee gets noticed everywhere she goes. She and I were together in Switzerland when someone walked past us, full stopped and turned around to walk back to us, "You have such a gorgeous smile!" the lady said.  And needless to say, guys notice her all.the.time.  She plays it off so well and is gracious and has learned how to respectfully decline giving out her Snap to guys she meets on vacation or elsewhere.  This skill will serve her well.

She is more often than not assumed to be much older than she is both in looks and actions.  I remember our pediatrician laying the groundwork for preparing her/us for this when she was so very little and was able to speak so very well- stringing together full sentences at a very young age.  "People will think she's older than she is.  Make sure your expectations of her and others' expectations of her match her actual age." And that has stuck with me year after year. 

Honestly? She's the total package.  Smart, strong, driven, beautiful and most importantly happy.  It is certainly not always easy but Kylee never seems to shy away from taking the road less traveled if she feels certain it's the right path for her. She and I have had some conversations where I encourage her to do one thing and she does the complete opposite and in the end, it turns out exactly as she hoped.  She has such a strong sense of self and I believe that comes from her strong faith.  The amount of time she spends in the Bible both alone and with friends is admirable and inspiring. God certainly knew what he was doing when he gave this girl to us.  She's really something special.  

We love you so much Kylee and can't wait to celebrate you today!