14!

Wow...Sophie is 14 years old now.  She is also officially taller than me.  That just boggles my mind (not the "taller than me" part...that was inevitable, but my jaw is still on the floor to think I have a 14 year old).  Sophie's birthday was pretty low-key this year.  We didn't do a birthday party.  I figure after 12, you're kind of out of party mode.  We might do something for her 16th birthday, because that is a biggie, but this year we did family stuff.  Sophie is very much into fashion and so all she wanted for her birthday was clothes.  We went shopping, shopping, shopping.  She also got to go to her first church dance (the starting age for those is....14).  She had a great time and 7 boys asked her to dance.  I love that she counted.  It's so sweet...just like she is.

I love Sophie's enthusiasm and the thrill she gets from simple things in life.  Her smile and joy are contagious.  I am so lucky to have such a caring, kind, honest, responsible, fun-loving daughter.  I love to be around her. 

She begged and begged and BEGGED me to home-school her this year and I really did not want to do it.  After-all, Phillip started kindergarten and it would have been my first taste of "freedom".  But, after much prayer and thought and discussion with other home-schoolers, we decided to give it a shot.  I'm so glad we did.  I like to say this is the best decision I never made, because it was really Sophie's initiative that got this ball rolling, but I have fully benefited from it.  It is a joy to be around her and I love our time together.  I imagine that once we get out to Colorado, she will go to high-school, and before I know it, she will be off to college.  I will always cherish this year that we have had together!