We Have a Teenager!

 I always thought that I would feel so old when our kids were teenagers.  Well, the day has arrived for our first child to turn 13...and I don't feel old.  I still feel young.  I still feel clueless as a parent and like I have no idea what I'm doing.  I still feel like I'm pushing through every day, blindly, hoping that that I'm not ruining my kids.  I imagined myself as a wiser Mom at this point in time.  Am I wiser?  Perhaps.  Maybe I am increasing in wisdom very slowly and imperceptibly.  Slowly enough that I don't even notice.  Maybe when all of my kids are grown and gone I will be able to recognize how much I have grown over the years.  At least, I hope and pray that will be the case.  I would hate to make it that point in my life and still not be able to recognize my accomplishments or the growth that has occurred in me. I hope that I will be able to look back with no regrets.  Don't we all hope for that?

These pictures are out of order...

The kids doing school today.  I tire harder with Caitlyn today to make it fun for her.  She decorated a few posters to hang by her work space.  I'm looking forward for the other posters to come in.  William has been concentrating decently on his "school"...such a blessing.

William is such an artist!

Our beautiful teenager!  We love Lizzie.  I couldn't have hoped for a better oldest child.  She is so much better than I was at her age...and even now.  She is truly one of the strong and remarkable ones whom Heavenly Father preserved to come down to Earth at this precise point in time.  The last days.  I am looking forward to her receiving her patriarchal blessing so that I can see what the Lord has in store for her.  She's a gem.

She wanted homemade fried scones (Utah Scones) for breakfast.

Presents from Grandma Lisa and Grandpa Turley!

This gift is evidence of how good Lizzie is.  All that she wanted for her birthday was a Book of Mormon that she could write notes in.  A Journal Book of Mormon.  I don't know any other 13-year-old who asks for that gift!

  

It wasn't too eventful for her today, unfortunately.  We were stuck at home doing work and school.  She went out to eat with Daddy for dinner though, which was nice.  They went to B.J.'s.  It's tradition for Daddy to take the birthday child out for a meal.  I love that tradition!  I make the kids their breakfast of choice, and daddy takes them out.  Another tradition is to allow them to pick out whatever cake they want.  I attempt, to the best of my ability, to create the cake of their dreams...but they often turn into pinterest fails, ha ha.  But I enjoy trying and they have never complained...so it's a win for everyone.  When we were first married, I made Jon a birthday cake and then I thought it looked so bad that I threw it in the garbage, ha ha.  I have come a long ways as far as cooking and baking is concerned.  I'm still not the best, but I have no problem admitting that I have definitely improved since our early days of marriage.

Today, I was feeling just a little off.  A little sad.  A little anxious.  A little worried.  A little overwhelmed.  Especially when I think that the life that I'm living now will be the life that I will be living in one year from now.  I like having goals for growth...I'm having a hard time seeing how I am going to grow in this current circumstance.  I was feeling a little trapped today.  Well, tomorrow is a new day.  Things usually look better in the morning.