You, my brown eyed girl....

Today is my daughter Clara's 13th birthday... Clara is my (not so) mini me, she is my only brown eyed child, and she looks just like I did when I was her age!! She has a sweet, caring heart, she is always very empathetic and a good friend to all. I don't think there was a year in Elementary school where she didn't win an award for Citizenship, and has just recently been chosen by her middle school principal to be one of a handful of mentors at the elementary school... And she is a funny character, too!! She makes us laugh, and masters impressions like no one I have ever seen!!

When she was about three years old, she looked at a picture of our wedding (where my husband was wearing his dress blues) and said: "Mommy looks so pretty, with a pink dress, and pink shoes, and flowers in her head, and daddy.... Daddy is going to work!!"

A few years later, she cracked me up with this naive statement: "When I turn 18, I can do whatever I want... With your permission!"

Not only is she a wonderful person, she is a smart cookie (straight A student and a member of the National Junior Honor Society), and a great athlete! This last school year, she was the only seventh grader in her school (even among the boys) to meet all six presidential fitness standards!!!

Tuesday is the first day of school for her brother and sisters (she is the only one starting Wednesday), and I am looking forward to spending the day with her... I have a fun day planned for us! Happy birthday, sweetie, I love you so much and I am so proud of you!!!