Happy Sweet 16 to Our Principessa

Happy, happy, happy 16th birthday to our favorite girl in the world!

Yesterday I gave Maggie a hug and said "It's your last day being 15!" and she said "Yeah, I already feel 16 though" and we laughed because she has ALWAYS seemed older than she is.  She has always been tall for her age, wise beyond her years, more mature than most of the boys put together, and a dependable, loyal and fun daughter/sister/cousin/friend.  

After years spent praying for a sister, Maggie has thoroughly settled into her role as only girl, and looks forward to having lots of sisters-in-law in the future.  She loves her girl friends fiercely and considers her girl cousins sisters.

She juuuuust passed me in height at 5'8" and had a record varsity volleyball season and just made the varsity basketball team this week!  When we remember how clumsy she was as a little girl, we are very impressed with how her athletic abilities have grown!  Seriously that girl was always falling down and her knees have the scars to prove it :)

Maggie can make friends with anyone and is often sought out to sit next to at lunch as she welcomes all who haven't *quite found* their friend group yet.  Maggie excels academically in high school, and works hard to keep her grades up.  Teachers and coaches love her because she is polite and gives her all.  

She often complains that she "is definitely for real going to fail a test today" and then gets a 98.  She also likes to declare that she is going to clean her room, then takes a 2 hour nap instead.  She imitates her mother by rage-cleaning the house because "nobody does anything around here!" but then calms down as each space is made orderly. I mean, what would a daughter be without a little drama and sass?  Boring, that's what and Maggie is far from that.  

She's everything I could have ever dreamed a daughter to be. The perfect blend of girly and tomboy, the helpful attitude that will also not be taken advantage of, the mix of wanting to be a mom to lots of babies but also wanting to do great things with the gifts God has given her.  She recently said she would like to help in a pregnancy crisis center and would love a career doing something for the pro-life cause.  Just by watching her be thrown into a job at the ice cream shop and hit the ground running, I know she will be great at any career she chooses.  She is a go-getter and a boss who leads by example.  

There are so many times when I look over at Maggie and dread the day she will no longer be living under our roof because I just don't know what our family will look like without her in it.  We are so incredibly blessed by the gift of our sweet Maggie in the Middle.  Happy birthday principessa!  We hope you feel as loved and special as you make all of us feel every day.