I realized that I hadn't posted about Abby's birthday. I can't believe she's 19! Such a wonderful young lady! And one of my best friends! I remember my teen years and I was nothing like the young women in my house. Praise the Lord, they are different! They are fun and intelligent, a joy to be with, thoughtful and kind. I only have ONE check and that is...they are getting older and will one day want to get married. They will leave the home and I will have to learn to create a new normal again. Ugh. I dread the thought. But, for now, I'll just enjoy them. All of them.
Abby is a lot like me when I was her age...headstrong and confident, ready to take on the world. But she has a softer side than I did. She's also fiercely loyal and dedicated and I am fortunate that she counts me as one of her best friends. She had a hard time with her birthday this year and didn't want to celebrate. I admit, I wasn't really in a festive mood, either. But we changed some things up and enjoyed the day. We did gifts in a different way...the old, normal way was too painful.
Then, instead of celebrating at home, we headed out with some friends to play laser tag and ride go-karts. It was a much needed break from reality. The competitiveness abounded, which made for a lot of fun!
The fun turned into a pretty late night, but we'd do it all over again. Thanks to all our dear friends who came out to help us celebrate!