This girl of mine...

is thirteen today.

THIRTEEN? That's a teenager!?!? Can you believe it? Where DID the time go? Thirteen years (and one day) ago we drove through wet and rainy Portland streets with a one day old baby girl hoping for green lights all the way. She was fine as long as the car was moving but each time we stopped she made us wonder what we'd gotten ourselves into showed her displeasure. At the time I couldn't help but wonder if this was indicative of her personality. I am happy to report 13 years later that it was not. Miranda came to us possessing a wisdom and maturity beyond her years. When she was just 5 months old she and I were in a minor car accident. I experienced a case of whiplash and began having regular migraine headaches afterwards. At just 6 months old Miranda would sit next to me while I laid on the floor with my head under a pillow. She would sit for hours and look at books, pat my back and play quietly. I had no idea at the time how impossible rare that behavior is in a baby. I have never seen anything like it since. If I knew at the time what a lifelong passion for books and reading she would possess and how many hours this girl would spend reading it would have all made sense.

Miranda is truly a delight to have in my life. She is caring, witty, smart, funny, capable, responsible, loving and so much more. She can be fun and occasionally spontaneous, but usually likes to plan things (like hotel rooms) and have things go according to plan. Her favorites haven't changed a whole lot throughout the years. Her very favorite thing to do in the whole wide world is read. Miranda can easily tear through a thousand pages in a 24 hour period....and that includes at least 8 hours of sleeping along with other mundane activities. She re-reads many of her favorites to the point of memorization including the Harry Potter Series, The Sisters Grimm series and the Ramona books some littler kid books that I am probably not supposed to tell you that she still reads regularly. Miranda loves the colors blue and green in all shades, she plays the clarinet and piano, she has read both the Book of Mormon and the New Testament all the way through by herself (we are reading the New Testament right now as a family), she has a mean backstroke, she can be sweet and kind but not right now because she is thirteen...duh! and I'd trust her with just about anything important.
About a year ago at the age of just twelve years old she was called to be our branch chorister. She was selected for this calling because she can be depended on to show up prepared each and every week. She has only been late once or twice in that year and that is not her fault since she can't drive quite yet.

Of course she has her faults....we all do, but I'm not going to share them with you on her birthday. Instead Derek, the girls and I came up with 13 things that we love about Miranda. I printed them out and had each of 13 slips of paper put into 13 helium balloons so that she can pop each balloon and read the message inside. Miranda is hard to surprise so I hope this ends up being a highlight of her birthday. The balloons will accompany 13 peanut butter cups and 13 dollars. She is saving her money for something big so that is just about all she has asked for (cash and gift cards) for her birthday. Her big gift from Derek and I is a day with us in Fargo all to herself without sisters. We will spend the day any way she wants. This will no doubt include a trip to Barnes and Noble and likely the purchase of a hat. Yep she is predictable, but she is totally and utterly fabulous. I wouldn't want her to be any other way.

Happy Birthday to my sweet, wonderful, taller than me, totally awesome teenager.

I love you Miranda girl!

*Here is a link to a fun birthday post by Miranda's auntie (whose scanner works) with a fun look at Miranda through the years.