Tayler is 14!

    Phooey!

People are aging at our house again.
Take this little thing for example...

Somehow on July 1st she turned 14...

(I'm guessing I had you all confused because you were thinking that baby was Lydia, and yes she pretty much looks identical to Tayler...  the only difference being that Tayler was a chunk... what she weighed at 6 months...  20 lbs 15 oz is what Lydia weighed at her 18 month appointment.  Other than that total de ja vu for me at LEAST once a day!!)

There is something extra special about that first child...

she's the one who made us parents...

the one that we experienced the "firsts" with first... 

the one we got to watch be the first big sister...

the one we made our first mistakes with...

the one who humbled us...

Basically the one that we get to practice on first so that we hopefully have it down by the 5th...  :)

Tayler is one of my best friends I love having conversations with her...

I love that she isn't that typical teenager {yet} that we keep being warned about...  :)

I love that she tells me to TELL her when she becomes that teenager we've been warned about...

I love what an awesome big sister she is...

I love that she loves those sisters more than anything in this world...

I love that we can laugh and cry together...

I love that she is a good friend...

I love that she has always been the peacemaker in our home...

I love that she has such a happy attitude and rarely ever complains...

I love that she is so responsible and an awesome student...

I love that she is beautiful inside and out...

I love that she has a testimony...

I love that she is having a great time at EFY this week, yet she misses her family even when she is sleeping at home...

Tay I basically love EVERYTHING about you!!

There is no doubt that I am a better person because of you.

You can be assured that we had party stuff going on at our house this particular weekend.

Presents from her family...

Fireworks that night...

and a party with her friends the next night.

Unfortunately I still need to gather pictures from the big "event" but it turned out to be lots of fun...

an amazing race.

We put together around 15 things that 3 different car loads of girls had to do, in an allotted amount of time, some were...

*Buy fries at Carls Jr. and eat them.

*Wash the car

*count the steps on Old Main Hill

*Go to the mall and take a picture in the photo booth

*buy a drink out of a pop machine and drink it

*do a sudoku puzzle

*get 7 strangers together to sing happy birthday to Tayler

*use a poster from the back of the car and write something that will get 5 cars to honk at you.

*Cross the rope swing

etc.etc.etc

I think everyone had a fun time!

Once back at our house there was a game of 6's (thanks missy for the idea!)

Present opening...

and of course cake and ice cream.

I think she was happy.

And that's what she deserves!

Tayler we are grateful that you are our "first".

I know that you feel a lot of responsibility, you always have.  I remember when you were about 8 years old you said, "I wish I wasn't born first because then I wouldn't have to do everything right so that my sisters won't do things wrong."

Those 4 little sisters are extra lucky to have you... and they'd have an awfully hard time finding a better example than you!

Happy Birthday!

We love you Tayler!