My oldest daughter

In honor of my oldest daughter's 16th Birthday this month, here are 10 things I love about her.

1. Her smile. She smiles with her whole face. Often. When she was little her Dad called her clown eyes. Her smile is contagious too, you just can't be in a bad mood around her.

2. Her hair. She has great hair. dark brown with natural highlights and really thick with amazing curls. I also love that even though super straight hair is in style with the girls at her school, she seldom straightens hers.

3. She loves talking with and getting to know adults as much as kids. Ever since she was little and we would go to a party or shower of some sort, more often than not she would be hanging out with the adults.

4. When she was about 10 and we would be at a store like Target, she would always go to the baby section and look at all the baby stuff. She even lately has started asking me to buy her things for her babies someday, when she sees something she realy likes. At first I thought it was weird, but now I guess she just knows what she wants from life. And being a Mom someday is so important to her.

5. She also has most details of her wedding all planned out.  Her colors, music, unique things she wants to do at her reception......She wants to have a candy table at her reception with cute little boxes for people to fill up and take home, so whenever we are at thrift stores she always heads to the section of dishes and looks for a cute dish, jar or bowl.

6. She is really loud. When she was little she had this loud, crazy, obnoxious laugh. I would always say, try and laugh like a lady.
 (I know. I am so annoying)
I have since given up on that and learned to just embrace her loudness.

7. She puts others first. She shares everything and always so willingly (Is that a word?) She cares about figuring out her friends problems and helping them, even though she may be struggling with something herself. She roots with her whole heart for a sister who is better at a sport that she just happens to love herself.

8. She asks for my advice. I know this is huge. And not just for things like school work or family issues, but real things like boys and her friends. She not only asks, but takes it. uses it. And thanks me for it when the outcome is good.

9. She flirts with boys. I love this about her because I was scared to death of boys when I was a teenager, and sometimes being scared of something alters your decision making. She's not scared. She's not scared to flirt. She's not scared to tell how she feels. She's not scared to tell a boy her parents said she couldn't date him. She's not scared to say don't talk to me like that.

10. She gets me. We laugh at the same things. We read eachothers minds. She knows when I'm mad without having to tell her. She knows I love details and always offers them before I can ask. She gets my humor, when no one else does.

  Me and My oldest daughter!