Too Bad 'Sweet' Isn't In Front of 17

Happy birthday to me

It's a party of three

Everyone else is in Maui

So now it's just us three

Today I turn seventeen.

That sentence has been staring me in the face for the past few weeks. I feel like a deer stuck in the middle of the road watching a semi barrel down the highway at full speed.

"What on earth! I'm not old enough to be seventeen yet! I still like to color (stress reliever, ok?), play with my model horses, and pretend that mom is still taller than me." 

It's been a great year though.

Mom, the littles (Ava, Gabe, Mia), and Lydia are all in Maui. A little bird told me they'd celebrate on the beach for me. We (Dad, Christian, and I) will be meeting them in a few days. Oh wait, that's like, in four days...I gotta pack soon!

One of the traditions we have for birthdays is, Mom and Dad will take the lucky person out for breakfast. Seeing as how Mom wouldn't be here, they came and asked me if I would rather have breakfast before Mom left, have Dad and Christian take me to breakfast, or just wait until we arrived in Maui. Well, since it's not everyday I get a chance to eat breakfast in Maui, I chose that option. :)

We celebrated both Mia's and my birthdays last Sunday at Gramma's pool. Then went out to On The Border last night before coming home for leftover cake and ice-cream from Mia's birthday, and watching Thor.

What happened at age 16:

I got more adventurous with a cookie recipe, and have successfully forgotten to write down what I do. Multiple times.

I learned how to fly-fish.

I've reined in my temper quite a bit (music does wonders).

I've discovered a new appreciation for non-contemporary music.

I learned that writing can actually be fun!

I found lots of lovely blogs with great advice and book recommendations.

I made my blog.

I got closer to God.

I got closer to my family.

I discovered that, even though I am still an introvert, I missed spending time with my fellow classmates, and am very glad to be seeing some of them at Speech and Debate.

I joined Speech and Debate.

I spent less time on Pinterest, and more time reading, writing, and plotting. (I still get on, on occasion, but it's mostly for writing prompts, inspiration, maybe if I need a few laughs, speech and debate related things, senior pic ideas etc.)

I got maybe just a teensy-weensy, itty-bitty more outgoing and less-shy.

I did a lot of things I don't remember at the moment, that somehow developed my character.

Such as, accidentally staying up way later (earlier?) than I'd like to admit so that I could finish a book.

I still haven't had a fender-bender yet, even though I've had my driver's permit for over a year. *pumps fist* (sorry Lydia, I just had to gloat a bit)

I think I've stayed home alone with my younger siblings without Lydia more times than I did when I was 15...

I've gotten way more sarcastic.

I saw Tarzan for the first time. (Weird, I wasn't allowed to see The Little Mermaid, Hercules, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mulan, or Pocahontas, but I was able to see The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miz, The Hobbit, LOTR, Narnia, and National Treasure.)

Oooh! I've also gotten to determine when I go to bed, for the most part.

*checks watch* ehh, speaking of, I should probably at least go upstairs and actually get in bed...

Good night! Err, morning!

~Chloe