Ukraine Adoption

Sweet 16

I have been telling Tara's story for two years. But now, someone special in our lives has her own story to tell: My niece Caroline turns 16 this week. Sweet 16.

Let me tell you a little about her. She has always been a breath of fresh air, even as a little girl when she smiled and jumped up and down in her crib first thing in the morning. And when she sang songs and made up the words with such confidence. She would always act happy to see me, even when I lived far away and I wasn't sure if she would remember me.

Every holiday with Caroline has been like the Best Day Ever. She loves to celebrate and always makes you feel special. She sends me cards that tell me I'm a great aunt. When she was little and would spend the night at our house in the summer, I would love to see those small shoes by the front door, always something fancy or trendy. She would accidentally leave something in my house when she went home and I would love to look around and find it. We have a pink blanket right now that she left a few visits ago.

Now she is a beautiful young woman and we are all so proud of her. Austin and Tara love when she visits. She has so many friends that we can't even keep track. I love when she tells me stories about friends and boys and school and pom poms. We laugh at her teen sarcasm. We watch in amazement at her ability to juggle her social life.

Her mother, my sister, did a good job for the last 16 years and she should celebrate too. Raising children is one of the most challenging and rewarding jobs in the whole world.

So this week we celebrate Caroline. We have had so much fun watching her grow up. And we know that the years ahead will be even more amazing. Happy Birthday to our dear Caroline, Sweet 16.