We have a teenager!

 

Thirteen years ago today, we became parents. It seems as if it was just yesterday that I was holding my six pound daughter in my arms, and now she's entering her final year of middle school. She's a little over five feet tall. I'm not sure when she'll reach her full height, but she can already wear my shoes. I was absolutely thrilled the day I found out I was expecting a baby in November 2007, and I've been extremely grateful that she has been our daughter for the past thirteen years. I look forward to seeing her grow in the years to come. Her current plan is to serve on Mercy Ships off the coast of Africa for a year after she graduates from high school. I realize her plans could change over the next five years, but I love her heart for serving others even if it would pain me to have her live that far away. We typically haven't done much in terms of birthday celebrations, but I've tried to do more this year because it seems like a big birthday. Yesterday her friend Jill joined us at Montage Mountain water park and Sky Zone trampoline park. Today after the kids are done with their fishing and kayaking program, we're having dinner at Bonanza (her choice). She'll have her breakfast donuts

tomorrow morning as well as a hot chocolate from Dunkin after her annual physical. This Saturday we're celebrating Andrew's 16th birthday and Nadia's 13th birthday with a white water rafting adventure -our family plus five cousins and Jenna's boyfriend. On Monday I'm planning on taking her to Sweet Frog for frozen yogurt, and on Tuesday I'm hoping to have lunch with her and my friend, Cheri, at Olive Garden (also Nadia's request). She can't wait to open her presents this evening. Hopefully she'll have a very special 13th birthday! It's certainly easier to make a birthday special this year than it was in 2020!!

Here are thirteen ways I'd describe Nadia Renee:

1. Loves animals - She has three guinea pigs in her bedroom, and her requests were the main reason I bought Milo in December. Now she's lobbying for us to get a cat, but that isn't going to happen. Her plans might change, but at the moment she hopes to begin working at Warrior Run Petcare Center when she turns sixteen. Since she is contemplating pursuing a career as a dog groomer, I think it's wise for her to have a job like that to see if that is truly something she would enjoy doing in the future.

2. Enjoys musicals - She enjoys singing in choirs and performing in theatre productions. That's naturally been more challenging over the past year due to COVID. If it weren't for Bible quizzing, she would have been in Alice in Wonderland earlier this month. Next month she's going to be in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In early July she's auditioning to be in Tuck Everlasting in November. She's planning on being in two productions this coming school year through a homeschool co-op, and she will be in a production in August with her brothers at a church in Montoursville.

3. Active in two youth groups - There are times I think we should move closer to where Paul works because he commutes 100 miles a day, but I feel that we should stay in our current house for at least five more years because of Nadia's friendships at church. Although she attends two youth groups, all of her friends are from our church. In many cases she became friends through Bible Bowl. Her closest friends over the last ten months have been Ava, Evanna, Abby, Jill, Faith, Cassidy, Grace, and Bella. In a typical week she attends the youth group during the second service on Sunday morning, youth group on Sunday night, and Bible Bowl followed by youth group on Wednesdays (4:30-8:15pm). 

4. Some people (like my sister Yvonne) only "eat to live" whereas Nadia is more like her Uncle Joe who "live to eat." She has excellent self-control when it comes to stretching out the enjoyment of something she really likes such as a box of Wheat Thin crackers or a bag of SunChips. Some of her favorite foods include crackers, chips, raspberries, blueberries, plums, cherries, grapes, peaches, Swiss cheese, stuffed crust pizza, goulash, rigatoni and meatballs, chicken wraps, grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese, mozzarella sticks, string cheese, tuna noodle, mashed potatoes, applesauce, Motts fruit snacks, chips, eggs, yogurt, peanut butter bars, chocolate covered pretzels, brownies, chocolate chip cookies, soft pretzels, breadsticks, cookie dough ice cream, and strawberries. 

5. Loves listening to Christian contemporary music. She can easily identify the artist when we are listening to a Christian radio station. Her favorite station for years was WGRC, but over the past year she switched to favoring K-Love. Two of her favorite artists at the moment are For King and Country and We are Messengers.

6. All her life she has been very brave. She enjoys zip lining, rock wall climbing, and only one time in her life avoided riding an amusement park ride. She loves riding roller coasters. She's not intimidated to be on a stage. She'd go sky diving or bungee jumping if I'd allow her to.

7. The person she spends the most time with is definitely Ian. In a typical week the person she interacts with the second most would be her cousin Rachel as there are many days that they talk via Zoom while playing Minecraft for as much as 1.75 hours a day. 

8. She loves to read. Her birthday wish list primarily included books and a request for a new bookshelf. Grandpa and Gubba bought her a bookshelf. Paul and I assembled it on Sunday afternoon as a a surprise for her when she came home from Oklahoma. Pop Pop gave her some books, and I also got her some books. For the first time in his life Ian spent some of his own money to buy her a birthday gift. He got her one book. 

9. Although math is definitely not her favorite subject, she has been enjoying doing Sudoku puzzles. She often takes Sudoku puzzles, markers, and adult coloring books with her for longer car rides. She would read in the car if it weren't for the fact she gets carsick. 

10. Although she hasn't been very active over the last year due to COVID and the fact that she aged out of Upward basketball, Nadia really enjoys swimming, skiing, ice skating, and playing nine square in the air at church. 

11. Nadia is definitely a night owl like her father. She enjoys sleeping in and staying up late. Her bedtime is currently 10pm.

12. Nadia's MOST favorite thing to do is spend time in person with her cousins - especially Joshua, Jenna, Andrew, Rachel, and Susie. 

13. She spends more time in her bedroom than anyone else in our family. She rarely makes her bed because she reads in it throughout the day. In her room she often listens to music through her Echo dot, listens to episodes of Adventures in Odyssey, plays with Barbie dolls, and plays with Legos with Ian. She typically writes her pen pal, Stella, about two letters a month. Stella lives in Illinois, is also homeschooled, and also turned 13 today. They met almost 1two years ago through the Adventures in Odyssey club. They are hoping to meet in person for the first time in September.