Happy Birthday Brooke!

Once again I'm asking myself where the time has gone?? I remember the day Brooke was born like it was yesterday. I remember bawling my eyes out when she was just a newborn because I knew she would grow up too quickly and I would never enjoy it as much as I should. I remember crying the night before she went to kindergarten, telling Jeff that my time with her was over. I remember crying again at her kindergarten graduation, realizing time was already going too fast. And I was right! Now she is planning her sixteenth birthday party, begging to get her driver's permit, and inviting her "friend" (who also happens to be a boy) over for her birthday dinner.

So in honor of Brooke's sixteenth birthday, here are sixteen facts/wonderful things about her:

1. Brooke was, quite possibly, THE most wanted baby girl in all of history--by her mom and her grammy!
2. Brooke's first word was "book". She started talking when she was ten months old and hasn't stopped since!
3. Brooke has broken her hand, her arm, and her finger.
4. Brooke sang in church for the first time when she was five years old.
5. Brooke is beautiful--inside and out. And I'm not the least bit prejudiced.
6. Brooke has an amazing singing voice. I cry every time I hear her sing.
7. Brooke is outgoing and friendly. She is great at making people feel welcomed and included.
8. Brooke is a worship leader on the youth praise team at church. She does a GREAT job!
9. Brooke had a part on a the national radio show Children's Bible Hour when she was in third grade.
10. Brooke is a great writer. She has notebooks full of stories, poems, and song lyrics and they're really GOOD!
11. Brooke has recently discovered that she enjoys photography, and she's good at it!
    
12. Brooke is self-confident and self-assured. She will speak out against injustice and inequity.
13. Brooke is not wishy-washy. She is sure of her convictions and opinions.
14. Brooke is a leader. She is a great influence on her siblings and her friends.
15. Brooke is and always has been well-liked by almost everyone. She has very few enemies.
16. In our humble opinion, Brooke is truly amazing. We are blessed to be her parents. We can't wait to see how God is going to use her for His glory!

Happy Birthday Sweet Brooke! We are so proud of you, and we love you more than you will ever know.