Yep - She is Eighteen!

Kelsey turned 18 on Monday.....How did that happen?  How did my first baby girl turn 18? 



Kelsey holding a birthday present from her friend - yes, that is a trophy.

 This is what the trophy says:

 



I still think of her like this:

Or like this:

But the reality is, she is growing into a wonderful young woman.  She likes to tell me that she is an adult now....  Umm I don't think so. 

She does give me glimpses of the adult she will be.  She will go out of her way to help someone, including me, just to be helpful.  She will rush over with pie, don't ask I have been told it is a teenaged girl thing, when a friend has had her heart broken.  She is trying to pass on her love of  music to Caroline - well maybe I don't love that one.  I do love her spending time with the twins and talking to them.  She and Sophie still have a love/hate relationship.  More love than hate.  You can catch many of their "arguments" via facebook and twitter.

Cross Country meet at Spring Creek Park September - 2012

She loves the color purple - not the book or the movie, but the real color.  She likes to listen to music from bands I have never heard of - and there seems to be a lot of screaming.  She is enjoying her work at HEB - even if she pretends that is not the case.  She has found a love affair with Netflix - and who am I to blame her for that?  She is not running CC this year due to Mono this summer.  She still enjoys running, and is planning another half marathon this year. 

She is getting ready to go to school next year, and like most seniors, spends less and less time at home.  I think that is to help prepare us for next fall when she is gone.  For now, I still like to know she is home at night - usually not in her bed, but she is under our roof.

I love you my Kelsey Belsey. 

Random....

More pictures from Linfestation.  First the original 10 Linfords...



All the Linford Children - (From back left) Steven, Michael, Patrick, Mark, Matthew, Megan, Laurie, Melissa, Michelle, and me. 

Linford Sista's

Pearson Clan in the beautiful Estes Park mountains

This just seemed typical of our family.....

And So It Begins....

The first week of school brought the first football game, and the first cross country meet.  On the same day.  Pretty much at the same time. 

From there is was right to the football game - the band was already there and we had to make it by halftime.  Changing into uniform outside the stands....  Never a dull moment, but we made it.  It was the first game.  The band did great.  The football team lost.



Oh - is there a football game going on?

Kelsey is not doing cross country this year.  She had mono this summer, and really I do not want her to get run down and relapse.  That would make for a kinda stinky senior year.  She was on the fence anyway, so I don't know that she was that disappointed...  She went to the Tomball High School football game on Friday night - two high schools, two different games.  I stole this from facebook, so the quality is not super great, but it does show what she was up to....

The twins were troopers being drug from one thing to another.  Now that they have both entered the world of band, as percussionist (yes, I am full out crazy), they did not complain as much about being at the game and the halftime show.  I have a feeling we will be band parents for many years to come -and I am OK with that!

First Day of School - 2012 Edition

Pretend the date is August 27, OK?  That was the first day of the 2012-2013 school year.  This is Kelsey's senior year.  Where did the time go? 

Of course, the older girls left at 5:35 am -  so there was no light and these are not that great, but they are a recording of the first day of school.

My senior!  Last day of leaving this house for first day of school!

Sophie begins her Sophomore year.

Sophie has cross country  before school, after seminary.  So no pretty picture - and she came home from school after marching band, so I am guessing she looked nice at some point during the day - I will never know!

The the second shift left.  My babies, my true babies are entering the SIXTH grade.  How in the heck did that happen?

Allie age 11 - 6th grade.

 

 

Backpack shot.  Notice the green Toms???  She is stylin

And because they are twins, the obligatory twin shot. 

Here is their first day of school - six years ago....  Just for nostalgia sake.