In honor of Rachel

This week my beautiful baby girl...

 RACHEL MARIE

turned 15 years old.

I remember when she was first born that she had the "fullest" head of hair and dark skin. 
She was an angel and a beautiful baby girl.

I remember on the way to the hospital to give birth to her and thinking I could never love anyone has much as I loved her older brother Christopher...until the moment she was born.

Then I knew how a mother could love ALL her children the same!

I remember when she was eighteen months old and we were heading to the mall to shop...

when I went to get her out of her car seat she was so excited I could barely keep her in my arms...

I knew then that she was a girl that would always love to shop!

And she does!

I remember when she was five years old and ready to start kindergarten that she would be one SMART kid and that I would never have to worry about her BEING somebody!

I remember when she was eight years old and she got baptized a member of Christ's church...

she wore a beautiful white dress and had her hair in a beautiful braid her Aunt Donna had done up for her and I knew she would always love the Gospel and have a desire to Choose the Right.

And she does!

I remember when she told me she REALLY liked a boy and he had asked her to "go out" with her...

she said yes until the first time he tried to hug her and she realized she wasn't ready to "go out" with boy's yet!

I remember this summer when at the age of fourteen she got to go on her first overnight coed Church camp...

and she called me in tears, crying about the testimonies she had heard and realizing for the first time,

"Mom, I DO have a testimony!"

So in honor of your 15th birthday...

and so that you always remember at least ONE thing from your mother...

you were ALWAYS wanted...

you have ALWAYS been my world (just like your siblings)...

you will ALWAYS be loved by ME no matter what!

And you keep on being the SILLY, STRONG-SPIRITED, VIVACIOUS, BEAUTIFUL, TALENTED, SMART, AND FUNNY young woman you have always been...

because I will never forget any of it!