Happy 15th Birthday Carly Jo

Fifteen years ago I spent the day having contractions while readying my house to receive evacuees from Hurricane Rita. This girl wasn’t due to arrive for another 7 days but she couldn’t stand missing all the excitement. We finally headed to the hospital around 4pm and as the Aggies were BTHO Texas State she came storming into this world at 10:29pm.

I knew the first night alone with her in the hospital when she screamed her head off and turned all kinds of red over a simple diaper change she was going to be a handful. The screaming didn’t stop unless she was attached to me for the first 4 months but then we started to see the sweet side of this stormy girl.

God definitely knew what he was doing waiting until I was a mature enough mom to hand this one to me. She is beautiful and smart and funny but she can turn on a dime and be sassy, impatient and demanding. She can be super organized and also make the biggest mess I’ve ever seen. Adorable all dressed up but also willing to trample around in her brothers old tshirts. I love that she has her own opinions and isn’t afraid to voice them. Compassion for others comes easy to her and I love seeing her grow her heart serving in our community.

If you want to know what I was like at 15, Carly is almost a carbon copy; with her own twist of course. I like to joke that she is the one my mom prayed for! The difference is she has a stability in her family life that has allowed her to grow into herself in a healthy way. It’s exciting to feel like I know what I’m doing when we have discussions and I guide her through looking at both sides of an opinion. As loving as she can be, she is also quick to point out the many times and ways I fail as a mom. She keeps me humble!

As high school is upon us and we enter what can sometimes be the hardest 4 years of a teens life, my hope for her is she continues to grow and love and push back on things she doesn’t feel are right but that she also stays true to who she is. Being beautiful on the outside is a bonus but I hope she always sees the complete picture and knows the beauty on the inside is what will make her shine.

Happy birthday Carly Jo. You completed our family and we are so thankful for you!