Happy 18th birthday Artist!

This is very weird to write with you off at college. It just makes it seem so much more surreal to write this post with you far away. In many ways it feels like you are already “a full-grown adult,” and then there are times where it is so very clear you are not.

Mainly when you call me and say, “Mom I need you to go online and sign this form because I am not a legal adult and am not allowed to sign it yet.”

What to say in this post?

I’m not sure. Unlike your brothers, you are out of the house right now. You are in the midst of your first steps into becoming an independent adult, and so I’ve said many of the things you needed to hear.

Instead, I’ll say. I’m proud of you.

You have become a strong young woman of God. You have a strong heart for others and a heart of service.

That should be obvious by the fact that you have gotten the Presidential Service Award for the last 10 years, and in the last year you received it with over 200 hours of community service. This past year you also completed your Stars and Stripes project.

Let’s talk about that project. It’s kind of funny because I frequently hear the Stars and Stripes project compared to the Eagle Scout award.

Then I see Eagle Scout award projects, like a friend’s child just made two sets of shelves for an Eagle Scout project. Another friend knew someone who had feminine hygiene dispensers installed in bathrooms at schools.

You completely rebuilt a greenhouse.

All told you supervised about 150 volunteer hours I believe, that is not including what you did outside of that. And those volunteer hours were done in the Texas spring, a couple of days in the upper 90s.

I feel like there is a bit of a difference between your project and those other example projects I’ve seen.

You always did shoot for the moon, and then you would land on Mars.

This has translated into college where you’re excelling in ROTC from what I’m hearing with our phone conversations.

I’m praying you can learn to relax and figure out how to balance your time so you aren’t stressed.

I would say you are probably the only 18 year old who is trying to plan how to include 10 year olds and 6 year olds into her birthday celebrations, but that would be a lie. Your brothers did similar.

But, you are probably one of the few kids who when asked what she wants to do when she comes back for her 18th birthday over Thanksgiving break and you said, “I want to eat vegetables and fruit. I miss vegetables.” You’re looking forward to making your pasta dish.

You’ve got this amazing pasta dish that you’ve created that you would make many days for lunch, which obviously you can’t make at the dorms. You’ve also got great plans to bake some delicious food (I can’t wait to eat the pies and cake you make).

You have so many great talents, and I don’t have to say “I can’t wait to see how God will use you,” because God has already used you to help so many people and do so many things.

Happy birthday Artist. I hope you have a wonderful day and enjoy moving into adulthood.

As of today, there are no children in my family, they are all adults. It is very weird to think about.