Happy Birthday Erika!

Our first baby is 17 years old today! Each year, we are truly blessed with Erika’s goodness and kindness and compassion and energy. She is such a great example to her siblings and friends and kids she is around of what a genuine, thankful and respectful young adult should be. Her enthusiasm for what interests her is infectious, her integrity of her beliefs and values is high, and her delight in the world and her life is promising. As she inches closer to adulthood, it is such a joy to be with her and hear her observations and thoughts and many many questions. She can be exhausting if she catches us in a tired moment when she has all the questions and emotions and needs help sorting them out. But it is fun to see her mind work and we are lucky to help guide her. Erika loves interior design, country music, trucks, America, shrimp, reading, sunsets, the beach, sweet iced tea, pasta fagioli soup, thrift shopping with her friends, her siblings, babysitting and Costco hot dogs. Her smile when she is participating in something she thoroughly enjoys is the exact same smile she had as a preschooler when she was excited and it brings me joy every time I see it. Erika is generally a happy and joyful girl but has her times of trials. She cries easily when disappointed or frustrated or when someone is upset at her. She has had moments of rebellion when she became very angry at a rule or decision we have made but she obeys our direction even if it is grudgingly at times. Erika doesn’t like putting her clothes away in a timely fashion, melted cheese, second hand embarrassment, plans changing, staying home, picking berries, salad, or people telling her to do something that she already had in mind to do. She is beautiful and talented and friendly and mature and laughs easily and converses with adults naturally and we could not be more proud of the girl God placed with us 17 years ago to guide and direct and raise. We love you so much Erika and every day with you is a treasure!

1. What is your favorite color? Teal
2. What is your favorite sport? Hiking
3. What is your favorite fruit? Raspberry
4. What is your favorite movie? Tangled
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Safeway lunch deal (corn dog and jojos)
6. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Birthday cake
7. What is your favorite subject in school? History
8. What is your favorite snack? Goldfish
9. What is your favorite animal? Dog
10. What is your favorite song? Cruise by Florida Georgia Line
11. What is your favorite book? The Orphan Collector
12. Who is your best friend? Emma, Kennedy and Hazel
13. What is your favorite cereal? Fruity Pebbles
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Hike or swim in the river
15. What is your favorite drink? Sweet iced tea
16. What is your favorite holiday? 4th of July
17. What is your favorite restaurant? Jem 100
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Donuts
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Shrimp scampi
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Interior Designer