Happy 17th Birthday Kylie!

Kylie turns 17 today! I am so proud of the young woman that she has become. It has been a blast raising Kylie. My one wish for all of my kids is that they have at least one child exactly like them so I can enjoy them all over again!

Kylie was such a character when she was little. She is our number 5 and you would think that she would get lost in the shuffle... not a chance with this one! Luckily, I was somewhat immune to her cuteness at the time. I look back on pictures and videos now and wonder how I had the discipline to get anything done other than sit around and watch this child's antics. She was constantly singing songs and I would turn off the camera when she started to repeat her songs so then she would say, "No, no. I have another one" and she would proceed to make up a song. (She was about 3.) Her made up songs would be similar to Buddy the Elf''s singing telegram (from the movie "Elf") with lyrics like...

"And I'm here,

With my dad,

And he wants me to sing him a song,

And I'm singing

I love you, I love you, I love you."

And she would always swear that it was a real song.

One of our favorite memories of Kylie was the time she spent standing in front of our shiny gold framed fireplace and performing in the reflection. It was just the right height when she was 3 or 4. It was her own personal mirror and we usually had to ask her to turn around if we were trying to take a picture or video. She preferred to watch herself.

If you know Kylie, then you know she loves cats! We have had cats on and off throughout the years mostly because of Kylie. We currently have an indoor cat that we have had for a couple of years now. Kylie named her Lula May but we just call her Kitty. It's a well known fact around here that Kylie will end up being the Crazy Cat Lady.

When they were handing out talents in the pre-existence, Kylie must have been running from line to line and gathering them all. I don't really know how she did it, but I'm pretty sure she broke some rules because she got more than her fair share of talents! She can sing, dance, act and she is brilliant. (Don't let her hair color fool you!) I always thought my biggest job as Kylie's mom would be to keep her humble but I was wrong. She is actually very humble, and I find that I spend most of my time trying to get Kylie to believe in herself and get her to live up to her potential. We have lots of talks about Kylie sharing her talents and not hiding her light under a bushel. She doesn't quite see that singing is not necessarily showing off your talent, it's also sharing your talent so that others can enjoy it too. Maybe it's my fault. I sent her mixed messages! When she was 3 I would tell her "that's enough singing" and now I constantly say, "you should sing more." What's a girl to do?

Don't get me wrong. Kylie has lots of accomplishments under her belt and she is involved in lots of activities and constantly amazes me and makes me so proud. I am just saying that I have the inside scoop on this outstanding girl, and what you see is only the tip of the iceberg!

If you know Kylie, then you know that she went though a chubby phase. I won't post the pictures because I don't think Kylie would appreciate it, but we have a few good ones! Or should I say bad ones? They actually are just bad pictures. Chubby or not, she was obviously always a beautiful child. I truly believe that her chubbiness was a gift. It's difficult to develop an empathetic heart when a person has no idea what it feels like to be made fun of or to feel different. No parent wishes that on their child but there are some lessons that can only be learned by experience. Kylie is just plain beautiful and always has been since the day she was born. I don't think she has any idea just how much. Her true gift, though, is that she is even more beautiful on the inside! She has a huge heart and she is concerned about others. I think that no matter how gorgeous Kylie might look on any given day or at any given event, she will always know what it felt like to be the chubby kid and I think in the long run it will serve her well. She might not be grateful that she was chubby, but I am!

I am thoroughly enjoying Kylie right now. With such a big family as ours, I have really enjoyed each child's junior and senior year because it has provided more one-on-one time with each. No matter what their order in the family, they get to be the oldest for a while! Kylie can be a brat. I know I am a terrible parent, but I have called her a brat since she was little. Most of the time it was lovingly, but sometimes I meant it. She can be a brat and she knows it but I love spending time with her. She is so funny and has such an infectious laugh. Kylie is a talker and she will open up to me in ways that some of my other kids don't (or at least didn't at the time). Kacey was so-so. She shared when she was in the mood. Kristy usually shared more than I wanted to know. I don't mean inappropriate things, I just mean too much trivial information (love ya Kristy.)Courtney was tight lipped and I still have to drag information out of her. So Kylie has been a fun kid to talk with and I appreciate that.



I am just plain proud and grateful to be Kylie's mother. I always knew I wanted a lot of kids. Even when I was young I would tell people that I wanted 10 kids. I don't really know why. I grew up Catholic and then converted to Mormonism so I guess that sealed my fate. For me, the best part about having so many kids was seeing what was coming out next! They are all so unique and special. (It was a tough decision to shut down the baby factory.) I am truly blessed. And today I feel especially blessed to be the mother of this amazing young woman who is now 17. Happy Birthday Kylie. I love you.