Along with Memorial Day, we just finished up a week of celebrating her birthday.

She is 16 now and officially a licensed driver.

It’s hard to imagine we went from this…To this.Where has the time gone?

When Grace was little, she used to say “lasterday” instead of “yesterday.” When she would be explaining something, she would say, “remember when lasterday we were at Grandma’s?”

It was hard to correct her, because she was so darn cute.

She still is cute.

Now, at 16, she is amazes me. She is like a beautiful painting that when you first look at it, the colors are bright and beautiful, but as you study it, you realize what a complex masterpiece it is. This is my Grace.

Last week, our extended family surprised her with a party. In the Jones family tradition, each of us went around and told Grace what we loved about her. From uncles to aunts, cousins, sisters and grandmas, we all told Grace words of affirmation. (A great tradition we do at every Jones birthday.)

Uncle Dave wrote down the words that we all used.

Steadfast, fun, musical, easy going, awesome, inventor of lasterday, forgiving, sweet, talented, tenderhearted, open, original, greatest sister, wonderful, frustrating, listener, adviser, deep, crazy, complex, sensitive, and random.

How lucky I am to be her mom.

Since she was little, she had a gift of bringing fun and creativity into the family. She often kept us laughing with her funny little ways!

Even when she is mad, she still has a sweetness about her.

I miss that little girl.  It’s hard letting go of lasterday.

But I am excited to see her future.

We love our Gracie!

I am so proud of her.