Happy 14th, Caroline!

My baby girl celebrated her 14th birthday this past weekend. It's incredible how quickly time flies.  This little clown is still up to her old tricks, though.  She's the one I have to remind not to make silly faces when we take family photos, the one most likely to play a practical joke on us, and the one front-and-center to fly down the zip-line.

When she's not playing with the dog (she LOVES animals), you'll find her doodling and drawing, playing guitar, or reading.  Most likely reading.  She devours a book more quickly than I can read the back cover.

We started Caroline's day with pancakes, then decorated the Christmas tree with a little help from some little elves.

The much-awaited birthday cake after lunch started off really pretty, but our saved-for-special-occasions frosting wasn't prepared for such heat, and melted like lava.  No one minded.

That night after youth service, the teens made their way to a pizza joint...



...where Caroline got a song and a strawberry-chocolate pizza in honor of her big day.

She really enjoyed spending the day with both American and Paraguayan friends, and we all enjoyed reminding her of how special she is to our family.  No telling what sort of future God has in store for this gal, but I'm so glad for the honor of watching her grow up.