05 April 2008

Happy Birthday Kendra

My baby turns 17 today. I can't believe it is only one more year until she will be an adult. I already wrote a lot about my feelings of her growing up here in anticipation of her birthday. It is so hard to even get any words out.
A few random facts about this lovely young woman:
  • she referred to herself in third person consistently until she was 3 years old, saying things such as Kendra can't want ketchup
  • she can blow her nose like a sounding trumpet, causing the whole family to wince and often yell in unison, "Kendra!"
  • she has unique self-taught study habits - reading her entire biology chapter out loud in the middle of the night - she says it helps her commit it to memory
  • she loves Moulin Rouge and Phantom of the Opera - the movies and soundtracks, which she makes us listen to ad nauseum ....the Phantom of the Opera is there...inside my mind......
  • she is a bookworm - and from the time she was 11 until she discovered boys a few years later (or should I say one boy in particular) we forgot she had a lower half of her face, as all we could see were her eyes over the top of her book
  • when she eats ice cream, she still wears it on her upper lip like a mustache, and never knows that it's there until you point it out
  • when she was 2 and I was expecting her sister, her father who was supervising her in the building while I was having an OB appointment let her slip away from him and she rode down a glass elevator alone - waving and smiling at him as she went
  • she exited the womb speaking in complete sentences
  • I do not think she has ever slept one night of her life in a room alone
  • she loves most vegetables and was known when she was small to have a melt-down in the produce section at the grocery store - but she loathes broccoli
  • she bites her fingernails, and when she was younger, her toenails as well
  • she has one of the best senses of humor, and is even able to laugh at herself
I love you Kendra. I am so lucky to get to be your mom!
I will be updating this throughout the day as her dad and siblings share their random thoughts. If you know Kendra - please comment with your own random facts, and I will add them here to this post!

11 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday Kendra!!!!!!!


    You sound like an awesome and spectacular woman.

    Job well done Travis and Julie.

    Lot's of love -

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yesterday was Steven's 11th birthday. Jarrod and Renae took him to the Skillet concert.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I miss you guys terribly!!! I wish I could be there for Kendra's birthday to celebrate it with all of you! I can't wait to see y'all in May!

    Love you,
    ><>Tayva<><

    ReplyDelete
  4. Happy Birthday Kendra!!!

    I feel like I know you and looking forward to meeting you soon :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am typing this in my highest squeakiest voice...

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY KENDRA M.... F......

    And back to my regular voice ...
    You were sooo cute then, you are lovely and all grown up today. Have a beautiful year.

    Much love,

    Joanne

    ReplyDelete
  6. Happy Birthday to my favorite scary movie buddy. I miss jumping into your lap screaming & spilling your popcorn. hahaha

    ReplyDelete
  7. p.s. Warning: I met Gaston when I was 17, so keep your eyes WIDE open & for goodness sakes, BE CAREFUL! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Kendra - You are the best parts of your mom and dad and we love you!

    ReplyDelete

Awaiting your words......
♥ Juls ♥