Happy 12th birthday! You've had a big year since you turned 11 . . . mainly by finishing up your first year of middle school. I can't believe you've already done a year and that in just a few days you'll begin your second year of middle school - 7th grade. Wow.
You had such a great 6th grade year. You loved it! Mostly because you had your best-friend, Lila, finally at school with you. You two have been best of friends since your preschool days - but since preschool, have never attended the same school nor the same ward. So it was extra-cool that you girls got to go to middle school together - finally! You had a lot of other friends there as well - especially Ruby and Peyton (who are best friends and are in another ward). The four of you (Lila, you, Ruby, and Peyton) became great friends and made 6th grade such a positive experience! Unfortunately Lila just moved away - as in yesterday. Sniff, sniff, cry, cry, bawl, bawl. You've done a little of each of those things - but you've been shockingly okay, too. I even get choked up just thinking about your bestie moving and, while you've had a couple of moments, you've handled it really well. Luckily Lila and her family will be about an hour's drive away from my parents . . . so we're planning on you two being able to see each other throughout the years. She is a sweet friend and you're lucky to have her as one.
You had many friends from gymnastics there at school - plus just friends you've made "along the way." Your social life is healthy. You hang out with one friend and as soon as that's over, you're wanting to hang out with another one. Luckily you have a very close friend just a few houses away - Genevieve. You two have actually become better friends now that you're not in the same grade as each other. I'm glad you have her and that she's so close by. You'll be riding bikes together to school this year and so that will be a fun adventure for you two!
You continue to do well at and love gymnastics. You still love to do crafts. You are so awesome at making your bed every morning and keeping your room clean (your closet - not so much!). You and your friends are in journalism together this year and you are so excited about that. You love rings and bracelets a whole lot. You're suddenly obsessed with daisies (which are my favorite flowers, but I guess I can share that with you :) ). You are going to miss Miles when he goes off to college. You and Emmy are still best frenemies . . . maybe leaning more towards the enemy relationship than the besties at this point in life . . . But you two do have your cute moments.
You went on your first YW's Girls' camp - and I was lucky enough to go as well. I am pretty sure I won't be going again in the near future and so I felt blessed to have gotten to go with both you and Emmy. You loved it all and had such a great group of tent-mates. All eight of you in one tent! You impressed me with your speed on the Via Ferrata as well as the hike! You were the only YW to have caught a fish, too. I hope you'll remember the experience of it forever. (Especially because I won't and so someday you'll have to remind me of the cool stuff I once did . . . )
I am making you out to sound practically perfect. But you're human and so you're not. You tend to act the part of youngest sibling pretty well - as evidenced by annoying your oldest siblings a lot of the times. (I was/am one, too. So I get it. Someday your older siblings won't think you're so annoying - right Erin and Derek?!) You ask for it a lot of times, but I do think you'll grow out of a lot of the annoying youngest sibling-isms soon. You're growing up.
You still have a great deal of impatience . . . that is a huge struggle for you (which means it becomes a huge struggle for me . . . to deal with). We're working on that and hopefully that is something you can learn to control.
All in all, you are great. We love having you part of our family - you really do bring a happy and good spirit into our home. You try to be kind and thoughtful (for the most part). You try to help and make others happy (for the most part). You want to choose the right and usually do. I hope you just keep on being you - improving those areas you need to, while maintaining all those areas that make up beautiful (inside and out) YOU.
I love you.
Love, me
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