the mother of a 15 year old

today, my sweet baby annie turned 15. we called her sweet baby annie because when i was a computer tech, i was cleaning up the hard drive of an old computer in the humanities department and someone from many moons ago had a file that i happened to be deleting called "sweet baby nephi." i was expecting annie at the time and kelly and i thought it was so funny, it just stuck. the "sweet" was long and drawn out, "sweeeeeeeet baby annie." she definitely fits the nickname. it's been a wonderful 15 years, and i'm so blessed to have had the opportunity to be her mother. i'm not one to get overly sentimental, but i do want to thank my heavenly father for giving me this sweet girl to raise. it's been fun.

we've been getting up every school day at 4:45 so she can get ready for seminary. it's a church sponsered before school class that focuses on the scriptures. it starts when the kids start high school. if you live in utah, you don't have to go to early morning seminary, it's just a part of the school cirriculum because there are so many of the LDS faith there. however, in most of the rest of the world, kids are getting up that early and earlier (depending on how pretty you need to make yourself) and heading off to learn about our Savior. i did it when i was in high school and my mom made sure i was up, so i think it's only fair to help annie along as well. anyway, i make sure she's up and then i'll head back to bed for 40 minutes while she showers and pretties herself up. then at 5:25 i get up and make her a hot breakfast. coming from a mom who used to say, "there's cereal in the closet..." every day for the last 10 years, this is quite the sacrifice, but this year, i really felt like it was important to send her off every morning with something more substantial than cereal. she's gone for 9 and a half hours. i don't want her to starve. so anyway, after family prayer with a groggy brother and dad, we head downstairs for breakfast. it's been such a treat to visit with her during these morning sessions, i'm quite looking forward to the next 4 years of it. year 4 ethan will join us. after she eats breakfast, i take her over to the church building for the 6 a.m. class. then they head straight to school, so i don't see her unless i'm the parent driving, until 3:30. it's a long day.

anyway, huge detour there... this morning i asked her what kind of cake she wanted for her birthday. she usually asks for cheesecake, but this year she decided on chocolate. so after i dropped her off, i came home and made a chocolate cake, the one from the hershey's chocolate container. it's the best jerry, the best! i usually do my boxing after i drop her off, but i'm on hiatus until my shoulder stops hurting--painting the ceiling 3 different times in 3 days made it hurt. since i knew i'd have the time to do something, i made the cake and cleaned the kitchen. when annie got home today, i let her lick the beaters. it's her birthday after all.

i'm not a fancy cake maker, that's my sister's talent. when julia makes you a cake, it's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen. i can however make a very tasty cake. so here's her tasty chocolate cake.

and here's my last sneak for the october studio calico scrapbooking kit club. are you tempted? this is probably my favorite thing i made this month and i love all the things i made. i only wish i'd had more time.