12 Years Old

This post is a little late because I didn't take Caitlyn's pictures until yesterday. We took her to the temple for the first time and I did a little photo shoot with her before we went in.  I love these pictures, they capture just how beautiful she is!

I can't believe Caitlyn is twelve years old.  In some ways it seems like she should be older, but I can't believe how fast twelve years have flown by.  Caitlyn was a sweetheart form the beginning.  We were so excited to have a baby and when I saw Caitlyn for the first time I was amazed by how much I was able to love someone. 

Caitlyn is the perfect first child.  She has a natural instinct to take care of other people.  She is the most empathetic child I have ever met.  She is so good at helping other people and really caring about them and putting herself in their shoes. She helps me out so much.  She plays with her siblings, is always willing to babysit, she loves to cook and she is always willing to help out. 

Caitlyn loves to laugh and have fun.  She thinks everything is funny and has a hard time getting through stories without laughing so hard that we can't understand what she is saying.  She works so hard at staying positive, she always tries to look for the good in a situation and in people.

Caitlyn is extremely spiritual and always has been.  She shares her testimony almost every month and I have heard from a lot of people who are touched by her testimony.  She has been blessed with a believing heart and she has a Faith that is very simple, yet very complex at the same time.  She grasps spiritual concepts that are beyond her years. She can always explain to us how a scripture or story applies to our lives now.

One of my favorite things about Caitlyn is how she is not afraid to try new things.  This is not something that came natural to her and she has really had to put herself out of her comfort zone a lot to develop this skill.  She is getting really good at not worrying too much about what other people think, I love that!  I wish I was better at that.  She used to be afraid to fail, but now she is excited to try! I love to see all of the new experiences she is having because she isn't afraid to try and work hard to go after something.

Caitlyn is a great student.  She wants to do well and she works hard in school.  She is rediscovering her love of reading.  She loves to roller blade, swim, jump on the trampoline and she loves to spend time with family and friends. She also loves arts and crafts.

Caitlyn is very musical.  She has a beautiful voice and she loves to sing.  She is always singing!  The whole house can hear her singing in the shower, it reminds me of Jen. She loves to play the piano and the flute.  

We are so lucky to be Caitlyn's parents.  I'm so excited to see the amazing things that she will do with her life. She has so many amazing qualities that are going to help her have a wonderful, happy life.  I'm so proud of Caitlyn and the wonderful girl that she is.  She is beautiful, inside and out.