Houston, we. have. a. teenager.

What?

HOW?!

Our sweet Hailey Bug is 13 years old and I don’t even know how that’s real. But we are here, we are excited, and we can confirm that 13 isn’t scary. In fact, it’s amazing.

A friend told me that the teen years with her kids are some of her favorite because that’s when you can feel things begin to shift from a strictly parent/child relationship to a deeper level connection and friendship. I loved that and can see our wheels turning in that direction. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll always be parent first for these years because even big kids still need boundaries and direction, but there is a deeper connection forming as we watch her discover and become who she is a little more each year.

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Hailey at THIRTEEN

Hailey is crafty and artistic. She’s incredibly thoughtful and intuitive by nature. She’s addicted to the piano and can’t walk by it without stopping to play a tune. She is competitive in sports and board games. She knows how to push her sister’s buttons. She likes to have a plan and structure. She likes to workout and run with David and me. She enjoys hikes, being outside, and adventures. She isn’t a big fan of cities or places with too many people. She’s a caretaker. She loves organization and is thrilled that I’ve have allowed her to be the official organization czar of the new house.

This has been a big year for her. She’s going through a big transition, from the house she’s known her whole life, to nomad, to new home (hopefully this month). She’s handled it all with a lot of grace; I’m so proud of her. I really feel like this coming year she will thrive. She has a quiet confidence in who she is, something I deeply admire about her.

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Hailey at 13 Years Old Q&A

• Favorite Foods: Marinated chicken and noodles, cheeseburgers, lasagna, coconut rice, apples, crispy chicken thighs, pears
• Favorite dessert: Tres Leches or ice cream (usually salted caramel)
• Favorite Color: light blue/periwinkle, mustard yellow
• Favorite Clothing Item: her new jeans, athletic wear
• Favorite Craft: drawing and painting, resin
• Favorite Sports: Soccer and basketball
• Favorite Vacation: Sailing in the Caribbean (the first trip; the second trip)
• Favorite Book (read with us): Harry Potter (we relistened to them on audio)
• Favorite Books (read on her own): Percy Jackson series, Tale of Magic series
• Favorite Homeschool Subject: morning time (music/picture/bible study), handicraft, nature study
• Favorite Songs: Beautiful Things, Roots, Last Man Standing, Should Have Been a Cowboy
• Favorite TV Shows: Full House
• Favorite Movies: National Treasure, the Harry Potter movies, Disney movies
• Favorite Animals: Finley vizsla dog, giraffes
• Wake Up Time/Bed Time: I wake her up at 8:00 for school days, but if left to her own devices, it’s 10:00. Bedtime is between 8:30/9:00, but she read both her bible and her current book for a while before going to bed.

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If I could tell her anything for her to remember, it would be how much we truly enjoy her. She’s fun to be around, a true ray of sunshine in this world, with a happy heart and a caring soul. We are so proud of who she is and get the deepest joy getting to be her mom and dad. We love you, Hailey Ann!

Past Hailey Updates

• Hailey at 12 Years Old
• Hailey at 11 Years Old
• Hailey at 10 Years Old
• Hailey at 9 years old
• Day in the Life: Hailey just turned 8
• Hailey at 7 years old
• Hailey at 6 years old
• Hailey at 5 years old
• Hailey at 4 years old
• Hailey at 3 years old
• Hailey at 2 and a half
• Hailey at 2 years old
• Hailey at 1 year old
• Hailey at 10 months old
• Hailey at 8 months old
• Hailey’s birth story part one and part two