Teenagers

The girls turned 13 today. I can hardly believe it, even as I type the 1 and the 3. The babies we worked so hard to have and wanted so desperately are teenagers. It seems surreal that we are here already.
The big party was held a few weeks ago. Uncle Steve hosted a pool party for the girls' friends and our family. We were a bit worried as it rained all morning. The forecast called for scattered showers throughout the evening. The weather held for the party. The girls invited ten friends for a bar-b-que and night swimming.
Uncle Steve has a resort-like backyard. His large, L-shaped pool has a diving board, slide and basketball net. The girls kept themselves busy, only interacting with us when they needed something grilled. Otherwise they all kept themselves busy doing this or that or the other thing. We sat on the deck watching the Cubs game, listening to music and talking. It was a wonderful party.
We started this morning with waffles to celebrate the big day. The girls went to school and cross country practice. They came home to a quick dinner followed by golf practice for the brunette twin. The blond twin stayed home to hang out with Erin, who shares their birthday. 
We ended the day at Grammie's having ice cream and cupcakes. Grammie was still recovering from her shoulder surgery so we brought the party to her. The girls had a few gifts to open before coming home to do homework. It might have been a landmark birthday, but it was still a school night.
One gift had a few pictures from our first night at the hospital. Daddy and I were smiling in every photo. We held a baby in every photo. It seemed like such a long time ago, even as it seemed like just yesterday. I cannot believe that our babies are 13. It has been a magical journey so far. I can't wait to see what the next years bring.