Sweet Sixteen

We gave surprise 16th birthday party's to Laura, then Jeff, then Marie.  So when Mike came along, he was fully expecting one.  So we couldn't give him one, right?  Instead we totally shocked him the next year with a surprise 17th birthday party!  Now it was Claire's turn.  Was she expecting one? I wasn't sure, but I started planning.  Her friends were great at playing along and got into the fun.  And....we did it!  Totally shocked her!  It really was the perfect surprise.....it even included a (non) phone call about a fire.....and we still fooled her!  We took her and 8 friends to a day at the beach.  We borrowed a friends' 12-passenger van so we could all be together.  Reid has the best pictures on his camera, but I took a few on my phone. 

This is when the kids snuck in our back door and began singing Happy Birthday to her!

After a fun day at the beach, the kids sat in the Hot Tub to warm up.  

Then they went in the pool.  Reid made them yummy bacon cheese burgers.

Singing and blowing out the 16 candles!

 

It really was a fabulous day and Claire was truly surprised!  

Claire is a remarkable and talented 16 year old.  She is a great friend to me and to many others.  She sings, dances, acts and plays piano.  She sometimes does all at the same time!  :)   She can bake, decorate lovely cakes and cupcakes, she's very craftsy, and she's really funny!  She plays the ukulele, she writes music, and she has an Instagram account with 2,500+ followers which she made for a Personal Progress goal on dressing modestly.  She sang in the EFY video that went out on Facebook, and her picture was on the BYU Summer Program brochure.  She was just in our 5 Stake Dance Festival and was asked to be in 2 specialty numbers.  She was the Leader of the YCL's at Girls Camp.  She is a great student, she loves seminary and earned The President's Award.  She played on the school Tennis Team, and was in the Service Club.  She was just called into her new Laurel Class Presidency.  She's in "Into the Woods" this weekend, while in the middle of taking Driver's Ed, and working at the office.  I don't know how she does it all, but she does.  She loves Harry Potter, Les Miserables, and texting.  And she won the Dance Off at EFY.  Oh, I wish I could have seen that!!  Most importantly, she is a great example of a true Daughter of God.  She has passed on some wonderful opportunities (good and better) to do what is best.  I'm proud of her and the wonderful person she is - an example to all.  And she's kinda cute.  :)