Kiersten is 18

As I was helping a neighbor clean her home in anticipation of a new adopted daughter arriving, one of the other ladies wondered if there were tears associated with Kiersten's birthday and upcoming graduation.

Honestly, there really aren't any tears. I will be extremely sad to see her go to college and see our family dynamics change. But I am exuberant about what lies ahead for her. She is entering a phase of life that is characterized my much fun and independence. It was a time of my life that I would go back and relive if given the opportunity.

When she made me a mom 18 years ago, I wondered what kind of person she would grow up to be. She has far exceeded my expectations. This mom could not ask for a better first child. She has set the bar high for the rest of her siblings who so far seem to be following her example of goodness, of dedication, of righteousness, of stalwartness. Kiersten is the cream of the crop, the cat's meow, the apple of my eye, the bomb-diggity-bomb.

Welcome to the world of adulthood.