That was a rhetorical question. I know that the answer is a resounding “Yes!!!”
On this date, at 8:11 p.m., EIGHTEEN years ago, our daughter Tori entered the world. Eighteen years?!?!
Who would have thought time would pass so quickly? A little over a week ago we got together with family and friends to celebrate her graduation from high school. And now she is turning that age which society has deemed to be the beginning of adulthood. Hard to believe that the little tiny baby I held in my arms–what was it, yesterday?–can now vote!
For the past two years our “baby” has been attending community college, receiving high school and college credit for classes. Thus she graduated high school with a little over half the credits she needs to get an Associates Degree. Yes, we are proud parents. But not just because of that. We are proud because our daughter has grown to be a charming, lovely young lady with a good head on her shoulders and a compassionate heart. We know that the number 18 is an arbitrary one and that she still has growing up to do, but do we ever stop growing up? We are very, very proud of the person she is and look forward to seeing the person she will become on this next step in the journey of life.
It is not surprising that, despite feeling young and vigorous, having your one and only child turn 18 does tend to make you at least cognizant of just how much of your own life has been lived. Time has passed all too quickly. It has been wonderful time and time well spent, however.
Dearest Tori, mom and I love you so very much. We wish you a hearty ‘Happy Birthday!!!’ on this pivotal day. We are looking forward to the adventures that lie before you as you move on into adulthood. Just remember, we will always be your parents no matter what age you are and will always be here for you.
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–the pictures were taken when we went camping late last fall.
–FYI: If you hadn’t noticed it already, James added an email subscription service to the site via Feedburner. Feel free to sign up in the upper right hand corner of the blog.
–If you want further evidence that we are all getting old, feel free to check out yesterday’s post on the 30th Anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back.
Happy Birthday, Sweetest Girl!!!
Happy Birthday to our second born granddaughter! Grandpa and I are extremely proud of you and love you with all our hearts. We too are always here for you if you ever need us. Have a great day,sweetie! Your parents think they are getting older-what about us??!!! I was about your Dad’s age when you were born-doesn’t seem possible!!
What a sweet post, Carl. Congrats to Tori on her graduate, and congrats to you and your wife for raising such a lovely daughter.
Happy Birthday Tori!!..
(wow Carl Tori is very pretty.. I suspect you follow her around with a shotgun so no one comes near! lol)
Deslily: I keep my Aragorn LOTR sword plenty sharp just in case. 😉
Andi: Thanks! 🙂
Love you lots and wish you a fantastic 18th birthday! Yes, the past 18 years have flown by, but seeing you for the first time as a newborn baby is still quite vivid in my memory. I always loved giving you kisses on your cheeks!! I have always admired your independence and know you are destined for great things!
Happy Birthday Tori!
Dad: Thank you dad for this wonderful post! I love you and mom so much, you are the best parents I could ever ask for!
To the Lovely Comments: Thank you guys so much!
Happy Birthday, Tori Tori!
Time sure has flown by! Gee Whiz!
We love you bunches and are very proud of you!
Your Tori is 18, my Daniel is 19, but we’re the same fun-loving, book-reading, blog-writing fools we’ve always been.
I’m glad you’re in for the JLC4.
A most Happy Birthday to your lovely daughter!
Happy birthday, Tori! What a beautiful smile! Best of luck in life. 🙂
Happy Birthday Tori from Zachary, Ashley, Keri and I !!!
I hope you have a wonderful day and I welcome you to the “club adulthood “. Membership is all what it’s cracked up to be… voting, responsibility, paying taxes, paying full price for movies, etc. It’s hard to believe you had to wait so long for all the best of gifts. 🙂
Happy, happy birthday, Tori! CONGRATS on so many wonderful things — family and friends who love you so much, and your accomplishments to date — college credits before you graduated high school!! Hugs, hugs and more hugs and lots of love too!
Birthday wishes to Tori – sounds like she’s got he act together as well! And Carl – you’re only as old as you allow yourself to act.
AlexJ: “you’re only as old as you allow yourself to act”. Hmmm…considering that the Del Toro news had me bopping around LOTR sites today and hearing the music playing on the Lord of the Rings dot net site got me all choked up then it is pretty apparent that I am still just a very big kid. 🙂
Oh my, how teary this post made me. Please wish that beautiful daughter of yours a very, very happy birthday from all of us in the Stevens family! I can only hope that mine grow up as wonderfully as Tori has.
What a lovely young lady! Happy Birthday Tori 🙂
And a nice post by Dad – very sweet. But we aren’t (just) getting older… we are getting smarter!!!
Tori, thanks for making ALL of us feel old. We really appreciate it!
At your graduation party it was cool seeing all those pictures from when you were real little and Lydia being there with you.
Thanks for being such a great example for all my girls. You really are someone they can look up to.
Happy Birthday Tori!!! She’s beautiful!! Hope she celebrated with style 😀
Happy Birthday Tori. Great haircut – it reminds me of anime and manga art.
I am right there with you in regards to the time traveling far faster now…we are getting old and it is felt more acutely when our children reach the age of 18. I have to tell you though, having an older child is an absolute joy! My oldest child is now 20, and I love it! While I am still Mom, and he will always be my son, he is now a person who likes our company, hangs out with us, seeks conversation, listens but still chooses his path, etc. Hard to describe…maybe it is a sense that he is his own…our molding and shaping period is done (for the most part), and now we can enjoy the fruits of labor (so-to-speak).
I wish your daughter well, peace and happiness as she starts the next leg of life’s journey.
ibeeg: Oh, I’m enjoying my daughter being older too. I just find it hard to believe that it all happened so quickly. I think you describe the situation quite well, and thank you.