Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen

Last Friday afternoon my kitchen counters looked like this:

And the bureau in the mudroom looked like this:

And my backyard looked like this:

I bet you’d like to know why my counters were covered with hamburger, lettuce and chicken wings. And why the mudroom was loaded with taco shells and flour tortillas. And probably you’d especially like to know why we had one of our Civil War canopies set up in the backyard, all decorated with Mexican blankets and chili pepper lights and other Southwestern type stuff.

Well, I’ll tell you why. It was all in preparation for my daughter Hannah’s Sweet Sixteen Party. Here she is, the little darlin’!

One of Hannah’s favorite things is tacos so we decided to have a taco bar for the main food at her birthday party. And once we’d decided that, well, we just sort of ran with it as a theme. It was fun to come up with the decorations and food ideas and the tacos were a really big hit with the kids – and adults, too, frankly.

We hired a DJ and the kids enjoyed the music and some karaoke, too, including a pretty funny rendition of “Hot, Hot, Hot” from Hannah’s friends and a very sweet rendition of “Sixteen Candles” from Hannah’s dad, aka Dale.

And now here we are today – Hannah’s actual 16th birthday – and I’m wondering where the hell the time has gone. Really, I blinked and now here she is, a junior in high school, itching to drive a car, get a job and go to college. And all the while I just want to stop time and make her my little girl again. Sniff.

Won’t you all join Dale and I and wish her a very happy sweet sixteen? Thanks! And pass the Kleenex.

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Comments (56)

  4. Happy Birthday Hannah!

    And to Carole, I understand. My daughter just turned 10 years old. I cried. My husband asked why. I said “My baby is 10”. He said, “Isn’t that what we were hoping for?”

  9. Happy Birthday Hannah! Carole, I know what you mean about time going too fast. I have two daughters (13 and 10 1/2) and just “yesterday” they were little girls. I blinked my eyes and I have a teen and a tween! Yikes!!

    All the best,
    Carolyn

  10. Happy birthday, Hannah! And if you have any Kleenex left, Carole, I need some, too. You’re so right about our kids wanting to go forward and us wanting to go back.

  15. Happy 16th birthday!!!

    Looks like a great do – you guys soooo rock 🙂

    ps. – whatever silly thing my computer was doing, it seems to have stopped, and now I can *see* your lovely pictures, yay!

  16. Happy Birthday, Hannah! You have some really cool parents — sounds like you had a lovely party.

    I remember our firstborn’s sweet sixteen. We ordered a six foot sub sandwich, which came on a board. Then we had to figure out how to get it home in our car! VBG!

  17. I just sent my daughter off to school for the first time yesterday. She got up early this morning to ride the bus…for the first time! It hit me a bit ago and I cried. My baby is growing up, but it hit Daddy for the first time today when he let his little girl get on the bus by herself. He fought the urge to get into the car and drive behind the bus to make sure she got there ok.

    Happy Birthday Hannah, cherish being 16, it goes by really quickly. I mean..I was JUST 16…like…10 years ago.

  20. Happy Happy Birthday Hannah! You have grown into a beautiful young lady!

    Carole – I know the feeling………my baby turns 13 on sunday and I want to freeze time some days. And on other days I want her to go back to being 6 years old so I don’t have to deal with the teenage attitude.

  21. Happy Birthday Hannah!! I feel the same way about my oldest niece. She is 15 and I have no idea where the time went. When she went to high school last year it hit me that I was in high school when she was born – NO FAIR!!

  22. Happy Birthday Hannah! You can share my kleenex..my baby started Kindergarten Tuesday. I have plenty! 🙂

  25. Oh golly, happy birthday, Hannah! Wonderful party. I think the sadness can be mixed with boatloads of pride, that she is growing up so well.

  26. Happy Birthday to Hannah! You must be so proud of her. She’s a beautiful and bright girl. Enjoy every minute with her. Time really does fly. It seems that there are reminders of just how fast it goes everywhere I turn – DQ starting middle school, a friend’s son starting his senior year. It makes your head spin.

  31. Happy happy 16 years Hannah! What a wonderful family you have. Enjoy this special time with your family.

  36. Happy 16th birthday, Hannah! As wonderful as it is to grow up, I promise that you’ll look back on this time in your life and remember it fondly, so take the time to enjoy these years and enjoy all the moments you get to spend with your mom and dad.

  40. Happy birthday Hannah!!
    And hugs to mom and dad to making it this far! I will be in your shoes next June when my oldest 2 turn 16!!! ACK

  41. Happy Sweet 16!

    Your post got me a little teary eyed! It’s so hard to think that in just 3 short years my baby girl will be turning 16! My last blog was about her turning 13! Time goes by so fast.

    Blessings to all of you!

  42. Happy Birthday to the beautiful Hannah.
    Sounds like it was an awesome party. Wow.

    I am totally with you about how fast they become adults. My youngest turns 18 in 2 weeks.
    pass the kleenex over this way, my friend.

  48. Well, I know you don’t want to hear this, but she looks older than 16! Such a beautiful young lady. We have six months left before my daughter’s 16th. I love the idea of the taco bar for a party! Happy (belated) birthday, Hannah.

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