Letting Go Again... Sweet Sixteen

My daughter turned 16 today. Hubby and I reminisced about the day she was born, and how we've never been the same. The only girl between our two boys, we call her the "cream" in our Oreo.

She went to school. She came home and went straight to the Registry of Motor Vehicles. She took her driving learner's permit test and passed. We celebrated with a coffee toast at Starbucks and a beginner's driving lesson around an open empty parking lot in the family van.

Dinner and the cake were her specially ordered "favorites" from Mom's kitchen menu. There were 16 candles and about 1600 calories per slice. Presents, cards, hugs, pictures clicked.

She is ours --in this precious little circle of 5--to cherish for this moment in time ... until we have to share her with her pals over the weekend at "the party."

And she is growing up. And we are s-l-o-w-l-y letting her go.