Her Birthday but MY Surprise

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Sunday was my daughter's 16th birthday, and for her birthday she surprised me!

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She received her Young Woman's Medallion.

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She never told me she was working on her Personal Progress. She was doing it in secret.

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That is eight 10 hour projects (among lotsa other things) behind her momma's back. All because she wanted to surprise me.

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Here is her first journal entry-

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Did you catch that? Her first words in her journal are "haha". Bless her heart.

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And this is her journal, to explain why she wrote- I know this diary is super lame but it was my only option.

This is what she said next.

What's so cute about this is that she may love being sneaky, but she stinks at it. I was so on to her. She's the worst liar in the world!

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She really thought she was pulling it off though, here is another journal entry a few months after she began.

And then there is this.

Now, truth be told, her dad was oblivious to her sceams. And her schemes. But..... well... bless his heart too.

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So I wasn't completely surprised in a SURPRISE! sort of way but yet I still was because I was suspicious but not 100% sure of anything. You know what I mean? Even though I was 99.9% sure.

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Sunday night Rae and I got to sit down and chat about it, she told me about who all was involved in helping her, what her 10 hour projects were, "Remember when I made dinner for you for 2 weeks and then suddenly stopped?"..... and she showed me her journal.

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I love her journal. Her sharing that with me was the icing on the cake.

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This one cracked me up-

Then she wrote-

An

And these two entries are the reality of Personal Progress (and life).......H

Ain't it? Ain't it?! Sometimes we do good, and sometimes we try and it's a big thumbs down. But the point is to never ever ever give up.
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So here is the date she started this adventure.

.AAnd she completed it on February 21st. Her 16th birthday.

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She was wanting to finish it sooner, by the end of 2009. Her cousin (who inspired her to do this) did it over the summer (before her 14th birthday!!) and so she wanted to do it in the same time frame. But I reminded her that she had a heavy load in school last semester and also passed off all 25 Scripture Mastery so she done good! It's all good!!

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She closed her Personal Progress Disney Princess journal with her testimony. And I'll keep the sacred, sacred. But I'll share this-

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Because I am so grateful for good leaders. Righteous leaders. It makes all the difference and I know it and so does Rae.

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I am so pleased with my Rae of Sunshine.

She's most definitely living up to her name and I am so appreciative of it.

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She's an example to me. When I grow up, I want to be like Rae.

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