Heading into the Tween Years With Our Birthday Girl Hunter

similar top  | similar jeans  |  flats

My first baby is turning 12 tomorrow and I cannot believe it!!! I swear we were just pulling away from the hospital wondering how they were letting us leave when we knew nothing! The years have completely flown by. Somehow we are heading into the Tween years with our sweet Hunter. She is honestly one of the kindest most thoughtful people I know. To help celebrate, today I’m sharing some of my favorite things about Hunter…and how we are feeling about the Tween years!

• She has had a huge growth spurt this past year. Every time I post one of our family pictures over on Instagram, you are all shocked at the fact that she is basically as tall as me. It is crazy. I even caught her trying on some of my jeans the other day and she is close to being able to share. I can’t even handle it. Where did the time go?!
• On that same note, she is really starting to show a lot more interest in planning out her outfits. She is getting better at matching them and putting them together herself, and loves accessorizing, especially with my jewelry. It has been so fun to be able to shop together more and be interested in the same stuff
• Hunter is the BEST babysitter and my complete right hand girl, especially when Joe is working. She helps bathe the babies and can put them down for naps or bedtime. The best part is they are just as in love with her as I am, especially Houston. Sometimes I think he would choose her over me and I love seeing their little bond.
• Hunter LOVES LOVES soccer. It is one of my favorite things to watch because I know how much heart and hard work she puts in to every game.
• She already knows she wants to go to BYU Hawaii and that it isn’t cheap. Her grades are her obsession and she is constantly checking them and making sure she is still on track, because she wants to earn a scholarship. I love this about her and that I don’t feel like I have to push her to work hard.
• Hunter is so incredibly kind to everyone, and never wants anyone to feel left out. With her being the oldest, I’ve always felt like she was kind of the trial and error child, but I always get the best feedback from teachers and other moms about how kind and inclusive she is. It is so refreshing as a mom to get that reminder that even though we  might feel like we’re failing, they really are remembering and practicing what we’ve taught them.

hunter top + similar here +  pants  |  hayden jumper  |  harper headband

So now that you know a little bit more about our awesome girl, I thought I’d share some of the fun and not so fun things that have come along with entering the Tween years, in hopes you’ll send me all your tips to surviving! Haha!

• The cell phone. Oh how in a lot of ways I wish they didn’t exist. She has been begging us for an iPhone and it isn’t going to happen. She has a flip phone so we can still keep tabs on her, and she about dies of embarrassment every time she has to pull it out.  But after getting a peek into the bullying and drama that came just from texting when she had an ipod, we are not even discussing that until she is at least 16. They are more harm than good in my book and I want her screen free as long as possible!
• She is really into her friends and entering that stage where she wants to be with them more than with us. Honestly it has been really hard on me. I know she has the sweetest friends. I don’t worry about that. She is just so great I just want to keep her to myself!
• She is starting to fight the “no sleepover” rule we have. But this is something we are for sure sticking to our guns. There are too many horror stories of what goes on at sleepovers, even with family. It’s just not worth the risk. Nothing good happens after midnight! We let her have late nights with her friends so she still gets to have the fun, but I don’t see the reason to add in the sleeping over part.
• And last but definitely not least, is makeup! She begs and begs to wear it all the time. When did you let your people start wearing makeup?! I swear I was in like 10th grade! It might sound crazy, but I’m considering letting her get her lashes tinted and curled so she feels like she has the look of makeup, without all the maintenance during her sports. Annnnd maybe that will push off her need to wear the other stuff. I can only hope.

If you can’t tell, we couldn’t love our Hunter girl more. Everyone she meets falls in love with her after knowing her for 5 minutes. I hope I can be more like her one day! Happy Birthday Hunter!!