15 years!

 Tomorrow Izzy turns 15 and I can hardly believe this day is already here.  This year has been full of new experiences for Izzy; traveling to Europe with classmates and getting her level 1 license.  Her independence is growing and so is her hair! It is as long as I have ever known it to be and it is a beautiful honey-brown, just like her dad's (used to be!).  She continues to find books to read, at this point I believe it is 196 since her last birthday.  She was really trying for 200, but she was neglecting her family and missing out on some fun, so we convinced her to give it another go next year.  Izzy loves to play games and usually beats her opponents.  She is secretly competitive like her Nema.  This year we did lots of puzzles together, watched lots of Jimmy Fallon, and our latest bonding is over true crime documentaries.  She seems just as fascinated by them as I am.  She excels at school and is routine by nature. She continues to eat the same lunch that she has packed for I think the last 4 years, and is happy about it.   In true teenage fashion she loves to sleep in, we often have to wake her on the weekends.  She is currently looking for her first "real" job, other than the concession stand, to raise money for another trip to Europe that she is planning for 2024.  We took her to dinner tonight for her favorite meal, a side of rice and a side of bean and a shirley temple.  She has found some strong, intelligent friends at school, and her vocabulary and intelligence continues to grow.  She has started a new love of Cross Word puzzles to take after her Grandpa.  Despite the major differences between Izzy and Lucy they continue to play/wrestle and be goofy together.  These rare moments are some of the best in our house.  We love you and are so proud of you Izzy.  Please continue to ask your questions, read your books, enjoy the simple things and puzzle away!  "Don't be afraid to make waves.  The moon does it all the time."  Cheers to another wonderful trip around the sun.