Belated Birthday Celebrations

Kemper turned 16 in November, but it took us 7 weeks to be able to celebrate with her friends and then another month to be able to go out for her gifts. Between her never-ending cross country season that was extended an extra month for several national meets, our American Gold Star Christmas project, the holidays and The House That Love Built, this is one busy family!

(and no, I don’t remember what actually happened to the cake in the picture…I think a younger brother may have gotten to the icing before we got it to the table!)

Kemper, named after five time Olympic athlete Hunter Kemper, is a talented athlete. She is determined and gives 100% effort at every practice or meet. These days, she’s running an average of five miles a day at track practice and swimming for two hours after that. Her athletic drive is staggering.

She’s doing well in school, thank God. I am always so blessed when I see her choose to get her studying done and I don’t have to nag her to be on top of her work.

But my favorite thing about Kemper is her ability to keep a cool head. She can preside over an argument unruffled, see things from someone else’s viewpoint, and her ability to diffuse a situation is a true gift. She laughs when a wee one has a temper tantrum instead of getting angry. She looks for the good in her siblings. She has joy. And if I had a dime for every time she hugs on or encourages a younger bother or sister– well– we’d make Bill Gates look poor.

Since she turned sixteen, we went to Sephora for new makeup. In our home the “rule” is that you have to be 16 to wear makeup– although just about every girl bends that to one degree or another. Especially Verity.

After her makeover, we went for a drive and snapped a few pictures…

Before enjoying dinner on Palm Beach…

And came home to a houseful of excited little sisters dying to get into her new stash of “make-ups.” Here’s to hoping Kemper actually gets to use her new things before Verity tries to pilfer away Kemper’s gifts!