Jessica turned 18 today! I swear over the past four years, I was beginning to think we’d never get here! But whew. She is a bright energetic beautiful 18 year old with her whole life stretched out in front of her. She seems to be making more and more steps to adulthood every day, and I think someday she may even get there! I just wonder what the next 18 years old for her! The possibilities are endless and are entirely in her hands!

She had grand plans of celebrating her 18th by purchasing lotto tix, visiting porn shops, getting things pierced and tatooed, buying cigarettes…registering to vote (and for the draft) but instead she went to a meeting at work, did some shopping with her gift certificates and went out to dinner with the family…..where her baby sister smeared catsup all over her new windbreaker. I don’t know if she was disappointed with her 18th birthday or not, but all in all, I think it was a nice day. She did have a “shin-dig” on Saturday with some of her coworkers from work. They played pool and poker, and ate a bunch of food and laughed and partied all night long! (well until about 9:30 because everyone had to get up early the next day….remember that commercial from way back when…”Time to make the donuts“…well her friends all wake up saying, “Time to make the bagels”

Happy birthday Jessica.. The child who taught me how strong I really was…the child who stole my childhood & my heart…the child who became my everything.