Twelve-Year-Old Surprises

I have a twelve-year old now. I realize for many people and friends who are my same age, this is nothing new. In fact, some friends who are my same age are close to being grandparents now. But for me, this is my first time having a twelve-year old and I must say that I love it.

I have watched in amazement as my daughter has truly transformed from a child to a young woman this past year. I see it in her body in the form of a figure with curves and bumps. I see it her her skin that breaks out so easily now and in her hair that gets greasy after a day of not being washed. I see it in the fact that she cares about these things now and she's willing to wear deoderant, shower more frequently, and try some acne skincare products.

I see this transformation in her attitude that has blossomed with maturity and understanding. I know this is a time of hormones and body changes and all kinds of stuff that is supposed to make kids moody and unpredictable. Although I have seen those things, for the most part I've got a kid who is easier to talk to, easier to reason with, and so much fun to be around.

And the greatest thing of all, is that even though she's growing up and changing and becoming a beautiful young woman with all kinds of interests and potential, she still loves to be with me. I know this because she told me so.

For her (and Meg's shared) birthday, we had a little family celebration. Jared's mom and dad came down from West Jordan to spend the evening with us. We opened gifts and went to Chuck-A-Rama for dinner. What can I say, the girls LOVE the buffet and I remember choosing Chuck-A-Rama for my birthday dinner at the same age. How funny is that? We also had a family birthday party with my parents and Carrie and her family on the Sunday before their birthdays.

Then the Saturday after her birthday, Brita and I spent the whole day together and it was a day both of us were super excited about. We went shopping and bought her some of the sweetest church clothes - clothes that show that beautiful figure and make her actually look like a young woman. And we also bought a few shirts to add to the rainbow-of-t-shirts she is collecting. We went to Olive Garden for lunch and then we went to the salon so she could get her hair cut. She looked and felt beautiful. That evening, we hurried home so she could go with Jared and Leah to meet their Grandpa Szymanski at the theater for the 3-D showing of "The Hobbitt." Such a fun day for a twelve-year old.

Even though we'd spent the whole day together, had so much fun, and had talked all day, it wasn't until the next night that she let the tears spill onto her pillow as she told me about some hurtful things her best friend had said to her the Friday night before our big day. Again, I saw "young woman" written all over her expressions, her thinking patterns, and her communications. And I loved her so much as my heartache consumed me. Even though I've had some sad, hard things happen in my life, my heart never aches as much as when it's over my kids.

The two of us talked for a long time and we put her heart back together the best we could. After I tucked her in, I went to my bedroom and I asked my Heavenly Father for some direction so I could know how to help her.

Before I went to bed that night, I knew what I had to do and when I told Jared about my idea he was totally on board as well. I got Leah involved and we started planning her surprise birthday party. We decided to invite all the girls from the ward who are in her Beehive class as well as all the girls who will be joining that class this year. She doesn't go to the same school as any of these girls, and I think that makes her feel out of the loop sometimes. But I felt strongly that she needed to know that these girls accept her and consider her their friend regardless.

All day yesterday, Leah and I did as much as we could to get ready without Brita getting suspicious. By the time Jared asked her to go pick up pizza with him at 5pm, she didn't suspect a thing. In fact, she was totally excited about the family movie night I had told her we were having.

The girls all came almost right on time and signed a big poster, put their gifts on the table in the middle of the room, then waited impatiently for Brita to come home. I was thrilled with how excited all the girls were - many of them told me over and over how they'd always wanted to be part of a surprise party. They were scheming about where to hide for the biggest effect. I finally convinced them to just hang out in the family room and yell "Happy Birthday" when Brita opened the door.

Brita's reaction was so fun. She was completely caught off guard and once she figured out what was going on, she was totally cool and collected, but thrilled nonetheless. The girls ate pizza, played "Just Dance 4" on the Wii, played Guesstures for a minute, then watched "Madagascar 3" with yummy pizooki spin-offs that Leah helped me with. Leah had made cookie dough on Friday night while Brita was at a friend's birthday party, then we stored it in the refrigerator downstairs. When it was time for treats, we baked the cookies, put some ice cream on top, and the girls smothered it in toppings.

Brita was so happy and today she still is asking for details about how we planned her party and when. She told me it was so nice to know that we were thinking about her and planning such a fun surprise. I know she's grateful and that warms my heart.

Today as I was sitting in my place at the front of the classroom during Young Women's Opening Exercises, I loved that Brita was sitting right across from me and that I could see her "young woman-ness" radiating so brightly.

The age of twelve has been filled with all kinds of surprises. Surprise parties and gifts and friends for the birthday girl. And surprises for me that include a daughter who is growing up, living such a good life, and making choices that will bring her so much happiness now and in the years to come. I love having such a beautiful twelve-year-old in my life and I can't wait to discover the surprises this year will bring!