Every Summer since my niece Katie was in Junior High, she is now a Junior in High School, she has come to visit and stay with Gary and I for a week or 2 before school starts. Each year we look forward to her visits, she is just so fun to have around. Watching her change from 12 to 16 has been quite interesting to watch….if you are a parent of a girl you know exactly what I am talking about but of course on a MUCH higher scale, after all you are the parent so you get it much worse….the Aunties and Uncles get their good sides when they are going from tween to teen!

We have watched her go from a tomboy who only had use for boys if they were playing sports together! To a girlie girl with a lot of crushes on guys, to what we call her ‘dark faze’ dark hair, dark makeup, dark clothes, dark attitude!! To her Katy Perry style phase to where she is now, her own cool, kick back, edgy style along with an independent attitude! Remember being 16 how grown up you felt and couldn’t wait to be on your own, that is now where her head is at! Add in a boyfriend of 6 months and there is no more denying she is not a little girl anymore:(…….

Here is where the driving comes in, really holy crap she was driving me around during this last visit! When the hell did that happen? One minute I am changing my nieces poopy diapers and the next she is driving!! Yes I know I have 3 other nieces that have all been driving for years but this is the first one to drive me around, I don’t know it just really hit me how fast it all goes by…..She actually drove the speed limit, stopped fully at Stop signs, used her blinker, didn’t tailgate…..hmmmmmmm probably because she was with her Aunt, since we have the same blood I know there is a lead foot, California rolling, tailgater inside of her!!! Wonderful….sarcasm here!!!