A little shout-out to my girl

I have to give a little shout-out to Katelyn.  She is just a sweetheart and so helpful to me.  I can't imagine life without her.  She is such a ray of sunshine and her charming smile and dimples light up the room.  She has the best laugh and gets uncontrollable giggles that are contagious.  She has a great sense of style and loves to "dress cute".  She is always willing to help out with things around the house, making meals, and organizing or packing for outings or vacations.  She is the first to ask, "What can I do, Mom?" or "Is there anything else you need help with?"  And she usually does it with little complaining.  She never stops as long as there is work to be done. 

She also is a huge help with her little sister.  I was concerned that with a five-year age difference that Katelyn would be "too cool" or mature to play with Carlee but she is always so willing to play dress-up, dolls, school, house, pretend, and go along with Carlee's ideas.  She helps Carlee with baths and getting dressed.  They read stories together and listen to music while singing and dancing.  She always comforts Carlee when accidents happen or feelings are hurt.  Katelyn is truly a great big sister and an even better daughter. 

Katelyn is extremely responsible and is always concerned with the daily activities and schedule of where our family members are going and what they are doing.  Sometimes I tell her that she needs to relax and be a kid and I'll worry about the "parent" stuff.  She is dedicated to her school work and hobbies.  She is extremely ambitious and wants to do well.  Kate is a hard worker and we are so proud of all that she accomplishes every day.

Katelyn is a really good friend.  She really tries hard to schedule her days so that she has time to play with everyone for some amount of time.  It gets really tricky because sometimes feelings get hurt and she worries about that constantly.  If she is already playing with someone, she really tries to squeeze in other playdates to accommodate everyone and make people happy.  She loves to play with her friends, be silly, and have fun.  They are very imaginative and come up with some great games and ideas.  Katelyn is really easy-going and will play just about anything with a good attitude to include everyone's ideas.  Even if she isn't very fond of the game, she will be a good sport and go along with the group.  She is a natural peacemaker and makes sure that everyone has a good time and is happy.  If arguments break out, she tries to find the best solution and compromise.  She has a really good group of friends and they have so much fun together.  I am so grateful that they all bring each other up and are good examples to each other. 

We love you, Katie-bug!  Thanks for being who you are and working so hard to do what's right.