Kylee

My niece is a high school graduate... This makes me feel insanely old!  She just left her childhood behind and soon begins adulthood.  I don't know about her, but I was sad when I graduated, I had so much fun as a kid, and wasn't quite ready to give it up.  Why is it that we only get to be kids for 18 short years, and then all of a sudden we have to adult?  She goes to USU in the fall, and I know she will have so much fun with that!
I remember when I was told we'd have a new addition to the family.  It was quite the shock, but I remember being so very excited! It was like getting a new baby sister!  I was 9 at the time, and I remember making Jaydale a list of boys and girls names, and at the time was pretty into the chipmunks, so I had strategically placed the names "Alvin", "Simon", and "Theodore" throughout the boys list.  Jaydale caught on anyways.
And then all of a sudden she was here!  And with that gorgeous red hair to boot.  And she was exactly like a little sister to me, was even a little annoying at times if you can believe it, but man was she a cute kid.  She was my little buddy.  I hope she knows what a blessing she was when she joined the family, and how much we loved having a little baby in the house.
As a kid, Kylee loved horses, and "My Littlest Pet Shop", and her little red boots that could make her run fast!  We always found it strange that we had a whole closet full of Barbies and she wasn't interested.  She loved riding her little red trike, and going for walks on the canal road with me and Grandma Robyn.
One thing I always loved about Kylee is that she held on to her childhood a little longer that a lot of the kids her age.  Kids seem to be growing up fast these days, but Kylee held on a little longer and I love that she did.
When Kylee started making the transition from kid to teenager, she came from being the annoying "little sister" to my friend, and where I actually got to hang out with her and have conversations, and that was and still is so fun.  She's become this sassy, spunky young woman, who drives a car, and kisses boys, and next year should could buy cigarettes if she wanted to! (but better not!)  All of a sudden she's this adult person and it still blows my mind!
It was fun to go up to her house and celebrate her graduation with a meal, and then the graduation ceremony at Rich High.  Harlow almost graduated to, but I pulled her off stage before that could happen.
And now she is a graduate, who plans to attend USU, who already has her CNA, and I know she will do wonderful things with her life.  It's been an honor to watch her grow up, be her aunt, sister and friend, and I look forward to what her future holds.