Julia Myhre, 13-year-old wonder

Julia came into our family 13 years ago, taking her sweet time 2 weeks past her due date. She still hates to be rushed. She values friendship, finds joy in being helpful, holds her own against the boys on the football pitch, practices simple hymns on the piano, sets a lovely and hospitable table every night, makes her opinions clear when her brother gets in her way, writes descriptively, and frequently needs a hug. She has a passion for trees, and one of her gifts was tree seeds which she plans to nurture into seedlings. She is more concerned with practicality than fashion, and her signature look is the bandana. Her only request for a Bday gift: a pocket knife, like her brothers have, which comes in very handy camping. Hmmm, not the average 13-year-old-girl gift, but I well remember the thrill of a good pocket knife. So we ordered one on the internet and had Scott Will bring it, and her face just lit up. And as she opened it, I thought, not a bad thing for a girl who is as beautiful, friendly, and integrated into the culture as Julia is, to be armed. Sigh.

Though she's 13 and looking like 16, she's a kid at heart. She chose a "Phantom Tollbooth" theme for her party, which is a fantastic little book that is a must-read for 7 to 70 year olds. We have a very game team, and everyone dressed up at characters from the book, and participated good-naturedly in games ranging from an auditory charades (guess the sound), to creating a wild paragraph out of a pile of random words, to a "jump to conclusions" bag-race relay. We tried to beat the inevitable evening rain by planning a mid-day party, but alas, as soon as we carried everything outside into the bright sunshine storm clouds rolled in, thunder rumbled, and we were driven back inside, which was a bit discouraging. Still, the most fun for Julia was setting up all the balloons and decorations, even if they did get drenched. And the rain did lighten to a misting sprinkle in time for the games.

It was a full and fun day, wholesome and encouraging and community-oriented. The same three girl-friends who have been at almost every Bday for Julia since she was a baby joined her in addition to a couple of other kids and the whole team. Julia is a precious jewel in our lives, and I am very thankful for the willingness of so many people to gather around her and honor her today.