She's seventeen today.
Seventeen.
It sounds so elegant.
So, grown up.
She'll forever be the baby though,
No growing out of that one.
Dad took us, Emily, and Cody out to the sandbar.
Perfect Florida afternoon.
I took a lot more 'sky' photos than I thought.
But you've got to admit,
Florida clouds are the best.
You know the part in all those movies,
where the four friends are at the beach,
and the music starts,
and they go and run through all the birds,
and the birds fly all over and it's a beautiful scene.
We had that moment today.
Kind of.
The other three were lame.
And couldn't do it.
If you want something done right, do it yourself.
So I ran, with my camera, and all the birds scattered around.
It was just like the movies.
Invigorating.
The sandbar was relaxing.
Sunny.
Not busy.
Cassie's birthday.
We all got stung by some sea creature though.
We're alive, so that's good.
We clean up so well,
am I right?
I'm right.
Dinner was at Cassie's choice,
the "Kona Beach Cafe" in Jensen Beach.
Risky, because she picked it on a whim - but it turned out to be quite the place.
All I'm saying is,
"We'll be returning"
[Hah, dad]
All I'm saying is,
Hawaii Hamburger and Mango Pie.
Dang.
So good.
Right next to our table was a live musician.
He had a great playlist.
Here Comes the Sun.
Benny and the Jets.
[A family favorite, by the way]
Landslide.
More Beatles.
More oldies.
More favorites.
And we even got him to sing the Beatles Birthday Song for Cassie.
[A tip may have been necessary]
Here's Cassie with the celebrity himself:
If he looks a little scary,
that would be because he is.
But he was a good musician.
He got our table to sing together and helped us better celebrate Cassie's birth.
On our way home,
we stopped by the Roosevelt Bridge to admire the pink lights that have been put up
for Breast Cancer Awareness.
I wish I could say the photos did the scene justice,
but it's the thought that counts.
Right...?
Ok,
so I know I'm not the best gift giver in the universe,
and people joke that all I give are photos and hand made frames,
well whatever.
So when times like these come along,
I call it my stroke of genius.
And I'm really proud
because I become the best gift giver ever.
You might not think it's that great of a gift,
but trust me,
it is.
"I met Li'l Sebastian at the Pawnee Harvest Festival"
best.gift.ever.
No question.
[Maybe next to the TSWIFT tickets my mom surprised her with?!]
...but still.
Parks and Rec.
Yes.
A frog.
Bentley.
and Chesney.
And now 17 things Cassie related.
1. “We have to remember what’s important in life: friends, waffles, and
work. Or waffles, friends, and work. But work has to come third.” -
Leslie Knope
2. "No I'm not! I'm belina!"
3. That one time you skipped school.
Oh wait...
4. "YOU CAN'T SIT WITH US!"
5. That time you put a knife to my head.
6. That time I smeared your peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich in your hair.
[becuase you put a knife to my head]
7. "Geogia, why'a yo legs orange?!"
8. This face:
9. And this one:
10. Li'l Sebastien.
11. The time we saw the nurse sharks.
12. You moving to Hawaii.
13. Hah, yeah right.
14. When you were o b s e s s e d with doing that obnoxious laugh after everything you said.
eh-hi-hi-huugh.
15. Singing - all.the.time.
"aaaaand IIIIIeeeIIII, will aaaalways loooovve youuuoohhooohh!"
16. You're sweet sixteenth birthday party.
That was so much fun.
17. You're seventeen.
You're funny,
and bright.
You could even put a smile on Debbie Downer's face.
See!
Happy Birthday Cassie!
Seventeen trips around the sun,
it's quite the accomplishment.
