My New Favorite 12 Year Old

Lauren turned 12 yesterday! There are no words to describe how lucky you are if you have a Lauren in your life. She makes everything fun and exciting. I can't believe she has been alive for a dozen years! I am old.

12 things you should know about Lauren:

1. Lauren was born on February 25th and thus shares a birthday with one of our favorite Beatles, George Harrison, who gave the world some amazing songs like Here Comes the Sun and While My Guitar Gently Weeps. February 25th is also the birthday of Jimmer Fredette and the actors who play the Weasley twins. Clearly Lauren is destined for fame.

2. We were all sure Lauren was going to be a boy. She wasn't, but she's probably the most tomboy-ish of any of my sisters. Once we found out Lauren wasn't going to be an Isaac, her name was almost Chelsea Olivia. I pointed out that then her initials would be COW. Lauren Grace it was.

3. On the day Lauren was born, my dad started calling her Lollie and never stopped. Everyone else started calling her that too, and it's only been during the past few years that anyone at all has called her Lauren. There is no telling how many times she has had to hear the song, "Lollie Lollie Lollie get your adverbs here."

4. Lauren loves learning about anything and everything. She is the most likely in our family to spend a meal spouting off random facts and sometimes she'll call me just to tell me something interesting she just read about. She is very enthusiastic about animals, the environment, and all things science. Her favorite TV shows are Cats 101 and Untamed and Uncut.

5. Lauren learned to walk on Thanksgiving Day when she was only 9 months old, but she took a while to figure out the whole talking thing. She talked ALL the time, but she could only pronounce about half of the letters in the alphabet. Until she was like 8. So she had a very distinct way of talking for quite a while that I used to be able to imitate.

6. Lauren and Rachel love to write, choreograph, and act in their own musicals together. All their plays have been successes amongst the extended family, but my personal favorite is Puberty the Musical.

7. Lauren's letter to Jane Goodall was published in Time Magazine, and she was recently featured in the newspaper for her involvement in the Junior Fire Corps. Like I said. Fame.

8. Lauren's laugh lights up my whole life. She is always doing something weird and goofy. Like most people in my family, she is not content to sit around. "Let's do something guys!" is her catchphrase.

9. Boys like Lauren because she is funny and "sporty." (She has some boys fighting over her at school, but she refuses to talk about it. We find out from their parents, and then when we bring it up she gets WAY awkward and goes all denial on us.) She loves tennis. And just playing in general.

10. Lauren's teacher thinks she is going to be a politician. Lauren thinks she is going to be an orangutan trainer or a herpetologist. I had to look it up too.

1. Lauren listens to the oldies station on the radio. She loves the Beatles. That's kind of a requirement for being my sister.

12. There are a lot more things I could say! Like, she always wears a jacket to school because she hates the feeling of her skin touching paper. She once had asked a member of the Jamaican bobsled team to sign her arm. He did. She puts ketchup on EVERYTHING.

But my favorite thing about Lauren is that she has never been afraid to be herself. She loves being different. She doesn't let anyone else's attitude affect her intense enthusiasm for life. People love being around Lauren because she is comfortable being herself and letting others do the same.

I love you, Lauren Grace!

 Lauren's reaction to SeaWorld

Read Lauren's blog! Click HERE

Lauren reading the dictionary. In her orangutan slippers. With the Uruguay flag painted on her face.