young lady
My grandniece, Aurora Hadlock started 8th grade yesterday. I keep asking myself, “How can that be?” She was just a baby the day before that, wasn’t she? No, of course, she wasn’t, but time certainly flies. She has grown into a beautiful young lady, who is definitely her mother, Chelsea Hadlock’s mini-me! Aurora is also in her second year of volleyball and totally loves it, despite the fact that practice is before school every day at 6am!! Now that’s dedication. This past weekend, she got to go to a comic con, so she could see the guys from Twilight. She loved walking around dressed up as Max from Stranger Things and buying art and Funko Pops. Still, Aurora’s favorite thing is reading and learning. She can always be found with a few books in her bag, just in case there is a moment to read.
Aurora has her own style. She is funny, clever, weird (and proud of it!), kind, compassionate, and encouraging. Her carefree style and the ease with which she communicates with people has made her a lot of friends, all of whom she calls her “bestie”, including her grandpa, Chris Hadlock!! She’s really finding her own way, with fashion and everything else, as she is quickly becoming a young woman. I love that she is following her own heart in all things, and not being just led along by what others think is style. She may like some things others do, but only if it suits her. She is her own girl. Full of confidence and spunk!! That’s as it should be.
Aurora has a sweet heart, and she is very good with her cousins, Adelaide, Mackenzie and Jolene. They absolutely love to play with Aurora!! She never acts like they are in the way, or that their games are beneath her. Rare qualities in a teenager. They all ask if she will be there every time the family all gets together…and I’m sure she will do her best to do so. She is definitely someone they all look up to!! She is such a sweetheart!!
When I asked about story ideas for Aurora, her aunt, Lindsay Moore said, “Oh you mean, Caroline?” Lindsay then went on to say, “Aurora is such a fun character and she has perfected her southern accent! We love Aurora. She is a kind and sweet girl! She is quickly growing up, but I still want to hold her like a little teeny tiny baby! She is a kind and sweet girl!!” I think that most of us feel the very same way.
The “Caroline” part intrigued me, so I asked about it. Lindsay told me, “It’s her southern name!! Lindsay said, “Aurora is Caroline, and they named Mackenzie (Lindsay’s daughter) Savannah when we were camping together.” The story goes like this according to Chelsea, “In 5th grade, Aurora’s teacher gave the class “southern names” because she was from the south and they thought it was funny. Aurora’s southern name was Caroline, and since then she will occasionally put on a southern accent and call herself Caroline. She’s so funny.” Well, there you have it Aurora is also “Caroline” and has perfected her southern accent too!! Today, Aurora is a teenager. Happy 13th birthday Aurora!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My great grandniece, Alice Green is growing up “so darned fast” as her mom tells me. Her parents, Melanie and Jake Harman really wish she would just slow down. Today, Alice is turning 10 and that just seems so impossible!! This coming school year will be her last year of elementary school. That seems impossible to me. I mean, she is only in 5th grade, but these days 6th grade is middle school, so there you go. Alice is a good student and works hard at her studies. I know that middle school is going to be a wonderful new experience for her, and I am so excited for the future changes that will bring, but for now, I know she will enjoy being one of the big kids on campus, and that will be fun for her too. It’s very strange that the older your kids get, the faster the years go by. The old song, “Don’t Blink” comes to my mind, with its big hint of sadness. Parents have to stay focused on every milestone, every event, and every little moment, because they will be gone before we know it, and the kids will be all grown up.
Alice is still a great big sister and growing into a beautiful young lady. Still, while her love for her family remains the same, many of her opinions and attitudes are changing. She is, after all, a teenager in a 10-year-old’s body!! Like the “terrible twos,” the teenage years creep up on you when you aren’t looking, and they often begin around ten or so. It’s not that Alice is sassy or anything, just getting so mature. She is a very sweet natured girl, and I really love how she interacts with her family, and especially her siblings. Isabella and Jaxx look up to their big sister, 
and she is always very good to them. It is a great blessing to their parents, and I love to see it too.
Alice and her stepdad, Jake have a unique relationship. It is really very little like a stepdad/stepdaughter relationship, and very much like a goofy kind of daddy/daughter relationship. They love to play random acts of rudeness on each other, both knowing that it’s a joke and all in good fun. Her mom thinks that’s what keeps the relationship so close. Alice is also very close with her mom too and very much Melanie’s mini-me…in looks and in personality. She is also a big help to Melanie with the younger children. Today is Alice’s 10th birthday. Happy birthday Alice!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
So much has changed over the past thirteen years. My grand niece, Jaydn Mortensen has gone from being a shy little girl to a confident young lady, who really excels at anything she puts her mind to. Jaydn lives in Rawlins, so we don’t get to see her as much as we would like, and that was probably why she was a little more shy at first, but once she knew that we are her family too…well, that settled it. Jaydn was always a bubbly little girl who was always on the go, and the fact that her parents, Sean and Amanda lead very active lives, made that the norm for Jaydn too.
They love spending the summer weekends at Seminole Reservoir, and that has made Jaydn…for lack of a better word…a bit of a fish. She has grown up on that lake, and she loves to swim, ski, and go boating. The lake is practically her home away from home. When Sean and Amanda go to the lake on the weekends, there is always a big group of friends who go too, so there are always other kids for Jaydn to play with, although she is getting to old of “play” exactly. Nevertheless, she not to big to have a great time hanging with her friends and family at the lake.
All that aside, Jaydn’s first love is horses. She loves to ride, and loves to compete. She competes in rodeo, and 
other riding events too. She has become quite an accomplished horsewoman, and we are all very proud of her accomplishments. She is so completely at home with her horses and in the arena. Nevertheless, she is growing into such a beautiful and graceful young lady, and I am always amazed at the changes in her, but then I guess I shouldn’t be. She comes from great parents, who have given her the freedom and the means to fulfill her dreams, and have cheered her along all the way. Today is Jaydn’s 13th birthday. Happy birthday Jaydn!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
