Birthday Wishes for Olivia

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, OLIVIA!


Let me tell you about our granddaughter Olivia. She is an artist. She has an eye for photography, and takes a really good picture with her mom's camera. Also, she is good at drawing and coloring. When I was shopping at the used book store over in Houston, I saw a coloring book of ocean pictures that were very detailed, kind of like pen-and-ink drawings that could be finished with colored pencils. You should see the picture Olivia completed while I was with her in Austin -- she did such a beautiful job with all of the sea creatures, shells and plant-life. Her collection of colored pencils was huge! I was impressed with her patience and her ability. She also has started doing some scrapbooking and is awesome with her designs and layout!

Olivia is also very athletic. She has taken gymnastics and can do cartwheels, stand on her hands, do those backwards bendovers and all kinds of physical maneuvers! She is beautiful to watch as she demonstrates her skills (although she has to be begged to do them!)

She is also a flutist! Last year in the fifth grade, her whole class learned to play the recorder. This year, in sixth grade, Olivia is learning to play the flute. It is a lot of hard work, but she is doing really well with it. She has a natural inclination towards music anyway, and has a beautiful singing voice. How blessed she is!

Olivia is also a good care-giver for Jackson and Karis. This isn't always easy to do when you are only 12, but she is really capable and seems to enjoy interacting with them and caring for them. Mostly, her mom takes care of all of their business anyway; but when called upon, Olivia comes through!

When I look at Olivia, I see a beautiful young girl with perfect skin, wonderful thick curly dark hair (which Olivia wishes was straight), a bright mind and a heart that welcomes friendship and love. We enjoy spending time with her, but we don't get to do that very often. We are sending her much love for her twelfth birthday! Hoping this is your best year ever so far, dear! (my editor, Suz, is pretty tenacious with her corrections -- see her comment!)