Alexia is SEVENTEEN! -

Late last month, we celebrated this girl’s birthday.

How in the world did we get here?

One year away from being a legal adult. My brain almost can’t comprehend this.

Alexia was our teeny, tiny firstborn. She came two weeks early (her sister would as well), and weighed in at 6lbs 1oz. Her head measured negative circumference. Her cry was so subtle and would take a while to gear up. Her newborn days were some of the most magical months of my life. I remember her only being able to stay awake in between feedings for a maximum of fifteen minutes. She was just the sweetest.

Alexia was quite reserved and quiet as a baby and toddler. She didn’t like new people holding her, even our own extended family, and she was overstimulated quickly.

Little did I know, she would grow into a determined, stubborn, curious and high capacity young girl and now young woman. We’ve always joked that she has a V8 engine and bigger capacity to do and go than the rest of our family combined. She is the most inclusive person I know, will go with the flow, but if poked and prodded enough, you will see the fighter in her come out. If there’s anyone in our family that is most willing to go toe-to-toe with me, it’s Alexia. She will for sure go on to do big things in this world.

Alexia has maintained a few faithful friends in the past seven years, since we moved to the eastern shore of Maryland. There have been some friends that have come and gone, just because life, but a small circle has been her go-to amidst the different seasons of her middle and high school life.

This last year has provided so many opportunities for independence. Last summer (as a sixteen year old), her and Naiya flew by themselves to the Philippines and stayed for a month. They spent some of their time at the Consider the Lily house, and the rest with friends of ours that live in Manila. They served as camp counselors at a church sports camp and then hung out with our family friends. Both of our girls clocked in TWO trips to the Philippines in the last year!

She is also now driving herself to and from school and practices and all the social things! It has been a game changer for her and for our family. Although I do miss the car time talks. 😢

This girl was built for adventure. Ryan and I can tell when her world has gotten small and stuffy, stuck in the same old routine, and her soul needs to get out into a bigger world to see and explore. She is the best version of herself when she is traveling and exploring new places and interacting with new and different people.

In Alexia’s junior year, she…

Spent her time riding and taking full responsibility for caring for her horses at our farm. She mows and tends to the three pastures we rotate the horses on, schedules and attends every vet and ferrier (files hooves) appointment, drives to the next state over to pickup hay, picks up deworming medicine at Tractor Supply, and of course the day-to-day feeding and filling water troughs. She has pioneered this venture and while it’s certainly expensive, we are consistently so impressed with her capacity for hard work. She is a true farm girl.