Tessa Mary - Yesterday and Today

Today is Tessa's 10th birthday.

Tessa was our 16th grandchild and 7th granddaughter.

Tessa is a very important part of this large family.

and a very, very important part of this beautiful family.

I wrote about Tessa in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.

Those posts tell a lot about Tessa and the following pictures will show how she's changed 'through the years'.

 So now we can see how Tessa has changed in so many ways 'through the years' but now I want to talk about what Tessa's been up to for the past year.  And what a busy year it's been for her - full of changes and very special events.  Last year on her birthday, her dad had just moved across the country to go to school for the Army which was not an easy change since she's always been close with her daddy.

That meant she and her mom spent a lot of time together which was not new - just more intense than in recent years.  Here they are on a field trip up Pikes Peak last Spring.

And she spent Christmas in Florida; and the week between Christmas and New Years in Gulf Shores with her giant extended family.

In March, she and her mom met up with her dad so they could look for their new home and it was a great reunion.

They all met at their new house in the south and have been together ever since.  Another event for Tessa this year happened when her parents and her best cousin friend's parents arranged for the girls to spend a week together at Tessa's new house.  They had a wonderful time.

So for Tessa it's been a year of new - new location, new house, new school, new friends, and even new climate.  But she's adjusting well and is still the same, sweet girl she's always been.  Which leads me to the many more things I want to mention about Tessa.  First of all she's loves the outdoors including swings

which is nothing new since she's always enjoyed swings.

She loves to swim

And one of the perks of meeting her dad to look for a house in March was having him join her in the pool.

And she's a great swimmer

She loves animals and is anxious for her dog to love swimming as much as she does.

But most importantly she loves spending time in the pool with her mom

and her dad.

She's also very organized and responsible.  Here she is getting ready for the arrival of the moving truck with all her furniture.

And she's quirky, 

 adventuresome,

and sweet.

She's unfailingly thoughtful, loving, and sensitive, has a great sense of humor, and is always agreeable and cooperative.

For these reasons and a thousand others, we're wishing her the happiest birthday ever and a year filled with accomplishments and joy!  Happy Birthday, Tessa!  We love you!