She's 19

It's Mariana's birthday. I asked Victor what I should say for her birthday. His response? "Thank you for the donut for your birthday."

It's a start but I feel like we should say a bit more.

This is my strong, independent, so-unlike-me daughter. She likes hugs and people and words of encouragement. She thrives on the spotlight, and attention, and NYC.

I guess one of the only things we have in common - except our size (I am an inch taller, for the record), is that we both knew at a very early age what we wanted to do in life. But that's where the similarities end. I knew I wanted to be a teacher and a Mom with 13 kids. She knew she was made for the stage.   She's had more successes in her first 19 years of life than most of us get in all of our years here. Every audition was hers, with very few exceptions (okay, she didn't get to be Young Cosette but she survived).

So today we celebrated around the table with most of the kids at home. (Funny, the college kids were all here, it was two of the triplets that went missing on us.) We laughed and we shared words of affirmation. Then the big kids went out on the town together. Boy, I'd love to be a fly on the wall!

Here's to always being the strong, independent type who doesn't walk all over the underdog but chooses to instead encourage and share the love of God. I love you, Mariana!