Kelsey's 17th Birthday

Tonight we celebrated Kelsey's 17th birthday. She celebrated by getting her driver's license. She ran her first errand on our behalf by taking her younger sister Elizabeth to soccer practice. Tomorrow she takes my VW Touareg to school for the first time. I guess I shouldn't call it mine anymore.

I got a shock from my insurance company about the cost of young drivers. My rates went up 50% -- and the agent told me I was lucky -- she's a girl (boy's rates are higher), has taken drivers Ed., and has better than a 3.0 GPA, otherwise the rates would have gone up 65%!

I'm very proud of her at 17 -- I can only dream about what her future holds. My only hope is that the next 17 years can bring me as much joy as her first 17 have. Time marches on relentlessly -- I wish I could slow it all down.