While she looks ahead, I look back.

As a photographer, you're always looking ahead to your next photo, but as a mother your always looking nostalgically back. Over the years, I have graduated from a point and shoot to a monster  DSLR. No matter what the size of the Nikon, my camera has always had a love affair with one particular subject. Like my cameras, this subject has grown into a sophisticated grown up version of what I started with. Today she is 13 and more beautiful than ever, both inside and out. I do remember being her age, looking ahead to the exciting things that come next. But as her mom, I can't help but look back upon her happily storied past. I cherish the memories of her long tea parties on the beach with her dad, to her jogger rides through Stony creek. She has warmly made friends and taken on challenges without fear. She is becoming everything I hoped she would be. In the blink of an eye she'll be a grown-up and I can only hope that she holds on to her child-hood as long as she can. It's a good thing I'll have the pictures to help her remember.  Happy 13 th birthday Miss "Nene" Mary Katherine "Katniss" Schulten. We love you!