Twenty Three

 23!  Yes I have survived a whole 23 years of life!  I'm starting to get nervous because I'm starting to realized how fast time really does go by.  I was having a discussion with my friend, who is also turning 23 soon, about when people ask me how old I am I just say 23.  I don't really think about it.  It's almost like word vomit.  "Twenty Three".  In my mind I think I really want to say 21 because I feel like I'm in Neverland where no one gets older.  No one is allowed to be older then 21.  I'm not sure why that's the rule but in my head anything over 21 just isn't allowed.  Rachel and I discussed how 23 is still so young, and I know when I'm 50 I'll wish I could just say I'm 23.  I am really happy with my age.  I feel very comfortable here.  I think my mind still wants to believe I'm 21 still because if I believe I'm younger then I am I wont have to get older?  I don't know but I'm really happy where I'm at right now.  

      

(Disclaimer: There are more the 23 candles on both of those cakes. I got them all in one breath! Does that mean I get extra wishes?!)

  ANYWAY!  I had a great birthday!  The birthday miracle happened when my package from my family showed up on my door!  This was a miracle because it wasn't expected to come until after my birthday.  I can't express how much I love and miss my family.  They sent the cutest cards.  I got the sweater and skirt I wanted, ribbon and a flower to make a belt, shoes, treats and lots more!  Courtney stopped by the night before and brought me a ceramic hello kitty paint set and a gift card to Red Mango!  ( OH how I love that place! 80 calories of Heaven!!!!)  Lindsay and Nicole took me to lunch at the Tai Kitchen where our friend Sun works and got us free Mango Sticky rice!  Also SO good!  At one point I went out to my car and it was covered in toilet paper and a paper chain!  My friend Brian confessed it was him when he brought me a drink, Butterfingers, and a bamboo plant.  Whitney and her roommates came by with a huge candy poster card, that so funny and I loved it! Later the Dyers and Nicole, made some cake and invited all my friends over for cake and ice cream.  I feel like I have different friends all over the place so I love when everyone can meet and have fun!  I had a really great day.  I really do have the best family and friends ever!  I miss my family SO much all the time but I have great friends who are always here for me and take me in as their own family.

    

           (Eric and Benj, Rachel and Tammy, Dean, Brian and Dustin)

  

(Julia, Mikkel, and Larissa)

Thank you everyone who made it to my birthday celebration!  For those who's pictures didn't make it up I am incredibly sorry.  I still love you and am so glad you came! 

Thank you everyone else for a phone calls, text messages, treats, surprises, love and wishes!  I wish I could have celebrated with everyone, especially all of my family!  I love you all!

Happy Easter! another late holiday update

Here is a summary of how I celebrated my Easter.  For the pictures I will let you decide the professional from mine and Courtney's. 

First and most important I attended church.

Martha inspired us to make these 

"simple" eggs.  I'm sure they are so easy to make when you have a team of 100 other professional egg decorators, unlimited amounts of glue and sparkles. Finding the sparkles should have been our first clue.  We went to approximately 4 stores before finally finding some good tubes of glitter.  If you ever plan on making these eggs I would block out a good couple days for a carton of eggs.

Bakerella makes all of these cute guys.  I got sad and threw in the towl after I burnt the chocolate.  I know my mom will read this and laugh because I ALWAYS burn the chocolate.  You think I would figure it out by now.  Obviously I haven't.  We ended up with a few asteroids and a few chicks.  I had a small moment and was really disappointed.  At this point all of my attempts at making holiday crafts weren't quite the perfection I was hoping.  Some girls struggle with their self image because they want to look exactly like the celebrities.  I struggle with my artistic ability because all the crafts in the magazines look so perfect and easy.  I know my mom would have just whipped out all of these like they were break-n-bake cookies.  One day right?!  I hope one day I will have an ounce of my Mom's artistic talent.  (I currently don't have any photos of my attempt... this might be a good thing.) 

On another egg note.  My mom bought me an easter egg kit that was supposed to make my eggs look like they were made of gold.  Here are my golden eggs.  They were still a fun attempt.  Thanks mom! 

All in all Easter was great.  I really did enjoy all of my craft attempts. It was a beautiful day.  Clear and sunny!  I had a delicious meal from my good friend Jen!  She takes great care of me and I really appreciate her and the rest of her family.  I am satisfied.

Rain

When I was little I was little I went through a period of time where I was convinced I was a magnet to rain.  Eventually the thought faded, until lately.  Today was sort of cloudy all day.  After I got home and finished with school and work, I was waiting for the storm to come and go so that I could go running.  I finally got tired of waiting and the minute I started my run it started to rain/snow.   Perfect.  I decided to cut my run short when pellets of snow started sticking to my skin.  Once I ended my short run at my house the rain slowed down.  Later I needed to go to the store to purchase more eggs for me and Courtney's little egg decorating extravaganza (if things go well you might see pictures).  As I pulled out of my parking stall it started raining again!  I had to laugh at myself because my 8 year old thoughts were coming back!  I am a rain magnet!  I'm just happy it's not snowing 6 inches (knock on wood).  I decided that I'm going to call it a day and just stay inside and enjoy the rain from the inside while attempting to decorate eggs.  Wish me luck!

Another Belated Birthday

It seems my blog and I have horrible timing and I always miss birthdays.  While I was in California my Mom celebrated her birthday!  Because of my lack of internet access I was unable to make the birthday tribute I would have liked.  So here it is... late.   

I love my Mom  for endless reasons and I miss her everyday.  She is the most caring person I know.  She's always looking out for her family, friends and people she doesn't even know.  Whenever I talk to her she is always helping someone new.  Every holiday she tries to make me feel as much as home as possible and still sends me a package in the mail.  

Taylor amazes me everyday, with some new sport or some new activity she has joined but I am secretly even more amazed by my Mom and her ability to keep up with everyones schedule.  Between volleyball tournaments, soccer games, track meets, practices for all sports, church, school and everything else somehow my Mom finds time in her schedule for everything and still stay just as involved with me and Lauryn.  Now seeing the other side of everything I think back when all of us were at home.  Lauryn and I had our cheerleading, theater, student counsel, school, and all of our friends always at the house and then she was always volunteering for our schools or being the room mom.  Some how the house was always spotless and she always made sure we had fun as a family.  

I am in awe of how amazing my Mom is.  I love her so much and I am so happy I was able to spend so much time with her the past couple of weeks.  Living so far away I don't get to see her a lot, so seeing her and just hanging out with her again was just what I have been needing.  I am already looking forward to the next time I get to see my Mom.  

Thanks for everything you do Mom.  I love you so much!  Happy Be-lated Birthday!