The New Best Birthday

I'm 21!! I'm quite excited at this fact. :) I feel like I have reached a good mile stone. I don't drink... and I couldn't drink even if I wanted to with the current health issues that I have, but I'm excited all the same. 

I had THEE best birthday ever! I've had a lot of great birthdays, but for real, this one was my favorite!
Firstly, I just felt SO loved the whole day.. and even the days leading up to it because of the effort my roommates made toward making it special. 

You see, I'm sick. I would say that there's a ton of things I can't eat, but I think it's easier to just say.. there's not a whole lot of things I can eat. (same thing ha) BUT!! I have this one incredible roommate who figured out how to make a gluten free, starch free, dairy free, sugar free cupcake for my birthday and it was one of the most amazing things I've tasted in a reallllly long time. 

I feel so loved when people try to make food that is safe for me. My roommate could have easily sprinkled cinnamon and Stevia on a ricecake and called it good, but she researched recipes and went out and found the safe ingredients and I was so blessed and am so thankful. :) 

Also on my birthday, (since I'm talking about being sick), I went to see a doctor and while he had some ideas, he couldn't tell for sure what might be wrong so he set me up with a specialist. Unfortunately they made my appointment on the day I have the two biggest exams of my lot of 4 this week and so I'm working on rescheduling. (The last 13 times I tried calling I got a computer message that said the circuits were busy and I should try again later). So.. more to come on that. But the update is..there is something wrong and I think I'm getting worse. I've been more sick this last week than I've been for a while and there's no apparent cause as I've kept up the candida diet for the last 5 months. 

Anyways.. after the doctor, I did various things in town that included getting help with some research methods homework, taking a quiz, and opening up a new bank account. The bank part was really a lot of fun because when they found out it was my birthday they had the bank president come out and give me a present. :) :) And then they were telling everyone they walked past that it was my birthday and so I was told "happy birthday" by many a stranger. It was so fun. :) 

And then! I marched myself home and there was a pleasant sort of knock at my door and there I was presented with the biggest most beautifullest vase of flowers I've every been given!

There was, of course, no name on the card and so I pondered over who the mystery sender could be. Josh had already given me a birthday present and I stood there quite baffled as to who could possibly wish to send me such a beautiful bouquet in honor of my birthday. I was a little suspicious and texted Josh just to make sure and he admitted to it. :) :)

He's so great! Aren't they beautiful? They're so beautiful. I love them a lot. I love flowers and these are perfect. But the real beautiful thing was the Bible.

You see, I hunted for a new Bible over the summer as the one I got from my parents when I was 16 has been so well used that it's falling to pieces. Also, it's missing. I brought it to camp with me in July and it disappeared. I have heard rumors from family members that I did make it home, but the last time I was home I searched high and low and there was no sign of it any where. So in the meanwhile I've been lugging around my bigger, heavier one but have stopped carrying a Bible in my backpack because it's too heavy. BUT! Now I have a little one again and it is beautiful. Beautiful enough to make me cry at the first sight of it. It's perfect. Aren't I blessed? I'm so blessed. Josh is a blessing. 

So after I got the flowers there was some relaxing, school catching uppings, and party prepping. I haven't intentionally gotten together with more than one friend at a time (unless you count the Petersons celebrating with me.. but they're like family) for my birthday since I was 10. Except for my sophomore year of college when I didn't have any friends and my new Bible study leaders threw me a waffle party and invited girls from my Bible study and I recruited Reed Palmer and Jordan miller as friends so that I didn't look totally pathetic. This year, I had friends and they came to my house to make me feel loved. :) :) I felt SO loved. They were all so creative. 

These we're just great. The beer one gets extra display because I found it so funny that I laughed out loud. And look ^ my friends know me and my love for Sign Language! :) Isn't that cute? It says, "We love you" for those of you who don't read finger spelling. 

I am just overwhelming blessed. My day was so filled with joy and laughter and great times! 

Thankyou to everyone who contributed to making me feel so valued and loved on my birthday!! Even if it was just a wallpost on my facebook wall, it made me smile and feel loved. Thank you all so much!!