Another Year Older

 January 29, 1994 this picture was taken at Desert Sam's.

Yesterday, January 29, 2013 I was blessed to celebrate my 19th birthday!

 

NINETEEN! That's like, old! ;)

 

It was a weird birthday being away from home, and family, and having NON-STOP snow for the first time ever on my birthday. It's a good thing I have two wonderful brothers up here in Utah with me, and such awesome friends!

 

My day started with a not so great night sleep--that has been a common theme lately for me. Anyway, I got up around 1:30 to go to the bathroom, opened my door, and all the sudden balloons were falling ALL OVER ME! I was so confused, but once my brain clicked on, it was a fun surprise. :) And there are cute little notes all over my door. Hanna and Sarah sure know how to spoil me!

 

Then, at 6:30 I got on Google Hangout {which may be one of my favorite things in the world} and "hung out" with my family while I opened the packages they sent me.

 

They spoiled me. I love my family!

 

 

I got to spend the day, 9-2, in class, and making my first bouquet for my floral design class. It was HARD. But I loved it, and it smells SO good! So fun to have something living in my dorm, especially since I don't have another human in here with me anymore.

 I chose the rose first, so I wanted to do everything around that. That rose is seriously BEAUTIFUL.

 

My brothers took me out to dinner that night. We went to Bombay House, a little Indian food place that is pretty close to my dorm. It was good! And it was fun to have a little time with family!

 

 

 Hanna made a delicious cake, and invited over a bunch of people. So, after dinner, we had cake and chatted for a little bit, and it was super fun! There are great people in this world, and I'm so glad I know some of them!

 

It was an exhausting, and freezing cold day, but it was also an awesome day!

 

It is weird to think about life, and how sacred and special it is.  I am so thankful for the life that I have been blessed with. I know I have problems. My body doesn't function like I want it to all the time, and I get frustrated when my knee or my lungs hurt, but when I really start to think about it, I have such a good, and such an easy life.  My body works. I can breathe. I can talk. I can laugh. I can smile. I can walk. I can run. I am independent.

 

I have an amazing family. I have 2 great parents, who, I can say, CHOSE me. After looking at this one picture:

{even thought I had a bowl cut. That's love. ;)}

 

I have 3 amazingly talented and beautiful sisters who are the greatest examples to me. They showed me how to be a girly girl, and to love  clothes, shoes, make up, boys, you know, the life of a girl. But they also showed me how to be strong, and smart, and an independent woman.

I have 5 wonderful brothers who are also talented, and handsome, and always looking out for me! They showed me how to be tough, and taught to eat a lot. :)

I have 5 of the cutest nephews anyone could wish for. They keep my love for Legos/star wars/cars/all things BOY alive.

I have 4 beautiful nieces who are the greatest. They keep my nail painting/house playing/dress up/arts and crafts/and all things GIRL alive.

They all encourage me to pursue anything that I love; to dream big, and then to get to that point. They are the best family a girl could ask for.

 

I have come to understand a few things better this last year.

 

Life is precious. We never know when it will be taken from us. Life is challenging. There are fast-balls thrown at us all the time, from every angle. But, life is worth it. Life is happy. Life is full of learning and growing. Life is sacred. Life is beautiful. I LOVE LIFE~~ And I'm so thankful that I have been able to live, love, and grow these last 19 years!