i am a BIG fan of birthdays. i mean, its an entire day dedicated to the celebration of one specific person and all that they mean to certain people. its a whole day set aside to celebrate the life of an individual. so i love birthdays... especially when they're mine :)
my birthday week started off great- the end of that dreadful summer school class. then on my birthday i got to have a wonderful lunch with my mom and do some mother/daughter bonding over shopping! its something we love to do together :) i then got to visit Nana and Pop where i got a very desired present... 6 audrey hepburn / carry grant / grace kelly movies. i am a huge fan of the classics. then i was taken to doodles (best ice cream in birmingham) with my good friend Katie and celebrated with her. i then was treated to the most DELICIOUS meal by my mom with (almost) the whole family and my best friend Elizabeth. and then moved on to my personal favorites, cake and presents!
my mom makes a mean cake. seriously, i devoured my piece. maybe thats because presents were waiting, but im pretty sure its because it was that good.
i got some awesome presents complete with a characture picture of my dad skiing?
then came friday. i got to have a great lunch with my awesome Aunt Lisa and mom. i love getting to see my Aunt Lisa because i feel like i am alot like her! she has taken me to get my nails done since i was about 3, but now that our schedules are really different, she still takes the time to do something special for me even if we can't go see Anibell... i really love getting to see her. the rest of friday was my 'celebrate with friends' day. Katie, Elizabeth and i went to dinner at Surin West, an incredible thai restaurant, and had some awesome sushi and noodles. and theeen met up with a whole group of people and checked off items on the list of '20 things for turning 20'.
this list was no ordinary list. it contained tasks such as ask walk into a restaurant and announce your presence LOUDLY, jump in front of someone and act like an angry tiger, walk up to a stranger and pretend they are your best friend, walk into starbucks and sing "the fuuuuun has arriiiiiiived" LOUDLY..... you get the picture. it was great! then we went back to my house where we had some legit story time with my dad....
then today came. me and elizabeth got to spend some awesome time in the Word together and then... drumroll please........ we got to get my camera!!!!
i got a cannon rebel T1i and i am in love. i told my dad he may have created a monster. it is the coolest most awesome camera i have ever held. im obsessed.
all in all i had a phenomenal birthday and i am so thankful for the family and friends i have that love me enough to celebrate it with me.
whats even more fun is its not over! i get to go to 6 flags with a friend on monday, lunch with a friend tuesday, and dinner with a friend wednesday! love love love love love.
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my best friend elizabeth and i had some great talks and time in the word over this weekend. (we were together basically the whole time!)
i have told her numerous times that i am so anxious about this summer. i want the girls that God puts in my room to know that i genuinely care for them and that i passionately want them to know more of the Lord. i want to be able to serve them and help them in their walk. i blogged about this in my last entry, but i am just so anxious. elizabeth and i decided to read through matthew and she was able to really encourage me with this verse....
matthew 10:19
"...do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you"
it was so good to be reminded that the Lord wants me to depend on him. the Lord wants me to seek him for answers. elizabeth was able to encourage me and remind me that if i am in tune with the Lord, there is no need for anxiety because He will provide. thanks for that iz:)
it was also neat to be able to talk to her about what she is excited/nervous about for this summer. i only hope i was able to encourage her in the way she encouraged me.
i am so excited to see what God does in my life, her life, and the lives of so many others this summer. i am so excited to see the Lord provide for, comfort, break, humble, reveal himself to, and more to each student there. i am also so excited to get to live in that community of believers striving to know more of God. i am excited to see the Lord magnified in the way that he deserves.
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while i was trying to figure my camera out this afternoon i got to stop and just kind of marvel at creation. its something i really dont do too much, but i need to. i think thats one of the reasons i am SO excited to get into photography-- to see life through a whole new lens. (pun intended. for sure.)
i forget how pretty some bugs can be, and i forget how cool moss it, and i forget how intricate bark looks, and i forget how good it smells after it rains, and i forget how good grass on bare-feet feels, and i forget how much i LOVE the sunshine... i just forget.
with how technological my generation is, its easy to be inside almost all day and not realize the beauty that is allllll around me. it was so great to be able to go outside and enjoy every single thing just listed and more. i think photography is going to be a great form of worship for me.
good thing is i am pretty bad right now, so ill get to be 'worshiping' alot in the next year!
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thank you to all my friends and family that made my birthday celebration incredible! i love each of you so much.
most importantly though...
mom and dad, thank you for such an AWESOME birthday. there is no possible way to put into words how much i appreciate all you have given me. not just material things. all the love, guidance, care, structure, rules :), compassion, wisdom, laughs, experiences, vision.... and so much more. you have both provided for me in ways that i could never imagine. thank you. thank you for the past 20 years. thank you for giving me a home and family that i love So so much. thank you for working for all of us in the ways that both of you do. i love you both so incredibly much and i dont say that enough. so thank you. and i love you.
abc.
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