A couple of my favorite things about my birthday.

New shelf for my room.

Adorable new summer shoes from grandma.<3 love <3

20 of my favorite daisies, (Delivered to my front door, fun!) from my sweet friend Nancy.

Awesome square balloon from Ali. <3

Thank you everyone, for your phone calls, text messages, and emails for my birthday!

So sweet of all of you. The Lord has certainly blessed me with wonderful friends.

Ointments and perfumes delight the heart, and the sweetness of a friend gives joy by hearty counsel. ~Proverbs 27:9

Celebrating my last day...

As a teenager, and my first day as an "adult".

Wednesday, April 18th, 2012 = my 20th birthday.

"In the end, it's not the years in your life that count; it's the life in your years". ~A.Lincoln

"Help me now, to live a life that's dependent on your grace. Keep my heart, and guard my soul from the evils that I face. ~Valley of Vision.

4-18-92, 10:07 A.M.

The time and date I was born. Celebrating 19 years of life this week.

19 highlights in my 18th year:

1. Completing Mrs. Jordan's honors English class.

2. Cruise to Alaska with my family.

3. Joining Mt. Baker symphony.

4. Getting my driver's license.

5. Getting my ears pierced.

6. Lots of BBQs in the summer with friends and family.

7. Day trip to Larrabee State Park with my family.

8. Fiddling with Ali and Brad.

9. New Year's Day dance on Camano Island with Placzeks and Moores.

10. Getting my own hard cover set of Calvin's Institutes from mom and dad.

11. Planting and harvesting my veggie garden.

12. Taking a flower arranging class with a friend at WCC.

13. Performing at my first masquerade ball.

14. Singing Handel's Messiah at Christmas time.

15. Starting my first official year of teaching violin.

16. Having 5 students in my first year of teaching.

17. Babysitting my niece Lydian for 2 weeks.

18. Spending another year of Tuesday mornings with the Clarkes.

19. Turning 19 of course! ;-)

O Lord, and Guardian of my soul,
Your word is my counsel,
Your power is my courage,
Your promises, my comfort,
your presence, my confidence.
I rest my life,
My soul,
My future,
in your hands.

~B.J. Hoff

Good Grief Charlie Brown!

Where does the time go? My kid sister (for that she will always be to me, even when she's 50) know affectionately by me, and only me as Charlie Brown, is 15 years old today!

Happy Birthday Charlie! Love you!

A Birthday Pedicure

I love birthdays, whether it's mine, or a friends or a siblings, or if like the Mad Hatter, you decide to celebrate one of your "un-birthdays" they are always fun to be a part of.

But tomorrow (Saturday) is my 17th birthday, and yesterday I went on my birthday date with grandma.

Ever since the birthday when we turn six, grandma has always taken each of her 17 grandchildren, for a morning of shopping, and then lunch at our restaurant of choice. We always look forward to these dates, and I don't think it would feel quite like a birthday without it.

Yesterday on my birthday date, grandma and I did something I have never done before, we got a pedicure! And my-o-my I have never felt so pampered before! It was so much fun to do, and since it isn't something I would ever spend my own money on, it was a treat! Probably the next time I will ever do it again, is if I have a daughter, and I can take her when she turns 17!

I have always wanted to have a fench manicure done, but since I play violin it wouldn't be practical because it would chip right away! So I had a french pedicure done instead. And the lady that did it even put flowers on each of my big toes!

I was very impressed, because the lady painted the flowers, she hand the tiniest little brush, and a very steady hand!

Things so completely out of the ordinary even if they are very small things, are what add the fun and sparkle to our lives, and give us a fun topic of conversation at the dinner table! ;)

Daddy's Birthday

Today is my dad's birthday, and I have to show you some pictures, of a dream come true for my dad. For many months now, he has read about, dreamed about a TALKED about a gun he wanted called an AR-15, and my mom finally bought him one. We had it all set-up so that when he came home from work on his lunch break, the gun (decked out with the most ginormous bow we could find) would be on the table, with his other gifts from all of us, and his favorite German chocolate cake. And then when he walked in the door we all broke out in Happy Birthday, and the look on his face when he saw what was on the table was priceless! Complete surprise! I love surprises, especially when you get such a fun reaction! :)

Doesn't he look so manly?

He can't wait to go out and shoot it, and he keeps talking like he's assuming I'M going to shoot it also! Yikes. Shooting a little .22, or a hand gun is one thing, but this..... it's just so big, and I'm afraid the recoil is going to land me flat on my back in the mud. We'll see. But I'm so happy for daddy that he got it, and I don't think he looks a day older. :)

Love you lots Dad!