14 going on 21

I am so excited to finally be 21!! I feel like I have really grown up and changed a lot in the last year. I have been living on my own now for over a year, and learning all of the responsibilities that come with that. Sometimes it is a little hard, but I wouldn't trade it. I also really feel like I am progressing with my photography. I don't feel like I am the best ever, but I can see the progress that I am making and recognize when I take a awesome picture. I also feel like I have matured and just grown up this last year. Actually, I think a lot of that also came from my missionary friends coming home. It wasn't what I expected at all. That was a little hard too, but I had to stop being in this state of "waiting" and get back into just being me and living my life for now and not later. I also have my moments where I go a little crazy. Sometimes I don't know up from down, or what I want or what I am doing with my life. Sometimes I feel like I am a big puzzle with pieces that can be put together however I want, and taken apart to form something else again later. No right way. But, I feel more happy lately than I have in a long time. I am okay with just being me and defining who I think that is. I think that is where the decision to cut my hair, pierce my ears and buy a bunch of new clothes came from. I feel like I am still finding out who I am, and its okay to not have all of the answers right now.


So, turning 21 was over a week long process for me. It started with the family dinner that we did a week before my birthday and didn't really stop until my actual birthday. I went out with a lot of my friends, played games with my family, and just did a lot of things for myself. Natalie threw me a party on Friday at her new house. The above cake is the one that she made for me.

Here is Natalie making the virgin margartias for my party. (Even though I am 21 now, I still don't want to drink. Plus, technically I wasn't 21 yet at this party anyways.) We had a lot of fun though. Natalie was so nervous to be the hostess for my party. She kept worrying that people weren't having fun or that she didn't decorate enough, or that she wasn't doing things right. I really had a great time though and was really just touched that she cared enough to throw me a party and track down all of my friends to invite them to my party. I don't think that she even knew most of them.

It isn't a party for me without movies, Scene-It and lots and lots of treats! We played Scene-It Squabble (which is the boys vs. girls version) and the girls KILLED the boys! Natalie can usually give me a run for my money, but put me and Natalie on the same team and we are unstoppable!

Cyndi came to my party and also took me out to lunch the day before. It is a tradition of ours to go to Chuck-A-Rama. Cyndi, Wendy and I have done it since we were little. Cyndi and I carry on the tradition. Wendy did come into town and take me out to lunch too, but that was on a different day.

Tasha and Nathan made it to my party too. They had been on vacation anyways, and stopped by long enough to come to my party. (They live in Idaho) I really appreciated them coming and and it was nice to be able to spend some time with them.

After we killed the boys at Scene-It, we watched the Holiday. I brought a ton of movies for everyone to pick from so that we could watch something that everyone wanted to. All of the girls had seen the Holiday before, but the boys hadn't and they are the ones that decided we should watch it. I LOVE that movie so much and the boys liked it too.

I love hanging out with Kennedy. We have awesome conversations and talk about pretty much everything. I think he is my closest guy friend. On my birthday, we went to breakfast at the Original House of Pancakes. Afterwards, I burned him the Dark Knight CD and he asked to borrow Brokeback Mountain. He said that he had heard a lot about it, and decided that he wanted to watch it.

Molisa and Ben couldn't stay for the movie, but I had a good time with them playing Scene-It. They have been good friends to me. They have a house by that elemantary school on Orchard. They always invite me over for parties or dinner,etc... but they know I am busy so they always just leave it as an open invitation with no pressure. It is so nice! I love not having to apologize to them if I can't make it or if I can't stay for very long. They are just people that like having me around but don't take it personally if I can be there all the time.

I think I was WAY more into these pictures than half of the people in them with me. That is okay though. They all humored me and know that I am picture happy. I am missing the one of me and Natalie though....

This is my friend Laura from work. I invited a couple of girls that I work with, but Laura was the only one that wasn't scheduled to work that night and actually came. I felt bad though. She doesn't really know any of my other friends. She came late, and then left early. She brought her boyfriend and her 4 month old baby, but they weren't into Scene-It and I guess they haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately, so they left. I appreciated them stopping by though.

So, I partied with pretty much all of my friends at various times. Eddy helped me get the Saftey and Admissions done for my car so that I could get it re-registered this week. Torrie and I hung out last night and watched Step Up 2. She got me these awesome picture frames for my apartment. She printed out pictures that I had and framed them for me! How cool is that?!? She also got me some new earrings.

This blog is way too long, but I missed a couple of days. Thanks everyone though for making my birthday great! And thanks Wesley and Elisabeth for the awesome new digital camera that you sent home with mom for me! I can't wait to try it out! You all are awesome and I love you guys so much!