Candles Make Everything Official

Yesterday was my last teenage birthday. I searched all over the Internet for something exciting about turning nineteen, but quite honestly, the only noteworthy thing to say about it is that I am preparing to finish my teenage life. Therefore, I chose to allow the day to pass in silent melancholy as I realized I was simply one year closer to being old.

I really liked being eighteen, but since I have to go through nineteen to get to twenty, I might as well take care of the task while I am still a teenager.

If you must know, the worst thing about turning nineteen is that the number 19 is a prime number, and I really dislike prime numbers because they are super boring.

I assume you all want to hear the story of my nineteenth birthday. Well, maybe not, but I will tell it anyway. You see, I do not typically get birthday celebrations because my birthday is in June, which is everyone's busy month and my birthday tends to be forgotten. This year was going to be different.

Billy planned to leave Thursday morning for Minnesota, so he suggested that we celebrate Wednesday night. A week before, he learned that four single brothers were going to stay over on Wednesday night so we pushed the party up to suppertime before they arrived.

On my way home from work on Wednesday, I got a call from my mother.

"I just realized Travis has a game tonight at L&M. I have to drive him there so we won't be home for supper. Billy is going to go out to eat with his company, Jonathan has a game, and Justin was going to go to it. Your birthday supper is on the stove with directions on how to bake it. We will have your cake after church."

By method of deduction, that left Dad, Jesse, and me to enjoy my birthday meal together.

Jonathan's game got cancelled, so that brought him and Justin back into the picture. And then Billy decided to stay and eat quick before leaving. All right, everyone except two of my family members were here for the birthday meal. It was all good.

But wait. Did you say birthday cake after church? Yes. Didn't you say Billy was going to have friends after church? Oh...right.

Insert: Awkward.

I refused to celebrate my birthday that night. We had ice cream cake for a snack and did not call it birthday cake. The Kit-Kat cake was quite beautiful and tasty, though! Mom did a great job on it. :)

The concerned family felt like my birthday did not get a proper celebration (although an improper celebration would have been fine with me), so Mom made another ice cream cake and we had the official celebration Friday night after all the boys got home from their games. This time, it was really official. I even got to wear the birthday hat.

I was glad for the enthusiasm my family shared during the milestone.

My second amazing cake: this time with candles! ;)

In all, it was a fantastic day. I am so thankful to have a family who loves me enough to recognize the occasion (twice, in fact). It is also great to have a mother who is awesome at making ice cream cakes, among other talents.

Furthermore, I am quite pleased about turning nineteen. My new year's resolution when I turned eighteen was to get another year older, and I think the goal was accomplished quite nicely. It has truly been a wonderful year and I have been so blessed!

I hope you all have a good weekend!

From the Digital Vault: 2004

I have been on the computer in Mom and Dad's room to do homework this week and the screensaver with all of these old photos keeps popping up. I have shared below some of the highlights of the first year we had our digital camera (2004). Just as a warning, there are pictures of other people in here too. My assumption is that nobody will hold anything against what anyone did or looked like more than nine years ago. :) 

Remember when...

Just the Family

Christmas 2004

This is the tenth picture we took on our first digital camera. It deserves some recognition.

The only reason anyone was listening to Mom read in this picture was so they could get their picture taken. Just saying...  

Billy was super upset about this picture for the longest time because Dad  photo-shopped him into it. I hope he's over it now because the photo is now public.

Creating a never-ending game of B&J Risk.

The Royal Chair of Happiness

Haircut Day

Until sifting through these photos, I never knew there was a day when the boys did dishes. So, just for the record: this picture was taken 8/23/2004.

Time with the Schmidgalls

A classic game of Skip-Bo with Uncle Hartzell, Aunt Marian, Grandpa, and Grandma!

With the cousins in Minnesota!

I now understand why Mom and Dad discouraged the use of makeup in my teen years.

Schmidgall Cousins

Mom and siblings

Cory and Shelley's Wedding

The Massner Side

Friends and Celebrations

"It's Time!" The day we met the Steffens. I think that makes about 9 years!

At this point I will refrain from sharing pictures of JCPenney.  I know we aren't supposed to hold things against people for things that happened nine years ago, but I don't want to take any risks.

Tattoo artistry just wasn't their thing, so they decided to take up Kindergarten with the rest of their friends. 

The first year of the tradition where the kids sing Christmas Carols to get out of doing dishes. 

Halloween...sigh.

Ahh...the long-missed days of couples night!

Another "Young Couples" food packing night.

The second time we met the Steffens

2004 Bible Class

April Fool's Day Meal

Not to distract from the purpose of this picture, but it must have been perm day.

Anybody know who that girl is with Travis?

I feel like it wasn't their twelfth anniversary because this year will be number 20. Maybe I am doing my math wrong. I am truly getting concerned. 2004 was nine years ago, right?

The early days of computer mania.

Injuries and Mishaps

This is what happens when you chew on your numb lip after getting a cavity filled.

This is what happens when you get your finger slammed in the door on Sunday morning.

This is what happens when your parents are on the ambulance service.

And this is just a simple tonsillectomy. 

The End. I hope you are all having a wonderful June!