22 As I Know It

On Tuesday of this week I turned 22.  Thus far being 22 has been an exceptional experience, and I highly recommend it.

On Monday evening I got back from campus around 6:30.  I was on the phone with my mom griping about life in general {because my life is *so* hard.  I don't even know what those pioneers were whining about, you know?} when I stepped through my front door.  The singing, dancing 'Happy Birthday' chorus line (comprised of Suzanne, Natalie, Brynn, Madeleine, Annie and Seth) that greeted me left me completely stunned.  Choreographed kickline, no joke.  I just stood in the doorway open-mouthed until they finished.  Then I sat in the special 'birthday queen' chair while we ate dinner.  The crowning glory of the meal was the cupcake that was served to me with 22 burning candles embedded in the delicious cream cheese frosting.  I thought it was going to burn the apartment down.  They were *amazing* cupcakes that looked like this:

Best surprise birthday dinner ever.

Although I was genuinely confused about why we celebrated on Monday when my birthday wasn't until Tuesday.  That is, I was confused until Tuesday night...

Seth came to pick me up to take me to dinner on Tuesday, but before we started driving he insisted that I wear a blindfold.  I complied.  When we finally arrived at our destination, he took off the blindfold... and we were at my Grandma Smith's house?  I decided that it was a little strange, but thoughtful, that he'd decided to take me to see my grandma on my birthday.  And then my mom answered the door.  My parents came to Utah to have birthday dinner and open presents.  It was so good to see them, plus we had my favorite chocolate cake and I got to blow out candles again :)

Suzy left for Europe Wednesday morning.  Everything has been a little less bright and exciting since she left.  I think everyone in the apartment can feel it.  Natalie wore her shirt inside-out yesterday in honor of Suzy, and we wrote her initial on the milk even though she won't be here to help us drink it.  Even though it's sad to have her gone, I loved my study abroad so much and I'm glad she has such an amazing opportunity.

On Thursday I ate delicious Thai food for dinner at a restaurant in Salt Lake.  It was amazing.  I love Thai food so so so so much.

This morning I volunteered in Orem with Habitat for Humanity.  It was a lot of fun.  We worked at a home that is mostly finished doing landscape work.  I raked and leveled topsoil for around two and a half hours, and then I helped lay the sod.  I'd never laid sod before this morning, and I have a sneaking suspicion that my sedentary little self is going to be sore tomorrow.  I drove past that house again later tonight on the way to a wedding reception, and it was really cool to see a green lawn where there were only large piles of dirt this morning and know that I helped make that happen.

This afternoon Seth and I went and watched BYU play Utah in the Mountain West Conference softball championship.  BYU won, which was awesome.  That was the first game I went to this year, which is a little sad because it was also the last home game.  I'm really glad they won.

I'm glad to be 22, and if it's all going to be this good I'm really glad I get to be 22 for an entire year!