An amazing birthday...

My 21st birthday was one of the best birthday's I have had...so simple, so relaxing, yet so fulfilling and wonderful. I spent the day with friends and family...I saw many friends from high school...and I was given one of the most incredible gifts that I have EVER received.

I have a great friend who is in the US Air Force. He served in the United Arab Emirates and Kyrgystan during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and he brought me an incredible gift that he gave me today, after taking me to lunch. He brought me a flag that was flown over Baghdad International Airport on April 23rd, 2003!! He bought a beautiful box-frame for it, and also gave me a military photo of him from while he served over there...I was/am so touched. What an amazing and unforgettable gift!

I saw many friends today at a "LAN party", which I usually attend...but this one is 27 hours long, and I am just too tired for that this year! :) It was great to see Adam, Matt, Mike, Erik and others, my friends from high school...they are the friends I made who I never thought would be my friends...funny how they are my great friends now, and those who were my "friends" are no longer in my life at all, really...life is funny that way!

One of my favorite parts of birthdays is the phone calls, emails and other ways that people communicate to you on your special day. I received many of those today, all of which meant a great deal to me. I have been so richly blessed with amazing friends and family!

My mom cooked me her famous meatloaf tonight--which was AMAZING! Then my grandparents came down and we had cake and HOMEMADE icecream (as we do on every family occasion, basically :)). My parents, brother and I spent a few hours watching home videos and reliving the great years we have spent together.

One video particularly touched me, and that was from 4th grade, Halloween. I had forgotten that my friend Suzanne Gonzales came with us Trick-or-Treating that year, and she was in the video...it was touching because on March 19th, 2003 Suzanne took her life...it reminded me of the great friendship we shared all through high school and even college...and how much I dearly miss her...Good times...

Anyway, 2004 will hold many things for me: another year of school...campaigns to work on (at least 2, Bush/Cheney and the campaign to unseat our HORRID senator Barbara Boxer)...more friends...more working...more working with youth and discipling them...and I know that God has such great plans for my life...perhaps this will be the year I meet my future husband! Wouldn't that be nice?! :) I have yet to set specific goals for myself, but I will post them as I make them.

May God bless you as you enter this new year...I have been SO richly blessed by you all!