Birthdays

I love birthdays. I don't know when exactly this birthday fasination started... But I love them. And i'm lucky, i get to share mine with one of my best friends! Which means we've gotten to make a big deal of our birthdays since we started celebrating together... when we were 19. Which is the only year i don't have a picture of us.

we turned 20

and 21

and 22

and 23....

And finally, 24 :)

I think we've gotten better looking over the years, don't you? : )

And nothing about that has changed - But this year, we turn (dun dun dunnnnnn!!!)
25.

Whew. It's scary to say outloud. 

I like 24. It says I'm young, but old enough to be responsible And stuff... sometimes :)

Plus I just like the number 24... It's pretty. And even. And just my favorite. So I'm not really looking forward to leaving my beautiful 24 in the dust, trading it for ugly, not divisible by 2, odd, closer to 30 than 20, stupid 25.

And most annoyingly - there are no (that i can find - i'd love to be shown otherwise) songs about being 25.

But I guess God didn't design me to be 24 forever, unfortunately. So 1 week until d day.

24 brought a lot of great things with it though, and will be remembered a a great year. Here is a little of what this year had to offer.


A New Home:
I moved into riverwalk with my lovely roommate Ashlee. I just knew we were destined to live together. And i love her! And i love my purple wall :)

The year of the wedding:
I got to see a number of my great and one of my best friends get married. These girls allset the standard pretty high for looking perfect on your wedding day. I have to say, it was a fun summer of love, getting to travel around and see these girls get their happily ever after :)

Dossly! (now Ashley Swetnam) in Ohio

Jessie Vega (now LaTorre!) in Fort Myers

Brynn :) in Fort Myers, FL

Coffee obsessed:
The year I woke up thinking "I NEED coffee" - not for the caffeine, but forthe simple fact of having a warm beverge in my hands - and I owe it all to spending the majority of my life at the coffee bar. As much stress and semi heart attacks the coffee bar has provided over this past year, i have learned so much from the experience and when it comes down to it, i absolutely love it. The business side and the coffee drinking side.

Oh, and did i mention i got to hire all of my friends? :)

New and old travels:
Went to see friends a number of places. Some places I've been to, some I haven't...

Chicago (a couple of times)

Ohio

Indiana

South Lake Tahoe, CA / Reno, NV

I got to drive down most of the state of California, and end up in...

LA, CA :)

Atlantic City, NJ

Chattanooga, TN 

London, England.

Is it weird that i feel like it's not that many? I should probably mention that i went to Orlando and West Palm Beach a few times each, plus Fort Lauderdale, and Gainesville.  Ok, now i feel better :)


Music:
I saw a TON of concerts this year. a. ton.

Copeland - final show!!!

Neulore - House Show in WPB.

The Ataris - they were my favorite band when i was 15. I owed it to myself :)

Kings of Leon + the Black Keys. WPB, FL.

Phoenix, HOB, Orlando.

States. Revolution, Orlando.

My Boys - The Gallery!! In Orlando.

American Idol Live - we got free tickets :)

And last but not least... JIMMY EAT WORLD. The musical cherry on top of this year

And did i mention i got to have my first White Christmas?!?! :) :) :)

Christmas with my family in Tennessee :)

This post was most certainly for me more so than for you. Sometimes i need to be reminded that i still have adventures and do fun, exciting things, even though i'm not traveling the world or am in college. It's truly been a great year, and now i'm up for the challenge of making 25 as good as 24 :) I'm doing my best to invite 25 in with open arms.... and not cringe when someone asks me how old i am.

And for anyone who needs me on my birthday? I'll be by the pool with a sangria. Cheers!