You look like a monkey, and you smell like one too...

So, although it snowed today (boo snow!), I'm still cheery because...it's my birthday today! yay!

It's actually been a pretty awesome birthday, I must say!

Started out with coming upstairs to my living room floor being covered in "Happy 2nd!" birthday balloons, and streamers randomly all over the place which was really awesome! I even got a balloon with "Esther is 22" written in Elvish! Totally fabulous! As well as having some glass peppers hidden in my kitchen that I got to look for. So thank you Daryl and Matt Percy for those gems and for decorating my house! Great start to the day!

And what better way to spend a birthday then to be hanging out with kids all day? I can't think of anything! I was down for the third day of our March Break daycamp down in Regent Park, and had another fun filled day (even if the weather was a little chilly). And, I even got a birthday cake at lunch time! So awesome! Not to mention that I also got attacked by all the boys as they gave me birthday beats..got some nice bruises on my arm (~shakes fist at Matt~ :P)

I also enjoyed a wonderful birthday dinner with my sisters, brother and parents. Always a good time!

Oh! And I finally got a hard guitar case! YAY! Humidity will bother my guitar, no more!

Thanks to everyone for the ecards too! I got some pretty cheesy ones...sooo great! My favourite one I think was with a piece of cake, a candle, a plate and a fork all walk onto the screen and they're so excited because theres going to be a party! And then slowly they all stop cheering..except for the cake..and then he looks around..and realizes that he's about to be eaten..and the plate licks his lips (oh yes..he has lips!) and then it ends. Oh man..too funny..I love it!

So...another year has passed. And I've got the infamous "feel any older and wiser?" from every member of my family that sent me birthday greetings today. I think I feel older. Although apparently I don't look it (one of the kids at the daycamp told me they thought I turned 19, and another said she thought I had turned 17...wow...).

But I think the year of being 21 was a good run. I think I've learned and grown more in this past year, then many of my other years combined. I gave up dating for a year...and lived to talk about it! I took this year off of school...and have survived. I took on a leadership role at camp in the summer, and didn't have a nervous breakdown. I've taken the biggest chances, leaps of faith, blind walks, and steps out of hope that I've ever done in my entire life....and you know what? God is good! It's an amazing thing when you finally trust Him with things...when you step out on that ledge and jump, knowing that no matter what happens, He's going to catch you. It was like God was waiting my entire life for me to finally scoot over from the drivers seat and let him take the wheel....and when I did...man oh man...good things happened!

Thank you God for allowing me to see my 22nd birthday! Wasn't always sure I'd survive my teenage years, let alone get here! But I praise You because my life is blessed, full of love, hope, and fulfilled promises!

Amen!