17 Shrimp

Hey guys!

So, yesterday my family had my 17th birthday party!  I don’t really do “party” parties (ahem… I loathe them) so every year on my birthday we just have a little family get-together, like we do for anybody else’s birthday.  Its really just a fun little excuse to get everybody together.  It didn’t even really feel like “my” birthday–even though I did get to open presents and blow out the candles on the cake!  Heheheh. 

But anyways, before we get to all that… (photo bomb at the end of this post–you guys will actually get to see a photo of me for the first time–le gasp!)

It was a pretty typical morning.  Woke up, peeked into the mirror hoping for some kind of miracle, got minorly depressed, slapped myself out of it, put on make-up, went on a walk…

Came home to one of my favorite parts of the week–Sunday breakfast!

Breakfast

Special K Protein Plus + blueberries + almond milk; coffee with non-dairy creamer (a.k.a. best stuff EVER!)

Sure, its just cereal.  But what I love about Sunday breakfasts is the seemingly leisurely pace of them… sitting at the table with my family, reading the comics before leaving for church.  Its just nice, you know?  If one good thing comes out of this horrible face nightmare, its that I truly do not care about what I eat anymore.  Its just food.  Living is much more important.

Went to church.  We’re still doing that series on evangelism… this week we had a guest pastor, though, and he was really good!  I enjoyed it, even though I’m still not sure I’m cut out to be an evangelist…

Went to McDonald’s with my grandparents afterwards to chat for a bit while they had breakfast…

After that, I went and cleaned my mom’s shop.  Hairy, but it was fine.  I don’t sweat the small stuff very much anymore.

I was starving when I came home!

Lunch

Salad with romaine, spinach, bell pepper, tomato, Tuscan-blend veggies, Italian dressing, veggie burger, salad bits

This was one huge, colorful salad beast.  Nomnomnom.  Love my veggies.

Then, I showered up and did my hair and make-up for the party!  I hate that it takes so much time… but I’m getting used to it.  I’m trying to just accept that this is part of my life for the moment.  I really should just be grateful that I have such beautiful hair and eyes and that the make-up covers the zits so well.  I really am blessed.  I have to learn to look past the one (major) negative and see the many positives!

The family started coming over (my Aunt Bonnie and grandparents) and we all just hung out and chatted for a while.  I don’t get to see my aunt but maybe once a month or so, so we had a lot to catch up on!

My dad did an amazing job on dinner!

Dinner

Beaufort Stew!  (shrimp + sausage + red potatoes + corn + big pot + Old Bay = YUMM)

That’s not my actual plate.  I didn’t want to “make a fuss” with bringing my camera to the table, since I was the center of attention and all.  But my dad noticed that I didn’t take a picture and he freaked out:  “You didn’t take a picture!  You need a picture for your blog!!”  So he went and plated up this and photographed it all on his own.  It was kinda really cute. 

If it was a photo of my actual plate, you would have seen 17 shrimp (plus an ear of corn!)  One for every year I’ve been alive (it wasn’t even on purpose either–I only realized it after I finished and counted the shrimp shells!)  They were some good shrimp, too.  My dad makes a pretty kick-ass Beaufort Stew, if I do say so myself.  I’m so proud!

I didn’t actually get any pictures of the cake itself… just of me blowing it out!

CAKE!

I blew them all out on the first go!  Hope my wish comes true. 

My mom made the cake!  Its was chocolate with dark chocolate frosting and raspberries (my special request–uber expensive so I never get to have them!)  Delicious.  I had a nice big fat slice and about a million raspberries.

Then… present time!

PRESENTS!

 Yes, that is my little brother stroking my present… is someone envious?

Hahah, naw, he’s too cute. 

 I got a salad spinner…

And (I swear this photo isn’t staged at all, but I probably couldn’t look more goofy if I tried!) an ice-cream maker!

Now I just need to figure out how to make ice cream out of almond milk.  Muhahahah.

I also got some cash and a cool bed lamp from my aunt, a gas card from my grandparents, and a book and toothbrushes from my little brother (??!)  I hope he’s not trying to tell me that my breath stinks!

Hahah…  So, yep.  It was a pretty nice birthday.  After that, we hung around and watched some boring Indy car racing and a golf tournament, which was somehow actually kinda fun.  But it was such a gorgeous night out!  I really wanted to drag everybody out on a walk (it seriously felt like HALLOWEEN!) because it was so cool and breezy, but I figured no one else would want to.  I don’t have an active family, at all… kinda a pity, I guess, but I love them all so much that it doesn’t even matter.

And that basically sums up yesterday!  Today’s been another busy day, but we have square dancing tonight, so I probably won’t be updating until tomorrow… which is the day I really turn 17!