The 23rd Birthday

Today, in thinking about my birthday yesterday, I was overwhelmed with how lucky I am to have such great friends. Luckily my friends don't just show their greatness on my birthday but they did make me feel extra special on my day. I got phone calls and texts from far away friends, cake from my co-workers, a rad mini scrapbook chronicling several years of friendship, pretty earrings, concert tickets, a choir sang to me and my mom told me that I'm her favorite. Okay, not the last one. To celebrate I grabbed some of those wonderful friends and went to dinner. I forgot to get my camera out before Summer and Sean left, and Amy left before the group shot but here's everyone else. Erica, Heather, Myself, Melissa T, Melissa L, Sam then Hilary, Corinne, Ashley and Becky. I swear I have guy friends, they just had dates or basketball games I guess.

Love the funny faces, you might think "what's so funny about sticking your tongue out and touching it?" but I have a treasured picture from what I think is my 7th birthday party and we're all making funny faces except for my one friend who just stuck her tongue out and touched it. Still funny many years later.

Hil, Feath and myself.

Sam, Becky and Erica.

Ashley sandwich! (Not a Melissa sandwich Ash...)

Amy was there for a while but she left to fulfill her church calling and she was pretty happy about that.

After dinner Hilary took me to the One Republic concert at UVSC. I only really knew the one song but I had heard good things and was excited.

This was the first opening act we saw, The Daylights. We really liked them. I guess there was a local group before them... oops.


Eric Hutchinson was the 2nd opening act we saw and he quickly became my boyfriend. He was super funny and I LOVED his music. He played several of his own songs and then last he played this gem:




R. Kelly and The Temptations? Are you kidding me? SO funny, I caught the very end of it with the trusty new camera. I'm a little embarrassed to admit this but the camera shake is due to my dancing.



One Republic! They were really good, or the lead singer was at least. He's got a pretty killer voice. Plus you've got to love anything with a cello right? Cel-lo?
One of the prettiest songs was when the rest of the band left and it was just lead singer dude, a piano and the aforementioned cello. Simply beautiful.


So after the show Hil and I decided that we for sure needed to buy the Eric Hutchinson CD. (I'm thinking I will have to write a full out post about just that cause I love it.) Anyway, we're squeezing through the mob trying to get to the merch table, throwing some elbows along the way and I notice that the guy walking in front of us kinda looks like my new boyfriend. (Cause I totally know what he looks like from behind right?) I called his name and he didn't hear me. Ear plugs, he's very wise. I yelled to Hilary "follow that man!" and I snaked my way up to buy the CD and a shirt. Then I found Hilary again and I found my boyfriend! Woo!
Look how happy we are together! He signed our CDs, mine said Happy Birthday and Hilary's said Not Happy Birthday. See he's so funny. And charming. I'm pretty sure we're meant to be.

I had a wonderful day. Thank you friends for helping me have a great day and thank you mom for the part you played in helping me have a birthday to begin with.