Eighteen.

Today, I am 18-years-old.

I'm an adult!  No- actually, I'll consider myself an adult when I can figure out this whole tax form thing on my own ;)

So I've been thinking about what this day should mean for me.  This is my 18th year of life, and it comes with all sorts of rites of passage (most of which I won't take advantage of- I mean, cmon, smoking?  Really?  Ew.) 

Here are the ones I actually AM excited about:

1. Tattoos.  I've been thinking about it A LOT and I definitely want to get my first tattoo soon.  Dad isn't exactly thrilled about it, but I think it's safe to assume he'll still love me (and pay my college tuition)

2. Lottery tickets.  Just for fun ;)

3. Having my name crossed off of the "minors" list at Old Navy!  Yay!!

4. Eloping.  Just kidding.  Maybe. ;)

Honestly, that's about it.  But here's what I expect from this year;

1. College.  I expect to make a ton of new friends, grow in my faith, get closer to Zach, and REALLY miss all my best friends.  Oh yeah, and to do well in classes and all that.  But that's not really what's important about college ;)

2. Summer.  SO MANY WEDDINGS!  I'm really excited to watch some of my best friends walk down the aisle this summer.  And I can't wait to tan.  And to (hopefully) squeeze in a couple of amazing spur-of-the-moment road trips!  PS: If anyone is interested in renting a house in NC for a week and splitting the cost as like a fun couples trip LET ME KNOW!  :)

3. Graduation.  So, I haven't really been a high school student for about a year now.  It'll be really nice not to be lumped in with "highschoolers" anymore.

Honestly, that's about it.  I know I'm going to miss Revolve and Cornerstone and all my good friends- I had a good solid cryfest about it the other night!  But, I'm more excited about this year of my life than I am daunted.  It's going to be amazing.

I'M EIGHTEEN!!

<3 <3 <3

Dreizig: A motto or philosophy.

Learn to love being in love- not falling in love.  Being in love has the potential to bring you so much more joy than falling in love over and over again ever will.

Fall once, fall hard, and then get back up, dust each other off, and walk off into life hand in hand.

Neunundzwanzig: Hopes, dreams and plans you have for the next 365 days.

I hope to get a big scholarship for college.

I hope Zach gets one too, to Mt. Vernon.

I hope that I have a roommate that I love.

I hope that I do well in school and enjoy it.

I hope that I don't miss my two best friends too much.

I dream that I'll lead worship at Mt. Vernon someday.

I dream that Zach and I will get married sooner rather than later, and that we'll get to travel.

I plan to cry at Rosie's wedding.

I plan to miss Revolve with all my heart.

I plan to really enjoy meeting new people- and not dealing with drama for, at least a little while.

Achtundzwanzig: A scar you have and it's story.

I have a little dent of a scar right smack dab in the middle of my forehead.

When I was very little- too little to remember any of this- I walked right into the corner of a table with so much momentum that I got a big gash there.  Mom took me to the hospital, I got stitches, the usual.  But it's still there!  It's my most prominent scar.

Siebenundzwanzig: A physical feature you love.

My wonderful boyfriend, Zach, has two different colored eyes.

One of them is more of a green mixed with brown, and the other is blue-ish.

I LOVE it.  It's so unique and (if he doesn't mind my describing it this way) extremely beautiful.

Sechsundzwanzig: A childhood memory

When I was 4-years-old, I burned down the bathroom in my old house.

You see, we had this lit candle on the back of the toilet and I, being a very curious child, decided to see what would happen if I put a sheet of toilet paper into the flame.  It went WHOOSH- which was SO COOL, as far as I was concerned.  So I put half of the roll of toilet paper in.  Let's just say the second WHOOSH was a lot bigger than the first- and there was a hand towel hanging on the wall above the toilet.  This was when it occurred to me that we might have a problem.  I remember that feeling of "oh crap" well.

I crawled out of the bathroom and ever so timidly got my mother's attention and took her to the bathroom.  Well, she was right in the middle of having a candle party with all of her friends.  I'll never forget the sound of so many screaming women trying to put out a fire.

Firefighters came, and I was terrified of them (but the fire was REALLY COOL?  I don't understand my childhood mind).  They took care of the fire and all was well.  But, needless to say, my dad came home and threw away every candle in the house.

Actually, they thought the candle had lit the hand towel up in flames on it's own.  It wasn't until I was about 12 or so that they found out it was me.

Is it weird that that's my childhood memory?

Well, there you have it!

<3<3<3

Fünf: A recipe

Chocolate Cake Balls

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
• 1 (16 ounce) container prepared chocolate frosting
• 1 (3 ounce) bar chocolate flavored confectioners coating

Directions

1. Prepare the cake mix according to package directions using any of the recommended pan sizes. When cake is done, crumble while warm into a large bowl, and stir in the frosting until well blended.
2. Melt chocolate coating in a glass bowl in the microwave, or in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth.
3. Use a melon baller or small scoop to form balls of the chocolate cake mixture. Dip the balls in chocolate using a toothpick or fork to hold them. Place on waxed paper to set.

This is my love potion ;)
Us it wisely!

Vierundzwanzig: A movie no one would expect you to love.

Meet the Spartans

It was funny.  Dirty and wrong, and a little bit horrible... but funny.

Dreiundzwanzig: A way in which you want to be remembered.

I want to be remembered for loving the Lord, and taking joy in every situation.  I want to be remembered for laughing when I should probably cry and praying when I should be anxiety ridden.

I want to be remembered for being happy- and not allowing things like work to get in the way.  I want to do something I love for the rest of my life, instead of working just for the money.

I'd rather be poor and happy than have all the money in the world and have no time to share it with anyone.

I want to be remembered for that.

Zweiundzwanzig: A Website

http://www.stumbleupon.com/ has been my website-of-choice for a few weeks now.

You can choose what you like, and then hit the "Stumble" button and it will take you to random websites that it thinks you would like!  It's a lot like Pandora, but it's for surfing the web!  How do you think I Stumbled upon the information about epsom salt baths?

Also, I stumbled upon http://www.isleoftune.com/.  It's SO addicting, and fun.  Give it a shot!

<3<3<3

Einundzwanzig: Something You Know You do Differently than Most People

Bathe?

Haha honestly I can't think of much else, but I take a bath almost daily and pour in some epsom salts.  Epsom salt is made of Magnesium Sulfate, which has a lot of beneficial effects on the body, such as;

• Improved heart and circulatory health, reducing irregular heartbeats, preventing hardening of the arteries, reducing blood clots and lowering blood pressure.
• Improved ability for the body to use insulin, reducing the incidence or severity of diabetes.
• Flushed toxins and heavy metals from the cells, easing muscle pain and helping the body to eliminate harmful substances.
• Improved nerve function by electrolyte regulation. Also, calcium is the main conductor for electrical current in the body, and magnesium is necessary to maintain proper calcium levels in the blood.
• Relieved stress. Excess adrenaline and stress are believed to drain magnesium, a natural stress reliever, from the body. Magnesium is necessary for the body to bind adequate amounts of serotonin, a mood-elevating chemical within the brain that creates a feeling of well being and relaxation.
• Reduced inflammation
•  to relieve pain and muscle cramps.
• Improved oxygen use.
• Improved absorption of nutrients.
• Improved formation of joint proteins, brain tissue and mucin proteins.
• Prevention or easing of migraine headaches.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/health-benefits-of-epsom-salt-baths.html#ixzz1D0JNbRey

 

Also- I nap daily.  Not nearly as healthy as epsom salt baths.  ;)

Zwanzig: A Hobby of Yours

Like I said before- I photoshop! :)

And, obviously, I blog. 

Neunzehn: A talent of yours

I sing.  I also lead worship.  That I'm not all that talented at.  But I can sing! :)