Birthday!

Yesterday, I celebrated my 25th year on this earth with a few friends for a dinner in Bellingham.

It was a good way to end the day, considering that I had woken up at 3am feeling nauseas and spent most of the early morning hugging the toilet. Apparently there's a bit of stomach flu going around right now, and by the end of the day, I had discovered at least two of my other friends were sick, too.

But. I crawled back into bed, and my friend Erin showed up with 7-Up, Soda Crackers, Pepto-Bismol, and all sorts of other treats, and she graciously cleaned my kitchen for me while I slept.

So. That by 5pm, I was feeling well enough to join my friends for dinner, even though, my friend Sarah, who had graciously planned the whole things, was at home with the stomach flu. It was a good time. There was singing, there was lots of good story-telling and laughing. There was even a very fine banjo player.

Something I've wanted ever since moving to Washington was a bit of community, and while I was sitting at the table last night laughing with 7 friends, I had it. Happy Birthday to me!

This morning I walked into my office, and it was covered in balloons. And I was not here to enjoy it on my birthday! Alas, I am enjoying it this morning!! I'm headed to Stonewater Ranch (our new camp property in the mountains near Leavenworth, WA) where I will be for a 3-day staff conference. So I will be quiet this week.

And Go Seahawks! Wooooo! Super Bowl!!!