dieciocho

On one of those crazy hot summer days that makes ice cream melt & provides for a perfect opportunity for a water balloon fight, my friends and I celebrated my birthday. I was psyched to turn the big 18. I could finally...

-become a legal adult

-have my own checking account with a debit card

-exercise my nineteenth amendment right

-order wonderful inventions off TV infomercials

-become an independent taxpayer..whoo!

...and a handful of other things.

Although I'm a "grown-up" I still..

-go to a pediatrics office &usually sit next to a five-year-old in the waiting room...the Batman stickers keep me coming.

-call my parents "mommy" & "daddy"

-snooze with a stuffed animal, a giraffe named Georgie

-watch Saturday morning cartoons, while munching on froot loops.

-order off the kid menu at ihop-the happy face pancake is delicious!

Anyway, the big day was first celebrated while we were in FL. We went to the beach for the day & woah was jet skiing fun! Being an August baby can be sometimes a bummer, most of my friends are usually out of town, but I gotta say being on vacation & being able to enjoy the waves and not having to go to school is a pretty good trade off.

A few days after we got home from Florida, I had an 18th fiesta which was quite a splendid leap into adulthood...which really meant a water balloon fight, BBQ, sparklers, dance party, princess cake, trampoline fun, and s'mores. Throwing this partay together really showed me how supportive, loving, and helping my familia can be. Padre helped me shop for everything we needed for the fiesta. Madre helped everything run smoothly and think of everything I didn't. The hermanos worked the grill, soaked the guests with the water balloons and water bottles, and provided dance and music entertainment. It was such a BLAST! It was so wonderful to spend time with close friends I hadn't seen in awhile & say a last goodbye to some heading out to universidad. I've made so many great friendships throughout HS, especially senior year. Its been hard saying goodbye and not being able to see everyone as often. The fiesta was a perfect close to the perfect summer.

miss this crazy bunch:(

Another delight, my friend Emily planned a wonderful Birthday dinner for a few of our other friends & I since we all had bdays within a few weeks in the summer. I was so excited for the five of us to get together for some delicious pasta, bruschetta, salad, and a yummy dessert. Little did I know, in her basement was a whole crowd of our friends hidden behind hawaiian luau decorations. After dinner, Em asked us if we wanted to hang out downstairs & I got really confused when I saw all the decorations, I thought maybe it was leftover from something they had earlier that week. All of the sudden familiar faces pop out from their hidden nooks & crannies & yelled "SURPRISE!" I certainly was & was so impressed how Emily kept it a secret from us, or at least me. The four of us birthday gals enjoyed a delicious brownie & ice cream sundae-she always has something tasty up her sleeve! I love when the whole gang gets together for a marvelous celebration and dance party. Truly the best birthday ever!!!