A Birthday to Remember

June 7, 2012

On June 1st I turned 21! It wasn't your typical twenty-first birthday, but that's the way I like it. The first person to tell me happy birthday was one of my best friend's mom, yes, you read that correctly, her mom. She texted me at six a.m. my time. I think that's when you know you've made the right friends. I rolled out of bed (which is a little dangerous when you sleep on the top bunk, but I'm twenty-one, I live life on the edge) to find that the other girlterns had decorated the breakfast table with streamers, balloons, and birthday signs.

After enjoying a french toast breakfast, we drove to the Gberry house as usual. Once there I got to play tetris as we loaded the car with a bunch of supplies for the incoming team, and then took them to Harrah Community Church to unload. And then Mary gave me my own set of keys to the church-woah, awesome. Next we went back to the house and ate our sack lunches as fast as possible so we could head over to Harrah Elementary for their school pow wow.

talking with Alexsia (photo credit Veronica Vasquez)

The pow wow was outside the school in a grassy area with a great blue sky and those fluffy white clouds. Kids from Totus waved to us as we walked in, some quickly surrounded Joshua. The dancers came out and the pow wow began. We saw their incredible regalias, the intricate bead work, jingle and shawl dresses, fancy and traditional dancing. As we watched, I looked over in the sea of children in the audience, and there she was. She had her back to me, but I saw her long brown hair and knew it had to be her. And then she turned around-it was Alexsia, my little friend from Adam's View last year. I stood there for a while thinking, 'Ahhh, what do I do? Will she remember me? Would it be weird to go and talk to her?' She looked older, a little taller and she wasn't snaggle toothed anymore. I kept looking over at her and after a while we finally made eye contact. A look of surprise came over her face and then I saw that beautiful smile. She didn't remember my name, but she remembered who I was. Some of her friends asked, "Who's that?" She replied, "She's my church buddy." We started talking and she told me all the things she remembered from last summer. She'd say, "Do you remember when I had those animal crackers?, Do you remember when we did that craft, and I couldn't do it so you helped me?, I remember when I was in the story. There was a boat and fish. I was Jesus's follower." She remembered being in the story-she remembered the story. We kept talking and I learned she doesn't stay in Adam's View anymore. I told her about kids club starting the next week. She said she'd try to get her mom to bring her. It seems unlikely that would happen; that might have been the last time I'll ever see her. It made me realize just how precious the time we have with these kids is. They don't have a lot of stability in their lives; they're shuffled from house to house depending on which family member will keep them. But they have those good memories from kids club and church on Sunday, and hopefully they know it's stemmed from a love for God. Being able to see Alexsia one more time was the best birthday present God could have given me this year.


But wait, the day wasn't over. After the pow wow, we went back to the Gberry house. Ann Marie's high school graduation was Friday night, and we were all invited. Melissa and I hard boiled some eggs, assembled the chili (watch out for those onions-*note to self, learn kitchen terms), and then we got ready. We went to the graduation and I'm sure all of us that were there would agree Ann Marie's speech was beautiful and the ceremony as a whole was...interesting.


Next the intern team went to Mongolian Grill for dinner. Justin challenged me to not laugh for 24 hours, I did not accept the challenge. We challenged him to not sing for 24 hours, could it be done? I'm not so sure. Uncle Dave bought my dinner, what a sweetie.


Then we met up with some of the Gberrys and went to Red Robin for dessert. The waiter, Seth, found out it was my birthday.
Seth says to me, "How old are you? No, wait, let me guess."
I was thinking, 'No, please, don't guess.'

    

girlterns ready for Ann Marie's graduation (photo credit Anna Grace)

And then he had his answer, "Seventeen?"
Part of me wanted to whack my head on the table, but instead I decided to laugh. So maybe I'm 21, but I still like to have sprinkles on my milkshake.


All day long I got to celebrate with 25 of my friends, doesn't get better than that.