And Thus Ended The Twentieth Year

Roommates reunited!

Yesterday was my birthday! And I just had a fantastic time.

So we NEVER get out early at this one site. Even if only one patient is booked for the entire afternoon they will keep you until about half an hour before the end of your shift. Then they will "send you home early" after you've waited around for hours. So my classmate and I put on a little rehearsed skit for our preceptor. It went a little like this

Classmate: So what are you having for your birthday dinner tonight, Naomi?
Me: Oh I'm gonna make lasagna.
Classmate: That's not the typical birthday meal. People usually want steak or something like that.
Me: I'm having some people over so I figured that would be the easiest to feed a lot of people.

  At this point our preceptor starts to listen and asks if it's my birthday. I casually reply in the affirmative. She looked at us excitedly and then whispered that we should go home. We left the hospital laughing. All those years of drama finally paid off!

    I came home to perfectly timed letters and cards, birthday presents from Kyla (a fantastic squirrel cookie cutter that I then absolutely had to include in my cake plans!) and several phone calls (thank you Maple Ridge girls for the 11pm call. I loved hearing from you!)

Thank you people who love me!

I made a yummy lasagna and shared it with friends :) Wade bought me a stuffed squirrel that made squirrely noises (noticing a theme? I may or may not be obsessed with those fluffy-tailed rodents)

Pretty much how people react to me when I tell them about Squirrels

Ate my ice cream cake with my favorite coral
Tuitti Fruitti spoon

Cookie cutter squirrel cake:)

We watched Peter Pan and laughed at the things Disney was able to get away with in the 50's (The song 'What Made the Red Man Red?'...slightly racist)

Think of the happiest things! It's the same as having wings! Stinking love this movie and especially the music in it!

Today Brittney brought me a lovely pink cupcake, and it was big of her to buy a pink one cause she hates that color. It was almost too pretty to eat. Almost.

See? how is a person supposed to eat something this pretty?

You can try and tell yourself that you don't like the Biebs...but it would be a lie, wouldn't it?

And a singing/Flasing card was to be found when I got home. J-Biebs before puberty singing 'Baby'. I loved it

It wasn't a huge party and we didn't do anything really out of the ordinary but it's just so nice to be with people you love and who love you back. Also I love that someone else did the dishes :)

Bubbles

I'm turning 21 tomorrow but I'll never stop getting excited over things that light up in the dark! Definitely going to be on my summer nights activity list!

Break a glowstick and mix it with a container of bubbles. Watch  your fairy-like bubbles float  into the night.

Over the River and Through the Woods

   Reading week was so wonderful. I spent it with my grandma on her ranch. The first thing we did was leave the city. Living in Edmonton I forget why all my life I've wanted to come to Alberta. But when I drive just out of the city limits I remember; Alberta is beautiful. It doesn't matter where you're from or where you're going, the open arms of the land embrace you, no questions asked. It just feels like home.

  After a few hours of driving we came to a little dirt road. Where it stops, wonderful things begin. At the end of that dirt road is the sweetest log house tucked in amongst the trees. Grandma literally lives over the river and through the woods.

Out here there's no such thing as cell reception and WiFi. Just rivers and mountains and forest. When you listen you can't hear cars or people. Most of the time you hear nothing. Think about the last time you really heard the sound of nothing. It's rare. When something does make it's way to your ears it's the sound of wind and birds and leaves. And it's lovely. You don't smell exhaust or the nasty smell in Edmonton that makes it way up from dark and dingy places. It smells like earth and water and trees. When we did laundry we hung our clothes in the open air. There's a reason they have a market for detergents that claim 'country fresh'. Nothing smells quite like wind dried clothes.

      At night there's no smog or lights to cloud your view. A full sky stretches above you and stars you didn't even know existed. And each one of them twinkle. Actually twinkle. It felt like getting a new prescription for glasses and seeing the world with sharper sight. The moon reflects off the snow and scatters blue light that dusts the wintry scene until it glows. When the sun goes down here even adults believe in magic.

    Grandma makes good old fashioned, hearty meals that feed your body. In the morning I wake up to Bacon, eggs, pancakes and toast. Sunday dinners are amazing. And her home made bread is a cure for pretty well anything. And I love it. But something about living out here nourishes your soul. It cleans the cobwebbed corners and airs the musty rooms. It makes you realize how amazing it is just to live. You're reminded that existence itself is a miracle. I wish I could bottle it up and take it home with me. But because I can't I guess I'll have to just keep going back for more :)