Birthdays Are Something To Celebrate!

Today, is a special day because today I turn 22! It's seems weird to me that I am actually 22. Don't get me wrong, I know I am still young and have my whole life ahead of me, but for some reason I feel older.

I am not one to make a big deal of my birthday. I don't like all the attention on me. However, as I think about this day there are so many reasons it should be celebrated. Though each day there is something to be grateful for, on this day there seems to be an overwhelming feeling of gratitude. It's hard to believe that 22 years ago, I entered into this world prematurely fighting to hold onto the precious gift of life; spending my first 11 weeks in Stonybrook University NICU. Occasionally I visit the NICU, and each time I visit the babies and their families, it truly reminds me how precious life is. Like my family says, 

"I entered this world as a fighter, and continue to be one today."  

A lot has happened in the past year. I have completed 300 hrs of internship experiences, learned even more about myself, was accepted into the accelerated graduate program for school counseling, got diagnosed with CRPS, successfully completed my first semester of grad school, and am truly beginning to realize that in the next few months I will be entering into a new chapter -  post graduation. However, it's my birthday, so I'm not going to think about that. While I am beyond excited to actually be reaching this point, there are still moments where it's scary to be stepping into unknown territory.  

Some of those feelings of uncertainty stem from the fact that I will be separating from someone very special to me. My twin brother Joe, someone I couldn't leave out of this post. Coming to college together was completely unplanned, and I feel so blessed that we were able to share this experience together. We have a bond that is so special and I cherish all the memories that we have been able to create during our college years. 

I can't imagine sharing a birthday with anyone else. No matter what cards I am dealth with, he is the one that always keeps me laughing through it all. Happy Birthday Joe. I love you so much, and can't wait to celebrate with you later. YOLO!!

Luckily both my brother and I only have one class today, and am thrilled that my parents are coming up to have dinner with us. I'm a huge family person so I love that we will all be able to be together to celebrate. 

The big question you are probably all wondering is, what kind of cake are you having? Well to be honest I don't know! I was planning on making my own birthday cake, but my mom said she was going to take care of it. However, I will definitely be doing some baking over my birthday weekend, and am planning on converting our family recipe for pizzelles to be GF/DF.

I have worked hard these past few days, and don't have class tomorrow, so I think I am going to give myself the day to relax. Since I have a test this morning, and was up really late, I didn't have time to workout this morning. It's off to the gym after class, and then I think I see a mid-day nap in my future before the celebrating begins.

Have a wonderful day, and remember to "like" Embrace G-free's facebook page, as I am trying to reach 300 fans by the end of the day in honor of my birthday!!