Best. Birthday. Ever.

Picture 1 - Eating ice cream in Tel Aviv
Picture 2 - Statue of Faith in Old Jaffa-Tel Aviv
Picture 3 - a jumping picture of ME ON THE BEACH OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA (my dear friend Ashley is a professional photographer and she edited this picture for me)
Picture 4 - L-R: Greg Hudnall, moi, Kevin Collier; beach of Mediterranean Sea

I had the best birthday in the entire world...and it's all because of my friends here. I have no idea how I have been so blessed, but boy did I get lucky.
Birthday adventures began way before my birthday even started! I went out into the City a few times during the week and whenever the shopkeepers found out it was my birthday, the promised me gifts or gave them to me there on the spot! In fact, when my friend Laurel told one of the owners that my birthday was coming up, he gave me a free pair of earrings, and a free t-shirt. Granted, the t-shirt had a small whole in the back and he was planning on getting rid of it, but hey! That's easily fixable, right? ha ha
Then on Saturday, my friend Ashley threw me a surprise birthday party!!! It's funny because I was in my room for most of the day writing in my journal, calling home, etc. while everyone else was baking, blowing up balloons, and peeking around corners to see if I was coming. My friend Piers lured me out of my room by saying I had a meeting with my branch president. He took me on a little detour to "get his scriptures" and led me right into the surprise! I was in shock and clutched my heart for a good while afterwards. Sadly I don't have pictures of that moment considering it was a surprise...and therefore I didn't have my camera, but I'll get pictures from friends. :) As soon as everyone finished singing happy birthday, they started shouting "Speech! Speech! Speech!" So they put me on a chair and I gave a little speech and thanked the little people and my roommates, and then invited everyone in for a mass hug. Well, everyone crowded in for a hug (while I was still on the chair) and it is possibly one of my favorite memories of all time.
My birthday could have ended there and I would have been perfectly happy, but no! Sunday, my actual birthday, I went to Tel Aviv via a bus! Tel Aviv is on the coast and it is about 45 minutes away from Jerusalem. Four other friends and I took a bus to Tel Aviv and went straight to the beach! The day was quite pleasant with a slight breeze. It wasn't exactly sunbathing weather, but we had enough fun in the sun to get a sunburn! Who would have thought I could get a sunburn on my birthday! It certainly hasn't happened until now. We met up with a friend of Ashley's who is living/working there and he took us to Old Joffa and the port. We finished the evening eating pizza at an Italian restaurant, then hunting down some ice cream. My friends paid for everything because it was my birthday...like I said - best friends ever!
As soon as I got back, I was showered with more Happy Birthdays and some my best friends gave me a necklace that was a pocket watch/locket! They sang me a wonderful song and made it quite the affair. I absolutely loved it.

Thanks to those of you who said Happy Birthday in a letter, package, email, facebook...whatever. I miss you all and love you more!