Day #49: Benadryl

July 4, 2011

For the Fourth of July we got KFC (I made a salad to bring since I don't fancy meat) and went to a park with the whole family and ate then hiked a little bit, then played pooh sticks at the bridge. Well, we went later in the day so that it wouldn't be as crowded and there are tall trees around which create a lot of shade. So the mosquitoes where out.  And I am crazy allergic to them. One bit me on the back of my arm and it swelled to this huge hive like normal, and my sister had Benadryl in her purse because my nephew has really bad allergies and asked if I wanted some. So I said yes, even though it was kids and cherry flavor (which actually was awesome). It worked like a charm, but made me super sleepy. When we got home I actually napped for a half an hour which is huge because I still couldn't sleep at all from my antidepressants. 

Also, I put bandaids on my bug bites..I always have, and I didn't know it was unusual until, like, last year. 

-Kaylyn

Day #3: The Sun

May 19, 2011

My sister and I do this thing for our birth week. Since her birthday usually fell during spring break she would say it was Andrea Gras, like Mardi Gras, and it was a week long celebration of Andrea. As I have mentioned before, I always seem to have terrible birthdays, and the first few days of Kaylyn Gras were no different. But on the day of my actual birthday I woke up to find the sun shining unbelievably cloudlessly. Which was a surprise because we'd had a little sun the week before and everyone said this week would be less sunny, which I didn't mind and kind of expected rather than sun. And the rest of this week has been just as sunny and beautifully warm. But on the day of my birthday I felt like the sun was defying expectations and it was a little personal hats off from Heavenly Father telling me to have a happy birthday, and that He was there.

-Kaylyn

Day #1: Savory Sixteen

May 17, 2011

I realized a few weeks ago that I'm just not a very enthusiastic person. I don't have much school spirit, or Christmas spirit, I'm not excited for all of the invitations and things that go with graduation, I'm going to have a pretty low-key wedding; I just don't have much enthusiasm. I don't really find this worrisome, though, more practical or rational I guess. I kind of just find simple things fulfilling enough.

My sixteenth birthday really isn't all that sweet. I'm not having a party because Chitty Chitty Bang Bang opens this week so we have crazy rehearsals. I wouldn't have a party regardless, though. It just sounds complicated to arrange and then awkward thinking about who I would possibly invite and how it would be quite the motley party. I've been saying that rehearsal is my birthday party, and it really is.

Sixteen just doesn't feel like that big of a deal to me. Everyone keeps saying, "Oh, sweet sixteen!" And I can't help but thinking no.. not quite sweet. More like savory sixteen. I just don't see it as that big of a deal, I mean, I'm not even getting my license. I only have about 20 hours. I'm not too fond of driving, though I would like to get getting my license out of the way. I'm just moving from fifteen to sixteen. It feels as natural as can be, yet everyone seems to be fussing over me about it, and it feels a little strange.

I always have to seem bad birthdays anyhow. They just never seem to live up to what I want them to be, even though it seems like I don't expect much. The little things that I do expect, or hope for, or count on or whatever I guess just don't seem to work out the way I would like them to. Or it doesn't seem magical enough. I'm the kind of person who would want a surprise balloon and hugs all day and that would be a splendid birthday. And to be happy. Perhaps that is why birthdays are always disappointing to me; because they're the one day I can hope that I will, or maybe can, be perfectly happy.

Well, anyways, I read Water for Elephants recently which revived my love for elephants. And I was shopping for my birthday clothes at Buffalo Exchange and found this amazing bright sunshiny yellow retro early 60s dress. Upon closer inspection {after what I'm sure was a squeal of delight, if not it inevitably came after my next discovery} I found that the buckle on the top was nothing other than, an elephant. Nothing could be better, especially for a birthday dress. This is the relevance for the picture on this post.

This birthday is actually turning out to be quite good, even though it's a bit all over the place. A surprise sunny day, elephants, rehearsal, red velvet cake. Who cares if I don't have a party or my license or anything "sweet"? Savory is good enough for me. 

Happy birthday to me.

-Kaylyn