copy/paste into a THANK YOU card

I honestly can't remember the last time I celebrated my birthday by just sitting back & reflecting on everything up to this point. I'm so used to embracing the busy & fun aspect of it all with a bunch of friends (whether playing games... watching a movie... enjoying fellowship while eating out... etc etc), but it was surprisingly nice to just relax & lay low for once. To an extent, I didn't have much of a choice due to weather conditions... but regardless, the atmosphere of being away from home provided for a much different experience from the start.

Above all else, I'm all-the-more thankful for all the friends & family I've come to be blessed with the past 24 years of my life.. and now entering into my 25th (crazy!). My parents came to visit Thursday night until Saturday morning (with Gidget the wonder-pooch in tow), Abby baked a cake in my honor since she couldn't be here (and we also celebrated together via Skype for 2+ hours!), and friends left & right expressed their well-wishes and love in their own individual ways. It'd be impossible to thank everyone on here (hopefully I got back to everyone individually on Facebook & text at least)... but major thanks to and appreciation for Brian Norris (aka Whoaday) & Jacob Ray for their friendship & brotherly love over the years, and to Josh Haynes/Grant Ragsdale/Elias Anderson for allowing me to crash here @ their place during the snow-filled chaos this weekend (I owe you guys 3 mud-kips and a barrel roll. baba booey!). It meant alot seeing all the messages that came in yesterday in different forms & means of communication... but having my family, my girlfriend, and these close friends (amongst others) express their love as they did meant a huge deal to me. I really did think about going haywire with this post and thanking absolutely everybody.... but I'll refrain & hope that I didn't overlook anybody in my one-on-one thank you's & messages in return to everybody from midnite to 11:59pm.

Also, I'm not 100% certain who reads my blog... so it was easier to stick to those that I know will read this post haha (all the more reason for you non-commenting readers to start leaving some quick responses, thus opening up more opportunities for me to mention you in later posts when instances as such come along. peeeeer pressure!). You can make up for not commenting in the past by purchasing this t-shirt for me:

I'm kidding... but no, seriously.

This day wasn't about me, but completely about how thankful I am for all of YOU that have impacted my life in the past... continue to do so in the present... and onward into the future. Take that for what it's worth... cheesy, lovey-dovey, or excessively thankful. All three, even! Much love to the most amazing family & friends to be surrounded by EVER. I owe you guys/gals some scratch & sniff stickers, plastic "gold" trophies, iron-on patches, and #1 ribbons to adorn yourselves with.... as well as hugs & jumping high-fives aplenty!

OH, and hey...