Birthday week!

A piece of humble Pie

Its my birthday week! Yay! That meant straight back to school right on my birthday January 22nd, but not before a little fun. On Monday my sweet sister Sarah took me out to Haicenda Colorado one of our favorite little Mexican Restaurants. I of course got my classic chicken quesadillas. The birthday special we got sophillas sprinkled with cinnamon sugar with a side of ice cream, honey and strawberry sauce. After a wonderful meal we headed to the Denver Zoo and used my recently renewed membership to get in. We had the most wonderful time walking around and viewing all the animals check out the highlights below. Wednesday I had two new classes. Drawing I started at 9 in the morning, but it was nice because there was room to park. Drawing ends right at 11:40 giving one hour and twenty minutes before classes Literature and Film starts at 1 and ends at two fifteen on the dot, much shorter than my other class. After a full day a college I headed home and got ready for dinner with the family. I wasn't expecting much except for the usual birthday dinner at Chiles with the whole family. My Dad and Sarah were talking about taking a long driving trip after school was off to see the Grand Canyon and other National Parks in Utah. I knew we were going to have a trip this year and I don't know if they're looking for me to take on part of the driving, but first someone's got to take me out on the highway before we even consider that. Also Dad buzzed about how my camera was turning two years old and he wanted me to get a new one feeling that  I was experienced enough to graduate to a bridge model. While we were waiting for the family my sister Sarah gave me an unexpected card I was shocked because we normally do cards before gifts. As I opened it I found a simple gift card to Disney, but when I opened the card and read it Sarah had surprised me with a full three day trip to Disneyland! I was so shocked and when I get surprised I usually cry because that's just the natural reaction. I didn't want to cry because we were in a public place and my other sister Lisa was filming me. The only words I could force out were "What?!" and admit how excited I was for the trip. Not only were we going to Disney Land, but also going out to Monterrey Bay to visit Sarah's lifelong friend Megan and to see the sights along with the famed Aquarium I'd heard so much about. This will be my first trip alone with just Sarah. The greatest gifts are always the one's you least expect and with a new suitcase I'm so looking forward to the trip.

The Polar Bear was cuddling with a blanket in the shade
and watching the peacocks parading around
the outer rim of his enclosure

Two of the three male peacocks competing for a peafowl

That's the face only a mother could love

Don't be fooled though Egyptians

worshiped and feared hippos because 

they are known to attack people

A howler monkey checking a capybara's teeth 

Then there's this, I have never seen this before. 

A red tufted lemur licking the light possibly for bugs?

From socially awkward tween to comical conversationalist queen

Comical conversationalist queen :)

Sometimes the greatest blessing comes when you least expect it. As of late and like any young woman my age I often wonder what am I going to do with my life in the later future. I have my dreams and ambitions like anyone and the closer I get to fulfill them the farther they seem to be. Then I realize that maybe I'm not ready yet and maybe it is because I need a little more practice. The greatest virtue is perhaps patience and while it is hard to bear at time, if it is tried and true good things will eventually come of it. Then out of the blue after wondering a revelation came in the simplest form. I  ran into this girl the other day and she has a lot of difficulties with social interaction. She can talk just fine, but doesn't know quite how to converse. Conversation can be painfully awkward, forced at times, sometimes she makes jokes that nobody get's, and she makes a difficult attempt to fit in like the corner of a puzzle piece vying for attention in the middle. She is like anyone else yearning to fit in, to seem normal, and belong. I found my revelation within her as she tried to make conversation with me. I saw myself in this painfully shy girl because I had been like her many years ago. before the diagnosis that changed my life. In that moment I realized how far I had come from socially awkward tween to comical conversationalist queen. I do slip up at times in conversations, but I just grin on the inside and think at least I'm having this conversation. Like anyone I do get embarrassed from time to time, but it is only a small mistake that will soon be forgotten. It is in those moments I realize how much I have grown and even though it has been difficult to grow it has been a tremendous learning experiences. Asperger Syndrome as become an unknown gift like the roots that keep the plant grounded. It has become not who I am, but a part of the puzzle of me. It no way defines, but it helps me see that we all have limits. Without limits we would not know who we are as people. Limits keep us grounded, but from time to time they need to be tested. When limits are tested they can be eventually broken and when they're broken new limits are set so that we may all reach our greatest potential.