Surprise!

I shared on the old blog a little about my birthday. My 30th birthday. Honestly, I had a harder time turning 29. Maybe that's because I had such a fun time around my 30th birthday. It started out the weekend before when Mike was kind enough to watch the kids while I spent a weekend away scrapbooking with friends. When I got home my parents and brother came over in the evening. While I was gone Mike and the kids had made a cake for me! My mom brought the traditional cookie that she's gotten for our birthdays since I was little. I thought all of that was pretty special. Mike also got me a really nice camera, which is going to make scrapbooking a whole lot more fun! I was very happy. I had great week, too: Bible study on Monday (my actual birthday) and stamp club on Tuesday. Little did I know that Mike had so much more planned for me! We had planned to go on a date the following Saturday. My mom, who was in on all of this and a big help to Mike, watched the kids for us. We left around lunch time and spent some time at a really nice outdoor shopping area before we had dinner at The Melting Pot. Yum! But Mike wouldn't let me get dessert there. What? No dessert at a fondue restaurant?! I should have known then that something was up, but I can be pretty gullible!

When we got home our driveway was filled with cars! All cars that I recognized! Mike, with the help of my family and friends, had planned a surprise birthday party for me! Mike asks for forgiveness to any of my friends he forgot to invite - it must have been hard planning something like that without being able to ask me who I would like there. The nice thing was, Mike kept it very small. That way I wasn't overwhelmed. Mike made an Oreo dessert and everyone who came brought some food also. It was amazing and all the food was so yummy! Sydney was dying for cake. From the moment I walked in the door it was all she was asking for and apparently she had been doing this for a while. Someone told her they needed to sing "Happy Birthday" first, so she just started singing. It was so cute!

My friend Christa brought cake from the Hartville Kitchen - MMM!

Jamie, Brittany, Christa and Andrea all came and brought their families. All of these girls were in my wedding. I have known all of them longer than I've known Mike! Mike didn't plan it that way, but I thought that was so neat! Christa's parents even came; they have been like second parents to Mike and I. My mom and dad and brother and nephew and our cousin Bill were also there. What great memories!

I especially loved that my friends brought along all their kids. It was so great seeing them all together. Oh, how time flies! Here is Corban, Sydney, Addison and Travis.

Thank-you to everyone who helped out! And thank-you to all of my friends who celebrated with me in other ways as well. I am so blessed with many, many amazing friends! I love you all!