Scrapbrooks: Birthday Surprise!

Well, Corey really pulled out ALL the stops for my birthday this year. And I couldn't have been more surprised. My actual birthday was a lovely day. Corey and the girls made me a yummy cake, Natalie made me a lovely card (that she worked on before and after school...so sweet) and a crown and Audrey wanted to sing Happy Birthday to me in the car as we drove around our day. Add in a coffee/lemon poppy seed muffin filled mid-morning visit with a friend, lots of cards in the mail and messages on the phone and I thought year 39 (or is it year 40 when you turn 39?...let's just call it year 39 to keep me from freaking out...) arrived very nicely. But Corey said I couldn't open my present until Friday night, the evening we had a special date planned. Extend my birthday a few more days? Sure!

Well, Friday morning rolled around and I asked him if he'd tell me what he had planned for the evening so I could make sure I was dressed appropriately, ready on time etc. He'd planned for a sitter and everything and I wanted to know what time to expect this mystery sitter. Well, he wouldn't give anything away before he left for work. But on the commute to his office he texted me that I should pack my bags because my flight was leaving at 4:00 that afternoon. What??? Turns out he'd booked me a trip to Phoenix to visit my sister for the weekend. The perfect gift!!!

I went into overdrive catching up on laundry, packing, preparing the kids for the fact that I wouldn't be there for the weekend and wouldn't be picking Natalie up from school. Corey had actually arranged for my friend, Mari, to come over and walk with Audrey to school to pick up Natalie and bring her home while he took me to the airport in Oakland. Holy smokes! So fun.

So, off we flew to the airport and I was madly texting dear desert friends that I wanted to try to see while I was there. I told Corey that was the only flaw in his plan...not giving me enough notice to contact everyone and make plans to see people I really miss.

Well, he'd thought of that, too. I just didn't realize it until a surprise Saturday morning breakfast with my beautiful friend, Patty (arranged by Corey and Ashley) and a surprise Saturday evening dinner with my awesome friends from our old church (also arranged by Corey and Ashley). Those two did well! I sort of wondered why I didn't hear back from many of my Phoenix friends after my frantic texts from the airport begging to fit me into their weekend plans at the last minute. :)

The co-conspirator!

Had such a great time with Ash and Paul!

And a lovely surprise breakfast date with Patty!

And a super surprise dinner date with Julie, Meredith, Carol, Carrie and Trisha!

Such a great weekend and a memory I'll cherish forever. It was an awesome time to go to Phoenix as the weather was warm but not too warm and one of my good friends, Carrie, is about to move this coming weekend to Kentucky so I was able to see her before she heads east next weekend!

Also, Ashley and Paul are pregnant!!!!! I'm going to be an Auntie!!!!! So, this was probably the last visit we'll ~~enjoy~~ spend child-less in the near future. :) So excited for them and so thankful Ashley could help plan this trip even though she's felt so incredibly crummy the last few months!

Totally. Great. Weekend.

And many thanks to my friend, Nicole, who watched the girls Saturday morning when Corey had to go into work. It takes a village to raise kids, that we know. But it REALLY takes a village (and an awesome husband) to send a mom away for a surprise weekend!