30....A memorable one

Yes, yesterday was my 30th birthday. A big one. And my husband made sure that the celebration was just as memorable. He threw me a surprise party and I was honestly shocked. He pulled it off amazingly well and I am still asking him questions about how he did it all. And he even did it on a weekend he was on-call, just praying he wouldn't get called in. Risky? Yes, but that's my husband! And another reason why I was so shocked.

In order to pull this entire thing off without a hitch, he first created a new email account (did any of you notice that?) Now before I go further, I may come across sounding like a nosy or distrusting wife--not the case at all. But I do check Matt's phone periodically to read his emails and know what is going on in his life. He rarely remembers what happens during his day to tell me about things, so I'll check emails/texts on his phone, which usually prompts him to remember things and tell me about them (i.e, having a dinner to go to Monday night at 7pm, which he may have forgotten to tell me about had I not seen the email).

He then managed to email just about everyone I would have wanted to be there....including several good friends from Iowa and Minnesota and both of our families.

Finally, he somehow got me to plan our entire weekend, so from my perspective I had planned everything that weekend and he was just going along with our plans. Little did I know that he had other people prompting me, but I really was so clueless. I thought my two sister-in-laws (Cammie and Mollie) were just coming up for the night and were taking me out for a birthday brunch and a little shopping. Nothing suspicious at all. But when we got home, this was what I walked in to......




I was so shocked as I looked around the kitchen and saw all my good friends standing in one room together......as my eyes moved around the room, I began tearing up, realizing all the work Matt had gone to to make this day special. And he knows how much i LoVe surprises, so it couldn't have been better!!! I have always said that I have felt God's love for me most intensely when I think about what a great husband he gave me--no doubt in my mind God made us for each other and I am so blessed to be his wife!

These were the girls who 'distracted' me for the morning....completely unsuspecting. And thankfully they know me well enough to know that they needed to have an answer for every possible question I could ask about the rest of their day and why we had to be home and why they had to leave town so early, because I am not one just to leave an answer. I almost always continue questioning....maybe that's something I need to work on?!?

And given that I turned 30, many of our friends are in the same position in life--raising young kids. These were all the kids at the party except one (Coby--couldn't put off that nap any longer, could ya?)......and Wyatt is the oldest of all of them at 5 years old! It was crazy but so much fun!

My girls! The greatest friends a girl could have!

(notice 4 of the 7 are pregnant, so the above picture will quickly look a bit different!)

i was so overwhelmed and caught off guard that I never got a picture with my sister and parents or my in-laws who all made the trip up from Madison! My sincerest apologies to them.....they really made the day so special!

**beautiful flowers from a friend**

3 families overnight in one house

6 adults+8 kids+no naps=craziness then the crash then adult time!!

By far the best birthday I think I have ever had for many reasons. #1--I love surprises and Matt knows this so well. #2--It was amazing to have almost all of my favorite people in the same place at once. #3--I am really looking forward to my thirties. Many people had warned me about turning 30 and how tough it was, but for me it was actually kind of exciting. I have said this many times but will say it again....your 20s are great, but filled with lots of change and trying to figure out who you are, what you want in life, what direction you are going, what your strengths/weaknesses are, etc. I am finally at a place in my life where I am pretty comfortable with what I am and what I am not. I'm not trying to be something I'm not but am trying to be the best 'me' I can be...and spending time doing things that will last for eternity (growing in my faith, raising my kids, loving my husband, etc). I truly love my life right now and feel comfortable in my own skin. I pray that I will continue to feel this was throughout the next decade. So bye-bye to my young, immature 20-something self and hello to what I hope will be my best decade yet!