:: SURPRISE!!! ::

...my wish is that everyone have a surprise party thrown in their honor at some point...EVERYONE! There is nothing like the feeling that everyone in the room wants to be there FOR YOU...to make sure that you know that you are loved. How amazing is that? I've never had one thrown for me before...until this past weekend. My sneaky family arranged this whole thing over the past 5-6 months without me knowing a thing. And, as you probably already figured, I know everything!! (haha) Well, I did anyway, until this. Lucas and I went to NY this past weekend under false pretenses...I thought we were having Thanksgiving and maybe a little birthday dinner. Nope. No Thanksgiving. No stuffing or turkey or mashed potatoes...just a room full of people in a beautiful restaurant lying in wait to scare the bejesus out of me =) It was beyond overwhelming!!

I can't explain the love an gratitude that fill my heart. I am just about a week shy of 40 years old...this weekend taught me that I have gathered some pretty amazing people into my life in the last 40 years. I am beyond lucky. To those who were there and those who couldn't be...I am forever grateful for your place in my life and adore you all. To my amazing family...thank you for giving me this gift of love. You are my heart.

...a goofy picture of me...but I think it shows my absolute SURPRISE! (I'm not going to share the ugly crying pictures that follow...I was definitely overwhelmed!!)