Thirty

A birthday weekend full of surprises. Ben, his family and a couple of my best friends pulled off some awesome planning to make my thirtieth birthday so very special.

I awoke Friday morning to a card perched on my nightstand. Immediately, I recognized the handwriting, "Leah, open as soon as you wake up!" My cousin Jessie flew in for the weekend! She got in late on Thursday night and decided not to wake me. While I worked on Friday, Jessie readied the house for a surprise party Ben planned for Saturday. After work, we all enjoyed a late dinner on our patio, then Ben insisted we paint the front and dining rooms--at 10:30 pm. If I hadn't already suspected he was up to something, this insistence would have given away Ben's plans.

I'll admit it, as hard as Ben tried to keep me in the dark, I knew--or at least suspected--that he was planning a birthday party. In my defense, he didn't make it particularly hard to see right through him. Whether I know him too well or he's just a terrible liar, the birthday party secret didn't last long. I think it was a couple of months before my birthday when I asked him if we should have a barbecue to celebrate. He responded with his token awkward yawn--the one I get when he's uncomfortable with the conversation.  I let it go for a while, but no talk of birthday plans came up again which is unlike Ben, so I brought it up one more time. This time, he insisted we have a party on Sunday instead of Saturday, the day I suggested. Then there was Veronique. God love her, she's also a terrible liar. She casually brought up my birthday and suggested we hike on Saturday. When I told her I was hoping to have a barbecue she stumbled through a response and then hung up shortly thereafter. Suspicious.

On Saturday, the day of the party, Jessie and Veronique whisked me away to Denver for a girls' day out! We had a delicious lunch, drinks, shopped some boutiques and then finished things off with mani's and pedi's. It was lovely.

Then we headed back to my house where we were welcomed home by thirty or so friends and family!

Surprised or not, the weekend was perfect and made me feel loved. What a great way to start my thirties!

Girls Day:

The "Surprise":

The party:

Photos courtesy of Jess. Awesome party courtesy of Ben. 

And what matters most to me in this world--the best gift I could have ever asked for--here's a blurry picture of Ben and me with Isaac:

Little man, I love you more than there are stars in the sky. I am so blessed to be your mama.