I've always loved my birthdays... for lots of reasons!
Autumn, it's my favorite time of the year! I love everything about it...
Parties, my Mom planned and gave the best parties for me growing up... seriously, if I ever run into someone I haven't seen in ages.. they STILL always bring up how much they loved coming to my birthday parties when we were young.
Decorating, my Mom always made our house so magical and fun during the holidays and for my parties and now I love to do the same with my own home & family.
Traditions, like watching the old Legend of Sleepy Hollow narrated by Bing Crosby, the old Disney Trick or Treat & Abbott & Costello Meets Frankenstein movies year after year... I'm 35 now and I love them still the same!
Family & Friends, celebrating my birthday has always included spending time with those I love the most although over the last five years I haven't been able to spend it with my only sister and one of my best friends of all time because they both moved away... :(
BUT, this year my sister and all my family were in on a surprise that made my birthday just like old times!!!! (Well... almost, it would've needed my best friend who doesn't live here to be JUST like old times.. but it was as close as it gets!)
My sister surprised me and came to visit for a whole week. She flew in the morning of my birthday and showed up with my parents to a birthday lunch date that Andres and all of them had planned long before my birthday but it seemed as if it just got thrown together the day of. They were all a bunch of partners in secrecy... and they did a good job at it too!
This is me the morning of my birthday, I had been pulling some almost-all-nighters trying to get my painting done and the house put back together by my birthday, Sydnee & Tanner had stayed up late the night before in her room and made me some birthday presents, Andres had gotten up early, ran to the store and brought me home some flowers, a birthday balloon and made a yummy breakfast. He put some whip cream on top of three pumpkin chocolate chip cookies with candles and the kids and him all sang me happy birthday before they left for school & work!
I knew it would be a good day... but at that point I didn't have any specific plans other than to finish cleaning up the painting mess, putting everything back in it's place & maybe decorate that part of my house for Halloween. My Mom called to wish we a happy birthday and asked me if I had any plans.. I said nope, but I do have to pick up Tanner from Kindergarten in a while and then I'll have to pick up the other kids at 3:15. She said she was going to call Andres and see if he had anything planned, and if not then they'd probably come down so we could go to lunch after I pick up Tanner. I kept cleaning and then Andres called and asked me if I wanted to go to lunch, he said he'd pick up Tanner and see if he could play at the neighbors house while we go. I finished cleaning, got ready, Andres picked me up and off we went. He had made reservations at a fancy place that I'd never been to and the table was a big round table with six chairs. I asked him if my parents were coming and he said yes! We waited a little while and looked at the menu trying to make a choice of what we would order when everything sounded so good & then they came! My Mom was instantly in love with the restaurant and said she felt like it was her birthday too. We sat there for about five-ten minutes when all the sudden I see this person out of the corner of my eye walking kind of fast towards me with a menu over their face... it was my sister!!! She came up to me & asked me if I'd prefer to see the wine list? LOL Goofball! I shot up and about squeezed her to death. I was so excited to see her, I hadn't seen her for an entire year.
..and that's when the week-long party started!
After eating we went back to our house and visited for awhile before my parents and Sherry went back home.
A few hours later Andres came home from work and took me out on a date! We went to the mall and he bought me a Halloween painting we saw from one of our favorite artists, Jon McNaughton a while back. It is so gritty, I just love it! Then we went to see one of the best movies ever... The Secretariat! I love it when there's a really good movie to see on a special occasion. After that we went to dinner at one of our favorite pizza places, Terra Mia and then we finally finished the night off by making a late-night run to Walmart to pick up Tanner some birthday presents for the next day. Yes... his birthday is the day after mine!
3 comments:
I loved reading this story about your sister surprising you for your birthday! I love that picture of the 2 of you too....can't wait to hear about the rest of your week together! Oh and I wish I could have been there too....your birthday brings back so many of my best childhood memories!
Happy Birthday Friend!!! I am glad you had a great day. You totally deserve it.
Happy belated birthday, Sandee. You guys sure know how to celebrate! :)
Post a Comment