Awesome Surprise Birthday Party

I have an amazing husband.  And amazing friends.

They threw me a surprise birthday party and it was awesome.

I do not advertise my birthday on Facebook.  I hate the obligatory and insincere birthday messages that get sent if people know it's your birthday just because social media told them so.  And I hate feeling obligated to go through each one and thank them all for wishing me a happy day.  And then I hate feeling obligated to wish each of those people a happy birthday to reciprocate.

I also just don't typically celebrate my birthday.  This year I spent my birthday baking a cake and making a pinata for my son's party.  To me, birthdays are for kids.

I don't feel this way about my birthday because I dread growing older.  Not at all!  I'm proud to say that I am now 30.  And I plan to embrace every wrinkle and grey hair as they come.  And if someone happens to know my birthday and wants to sing to me, I won't refuse to let them.  This year one of my brothers even called me on my birthday.  It was a nice visit.  But I don't expect to be queen of the day.  And honestly, if you didn't come from my womb, I will most likely not remember or recognize your birthday, either.  So I don't expect it in return.

I don't begrudge my friends having other opinions on the matter, though.  If you want me to babysit your kid so you and your spouse can go to dinner on your special day, then I will happily oblige.  If you want to throw yourself a party, I will definitely come.  Any excuse for a party is a good one in my book!  I will probably offer to make you a cake and I will absolutely sing the birthday song as loud as I can!

But I will definitely not be throwing my own birthday party.  I find other excuses for parties throughout the year, ones where I don't have to be the center of attention.

Well, I digress.  This surprise party (my first ever) was great.  My friend Ally (blogger at Millennial Mormon Mom) came up with the idea.  She consulted with Hubby who rightfully told her that I would discourage any celebration in my honor.  But he also told her that I would really enjoy a relaxed evening with a few girlfriends where we could just talk and laugh.  Another important note was that any day that I don't have to make dinner or clean up afterwards is a day that I feel special and loved.  Boy, does he know me well!

So on this day, at almost 5 o'clock Hubby got a call from his mom (I guess he roped her into it too, so he wouldn't have to lie if I pressed him).  After he talked to her for a bit he declared that he needed to go to her house really quick to pick up a birthday present she had intended to bring to Tertius' birthday party that morning but couldn't make it. (I should have been more suspicious considering this was a "friend party" and she had already given him a gift at the family party two months earlier.)  So he asked the kids if any of them wanted to go with him to see grandma and they all said yes.  Apparently he had prepared them earlier that day to ensure they would all want to go.

Hubby said I needed to stay home because Jeff and Ally were going to stop by that night to pick up a coffee table we were getting rid of.  He also assured me that it would be a quick trip and that he would figure out something for dinner when he got back.  I was exhausted from the earlier party so I happily thanked him for his thoughtfulness and settled on the couch to watch TV.

I was only about halfway through my episode when I got a knock at the door.  I opened it to find not Ally and Jeff, but Ally and 4 other friends!  They brought with them a veggie tray, crackers, hummus (mmm...hummus.  Ally knows me well.), lasagna, salad, and fancy french soda.

While we ate and gossiped, Hubby and Jeff took the kids to the mall to eat fast food and spend their piggy bank money on the carousel and toys (Hubby made it a total life-skills learning experience for the kids as they had to pay for their stuff themselves.  Homeschool!).  It was a really fun evening for everyone!

I'm grateful for my friends for making me feel loved.  And I'm grateful that I was able to enjoy a girls' night without having to do all the planning. :)  Maybe birthdays are a good idea after all.  Do you think I could get Hubby to plan a party for me every year?  :)