35 & Feelin' the LOVE!!

WOW!!!

That's all I have to say
about this birthday weekend
I've just celebrated.

This one's is packed full of stuff...
but good stuff...
hope you make it to the end

God is in the business of surprises
and that's exactly what He did
this weekend...

It was packed full of
friends.
love.
generosity.
and SURPRISES!

Friday was my actual birthday
fun fact about my birthday
I share it with a couple of really cool people
Dr. Seuss & BonJovi :-)

Friday my roomies hung the Birthday Banner
and Becca made me a delish birthday omelet




I was crowned Birthday Princess when I got to work



The boss-man took our team to
lunch at the Cheesecake Factory
His lovely wife was able to join us



I got to spend some time with my
dear friends that have been in Kenya
for the past couple of years and
my other friends from Arkansas
and their combined 9 children!!!
Soooo FUN!

They blessed me with a yummy dinner,
cake & their time. My love language is
quality time and it was so nice to just
sit & chat with them

I spent Saturday with a dear friend
and her family.
Again...lots of quality time
some PHENOM sushi
and sweet gifts

Sunday was a PACKED day
I went to church then
22 of us went to one of my
new fave restaurants
The RePublic Gastropub

My friend Kyle said
"Look at all these people here that love you, Leesh"
It was overwhelming.
Especially since I've only been here 3 years
I feel like it could take a lifetime
to find as many sweet friends as I had
at lunch Sunday...my cup runneth over
for SURE!



Guys...don't kill me but I couldn't
resist posting that PRESH pic!

Well, a couple of days prior my sweet friend
Moriah said, "Leesh...you're in for the
BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT EVER!"
She & Ashley were collaborating on this
and I had NO CLUE what it could possibly be.

So, during lunch Moriah gets everyone's
attention and presents me with a card.

I loved it...it was a Mary Englebreit
card that says
"The Princess of Quite a Lot"
My cousin Rhonda gave me that
stationery when I was in college so
it was fun to see it again.

Well...I open the card and begin reading



I start shaking when I get to this statement
"We have started you a 'camera' fund
so that you can purchase a nice camera of your
own. We have raised near or more than
$800! We love you"

I was overwhelmed...I started crying!!

Ashley & Moriah got this incredible
idea from my former roomie Veronica
She has an incredible gift of knowing
just what the receiver wants or needs

So...they messaged my roomies
several of our mutual friends and family
and collected this
without me having the slightest clue...
You all are GOOD!!!

After lunch I got a yummy dessert and
my friends sang Happy Birthday...
it was probably the most beautiful way
it's ever been sung before...the restaurant
seemed to just stop as they sang...it was AWESOME!

I continued the day by going to see
the Dr. Seuss movie The Lorax
with Moriah, Ashley, Ariella & Brett
It was a super cute movie & we laughed a LOT

As we were leaving the theater
the girls & I were just chattin' it up
and laughing at our fave parts of the movie...
Brett turns around and was like

"That was Nick Collison"

I quickly turned around and saw this
HUGE man in a black hoodie
Ariella & I get closer to see if we can
see his face...sure enough...it's him...
he was getting a ticket to the movies
The guys in the ticket booth
were cute as ever...trying to appear
as if their jaws weren't on the floor.
Once the ticket was purchased I leaned in
and said, "Hey Nick...I'm celebrating my birthday,
can I get a picture with you?!?!"

He was very polite and said "sure", took the hood off
and snapped a pic with me....SO FUN!!!

Thunder Up Buttercup!!

I then headed over to my dear friend's house
to have dinner with her & her hubby and
their 3 sweet little girls.

Their middle child Sophie gave me the present...
How cute is she by the way?!?!



It was the most adorable coffee mug from Anthropologie
I had just seen the mug the day before
at my other friends house and fell in LOVE
there He goes again with the surprises!

We ended the evening sitting
outside in cozy chairs by their
outdoor fireplace...it was a
PERFECT evening for it

I just don't even know how to begin
thanking everyone that was a part of
the most amazing
Birthday Weekend EVER
and the incredibly generous gift!

The Lord is FULL of surprises and I
LOVE how He allows the Body of Christ
to be in on His surprises...
My heart is overwhelmed by His love for me
and the many people He's placed in my life
to love on me...what a PRECIOUS gift

I've done nothing to deserve this but
it's gifts right out of the Father's Heart
for His child. He knows me inside and
out and knows just how I receive...
What an amazing Father we have...
He knows each and every one of us
sooo well...He knows just how
to speak to our hearts and love on us...
it's so amazing...I'm baffled!

He never ceases to amaze me

Last thing...

A sweet friend from church encourages
her friends to pick a word that
describes what this coming year
looks like for them...
I've chosen my word...
God has healed my heart
in so many ways
over the past 3 years...
This year is a year of Transformation!

I pray my heart is willing to do what
God asks in order for this
transformation to take place
My desire is to be more like Him
and less like me

To 35 years!!
Believing this is the Best Year Yet!