3-OH happy day!!

How do I even begin to express my gratitude, my surprise, my wonder, my elation? Jayson threw for me the most amazingly wonderful surprise birthday party two weeks ago. (I say that like every friend in the world didn't already know!)
The lengths to which my husband went to make my birthday unforgettable could go down in romance history.
We started our weekend on my birthday by taking the kids to a local play area to spend some good family time. I was aware we were going "somewhere" overnight. in fact, we'd go from that destination to another undisclosed location for another special night. When I was led out to the truck (here after the Birthday Mobile) I found the windows to be completely blacked out with craft paper and a dark sheet hung between the back and front seats. I was put in the back (child safety locks on!) and given a choice between two gifts "red" or "blue" (they were both movies I could watch for our journey (since I couldn't see out the windows.)
Our first stop was P.F. Changs for a really yummy dinner. Then Jayson took me to a favorite store (Ann Taylor Loft) where I got a dress, shrug, and shoes for the following night's activity. (I was thinking musical at this point)
After a 3 hour drive we made it to our destination. I was blindfolded and led upstairs. We were at a beautiful B&B over looking some great lake (I later found it to be Lake Huron.)
The bed was amazing! what a gift to be able to sleep without little voices asking if they could sleep in our bed tonight. Or little cries needing a cup of water. No one woke me up in the morning, and I stayed in bed as long as I wanted. I even got to nap a bit in the great big beautiful bed. Those who know my love of sleep will agree that this would've been a great enough gift in itself. But it was only the beginning.
Jayson had packed the Wii and we played video games all day (I wasn't aloud to leave the room). We did go to lunch and I had a great BLT and some yummy waffle fries (my favorite kind).
Finally it was time to head to our next destination. I was thinking Chicago....NY seemed too far away. To see Wicked maybe?

I had to change into my dress in the back of the Birthday Mobile (a feat if I do say so!), but Jayson was merciful and let me stop at a gas station for final touch ups.
He blindfolded me and had me wear an Ipod into our location. I was pretty embarrassed at the thought of wearing those things into a fancy restaurant or a theatre. Then I opened my eyes.

There I was surrounded by dozens of friends and family members shouting "surprise" and singing me Happy Birthday. My eyes fell on a friend from a nearby suburb I hadn't seen in a year or so. I was so surprised to see my friend Bethany. Then I saw Carolyn through the crowd. Carolyn all the way from NC! FOR ME!!!! Then Shae, I haven't seen him in 5 years or so. WOW! Shae came all the way from MN for my party? Then I saw my dear friend since second grade, Leanne, and her new baby Anders in from WI. She'd come all this way for me with her new little babe?! Then I realized I had no idea where "here" was. It turned out to be a building our church owns right near our home. My friend Hollie decorated it so beautifully I hardly recognized it. Low lights, calla lilies everywhere. There was even a Deejay (Hollie's husband)complete with disco ball and all my favorite songs (Jayson had asked me weeks before to compile my theme songs for him. I thought he wanted to have them for himself; little did I know!)
There was an amazing spread of food all made by my chef Brother-in-Law Zac: Beef Wellington, Tomato basil tartletts, fresh mini cheesecakes... AND my sister flew back from MN for the party! OH LUCKY ME! OH HAPPY DAY!
I couldn't believe my eyes. I couldn't take everything in. There were people at my party from nearly every life stage I'd been through. All my worlds colliding here, because my wonderful husband and friends worked so hard to show how much I mean to them. I was dumbstruck. I could not believe it. (Even typing it I still can't believe it!)

Now, here you need to know I love gifts. Not big extravagant things, but things that really show thought. Personal things. Things from the heart. A homemade card over a store bought one for me every time. A scavenger hunt over a fancy dinner. Jayson had gone to great lengths to show his love for me with a combination of extravagance (because he loves me extravagantly) and immensely detailed and personal. It was unbelievable.
The perfect gift.
Then my friend Carolyn, who is a wonderful singer/songwriter/musician in her soul gave her gift to me. Her gift to me was a song she'd written about our friendship. I bawled like a baby.
The gift of a song.
My friends Amy and Matt made a "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" game up with video and sound effect and all. it had everyone laughing, and learning some pretty obscure facts about my life!
The gift of laughter.
My super-multimedia savvy friend Tony worked many hours with Jayson compiling a beautiful video of pictures and videos from my whole life. He used his gifts in my honor. It was beautiful and so humbling.
The gift of remembrance.
Then Jayson opened the mic and one by one friends and family came up and told me such beautiful things I could hardly believe were about me. Seriously. I can't believe that my friends see me like that. I so hope I can be that friend. That I really am that woman.
The gift of truth.
Hollie made sure the placed looked beautiful. I love aesthetics and everything was perfect. Jacki shuttled around out of town guests and made sure they were comfortable. Gayle's house was a make-shift bed and breakfast.
The gift of hospitality.
Zac's loving preparation of all the food. He stayed in MI instead of going back to MN to prepare all the food for my party. He chopped and shopped and baked and cooked so everyone could eat, drink and be merry!
The gift of food.
Friends traveled from states away, got sitters for their kids, left their families for a weekend, or their spouses they hadn't seen in a week. For me. To celebrate.
The gift of sacrifice.
Jayson worked for months, in complete secret, to make sure I knew who he saw me as. What my life has meant thus far, and who I am to my God.
The gift of love.

There were cards, and little gifts, and wonderful words and gift certificates too.
Thank you. Thank you all. Thank you doesn't even begin to express what I feel.

"A faithful friend is a strong defence and he that hath found such a one hath found a great treasure." Ecclesiastes 6:14

Praise God! I am rich beyond measure in all of you.

** if you have photos or video from the night, would you please be kind enough to burn it to a disk and send it to me? thanks!**