30th Extravaganza Recap

Hello! Hi! Howdy! Yes, I've survived my 30th and what a birthday it was! You'll have to forgive me for the lack of posts, a little storm called Sandy got in the way and then Mr. Doozie whisked me away for a surprise getaway. So now that I'm home let me attempt to give your a quick recap on the most memorable week ever! And, yes all the pics are from my phone! Ugh! Completely regret the fact I left my camera at home.....

My mom planned a quick trip to NYC on the Friday before Sandy hit to celebrate my birthday. The plan was for it to be an all girl hullabaloo but my little sis was unable to make it :( boo. So we shifted gears and my dad joined my momma, my adorably pregnant sister-in-love, and me on a jam-packed day trip. It ended up being awesome that my dad came with us, he is well traveled and zipped us around NYC like nobody's business. I'm always amazed that he can conquer both city and wilderness with ease. A renaissance man no doubt ;) We ate amazing food, took in the show Jersey Boys, did a little bit of shopping, and withheld terrified screams in the back of taxies. It was awesome! A trip I'll never forget and I am ever so thankful to have parents that made this all happen! Thank you mom and dad! And thank you to Mr. Doozie for watching our boys and holding down the fort during such a crazy time!

As soon as I arrived back at my parents' place (only 3 hours south of NYC) it was clear that Sandy was headed our way and was even closer to my home further south. I was stuck till she passed. Now normally a little extra "me" time would be an added blessing, but I didn't like the thought of being away from Mr. Doozie and the boys during such an awful storm and well, I didn't bring any of my craft supplies for the shop with me! Ugh! So as the weather grew worse and so did my missing of the boys my mom suggested I try my hand a paper quilling. Yep, the art of rolling tiny pieces of paper and gluing them together to make shapes. It takes ages to do and by the end of the Sandy I had more snowflakes coming out my ears than I knew what to do with! I'm not sure if I even liked doing it or if it just helped occupy my hands and brain till I could get back to my little men. Needless to say I'm so thankful for my parents' hospitality and the love they poured out on me for the almost-week I was there! My momma kept the coffee flowing and the chocolate a'coming, while my dad cleaned out a flooded basement and made sure the generator was in tip-top shape :) 

Meanwhile back at home, Mr. Doozie was scrambling to push back the dates on a surprise getaway that he had planned, and rearranging schedules so that once I arrived back at home his part of the birthday extravaganza could take place. Thankfully it all worked out and once the driving restrictions were lifted my sister-in-love, momma and I drove back down. I had one night at home with the boys and then I was swooped up and pampered like a princess for 3 days and 2 nights at a gorgeous beachside B&B with Mr. Doozie surprising me around every corner. Spoiled I tell ya, just downright spoiled! Manicure, massage, hair appointments, dinners out, sleeping in, shopping and just relaxing....sigh....it was an incredible getaway!!!

But the creme-de-la-creme is that final picture you see. Thirty letters, written from thirty people in my life, past and present. A few months back Mr. Doozie enlisted the help of my mom and was able to contact people who knew/know me and asked them to write a letter to me, hopefully containing a memory or two or in some people's case a dozen! He actually took a lot more pictures of the gift in its entirety, and my reaction to receiving it. I'll save all that for another post. But let me tell y'all, I was BLOWN out of the water by this. Two hours of sobbing, sniffling, and laughing left me with such a headache! Ha! I wouldn't have traded it for anything. The love I felt through those letters is almost indescribable....in. de. scribe. able......... If you are reading this and you participated in it, THANK YOU!

So, now I'm home, life has returned to normal and I'm ready to jump back into our little family routine and move forward on the blog here. I've missed y'all! It's been ages since I read any blogs and I'm looking forward to sharing a cup or two of coffee with y'all! Hope your Monday is wonderful and your week full of joy!