Surprise!!

So yesterday morning, my husband informs me that 1. I don't need to worry about dinner and 2. we are going somewhere around 3 p.m. That's all he would tell me.

At about 3 p.m. we head out the door and he drives me over to my friend Janice's house. We walk in and there waiting for us are a pile of my good friends. Yeah, I was surprised!! We had food and cake (A HUGE black forest cake!) and it was fun having people from different parts of my life meet each other. A couple of people couldn't make it, which was unfortunate, but I understand. It was an interesting mix of old and new friends.

I opened pressies which was fun! Farrell gave me a beautiful orchid plant, which I am finally able to include-Blogger had some issues yesterday! Isn't it gorgeous?!?!

Mo made me a coptic bound book in a box which is fantastic. Janice also made me a coptic bound book with a modeling past cover and this cool oragami fold card inside. Both are blank so I can add my own art to them. They are wonderful!!

Karen, her husband Jodi and the girls gave me $35 in gift certificates for the scrapbook store near my home where I go to feed my paper addiction. (I don't scrapbook, but I buy odds and ends there for my art-inks, papers, etc.)

My son and husband gave me a Weller 100 soldering iron with 3/8 inch tip. WOOHOO!! This is the one I have wanted since I took Sally Jean's class in August! Nothing says love like tools! Later I said to my husband "Did you ever dream you would marry a woman who would ASK for tools for special occasions?" He just laughed. I can only imagine the conversation he had at Kona Glass over that one! "Uh yeah it's my wife's birthday and I want to get her a soldering iron." I bet the sales guy thought I would be bouncing a brick off his head when I opened it. When I got home, they also gave me the James Blunt CD "Back to Bedlam" that I wanted.

Kelly and Alyx said to watch my mailbox for some more birthday goodness-they ordered me something from somewhere! And I got lots of hugs, which is always a good thing!!

Then this morning, my husband went outside to do something and came back in with a present in his hands. Apparently elves and faeiries dropped it off late last night or this morning. I opened it and it was the boxed set dvds of Joan of Arcadia from my dear friend Lisa and her husband Lance! That was so sweet of them both. I have been wanting that dvd set since Xmas! I was *SO* disappointed when they cancelled the show-it was one of the best ones I have ever watched and it was just getting to a very meaty story line when it ended. At least now I can watch it to my heart's content! (And you know I will!)

The funny part of all this is that my birthday isn't actually till Wednesday and yet somehow every year it manages to stretch for about 2 weeks! So this morning I am feeling very spoiled and much loved and entirely grateful to have such wonderful and generous friends. I maintain that I have the best friends in the world, truely. Not just because they have showered me with presents, but because each of them are exceptional human beings in their own right and they bless my life just by being in it. And thank you to my sweet husband and kiddo for my party and to Janice and her husband Ron for graciously hosting it.

And now, off into the sunshine of this beautiful Sunday. I am heading to Vancouver for the monthly ATC swap!!