1. I turned 35 and had an incredible surprise party. I love an excuse for family and friends to get together and this party was so fun. I was 100% surprised. I'll post some photos when Amber sends them to me. the plan for the weekend was to have a small cookout on Sunday so I didn't expect anything else.
Here was the alibi: my actress friend Jeni, I should have known she was evil because she was on Team Jacob, asked me if I would be her guest at her acting class when the students performed their monologues on Saturday. She picked me up but we needed to "drop off a folder to her husband who was leading a retreat session at the park." When we got to the lodge, here is what happened (fast forward through about the first 3 or so minutes)
(I'll add in video in a few)
Seeing all my family and friends gathered just for me was so heartwarming. I was truly speechless and honored that they thought enough about me to go to such measures. However, I now know everyone around me is a good liar so I am always asking them, " Now when you said ____, was that the truth or was that just to throw me off of the trail." Someday I will trust them again!
2. On Sunday September 14, we survived the windstorm caused by Hurricane Ike with minimal damage. With winds hitting 75-80 mph, we were very fortunate to have only lost one storm window on our back porch and power for only one night. Considering 360,000 residences were without electric, and some still with none 8 days later, we have no complaints. The groceries, fast food restaurants that were fortunate enough to have power and the gas stations had lines for what seemed like miles! Due to the citywide damage, we were out of school all last week! here are a few photos from media circuits (none are personal photos) that show the craziness that was Ike's aftermath.
3. My childhood babysitter, Kim Aldridge, came in for a visit from Virginia. It has been 12 years since I saw her last and I was so excited to get to spend time getting to know her as an adult and having her be able to meet my children. Since I was out of school due to the storm damage, I was able to spend the night with my kids and Kim at my mom's from Monday through Wednesday. She is such a giving and loving person. I can remember running to her house to see her and missing her when she moved away although I was only about 3 when she moved.
During her visit she broke the news that she is adopting a baby that is due in April. Since she was not able to have children she knew she felt as though she was meant to have a child and this has just come at the perfect time for her. She always told me that she was going to name her daughter Kristen Gayle after me because I was such a wonderful child (my brother would spin a different story about that) and her best friend. However, one of her relatives just had a little girl and stole my name from under Kim's nose! Therefore she decided that, if she adopts a girl, her name will be Elizabeth Gayle. And Elizabeth just happens to be Audrey's middle name! She had chosen that name before meeting Audrey, who happens to also absolutely adore Kim and even renamed her "Sissy." I think it was meant to be.
I am hoping to get to visit her in Virginia toward the end of the year and find out if Kim is going to have a little Elizabeth or a little Landon. Either way, she will be a spectacular mom! I will post pictures and video of her visit as soon as I figure out how to download from my new camera.
September has been a month of counting blessings. Words cannot express how lucky I am to have such special people as my family and friends in my life. My party and visit from Kim proved that. Also, I lucked out by having all that I know safe and healthy after the storm. I needed this dose of reality this month because I think I was starting to feel bogged down by the day to day mundane things and I couldn't see what is truly most important to me.
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