My 40th birthday surprise from my GIRLFRIENDS

I know, I know….it’s been a while since I have blogged. My life has been “fast forward on crazy” these past few weeks!

My kids leave town for a church camp tomorrow. My 40th birthday is this coming weekend. My first triathlon is this weekend. And my GIRLFRIENDS love me enough that they stole me out of town EARLY for my birthday.

Last weekend, I was just taking my time getting out of the shower…..thinking I was going shopping with my Mom (nice job Mom) when I heard this incessant beeping of horns outside my house. As I run outside IN A ROBE and MAKEUP-LESS, I see my 4 closest GIRLFRIENDS loaded up in 2 vehicles with their bikes and bags packed…..they had planned a GIRLFRIEND’S weekend away just for me!

I had so many things going thru my mind when this picture was taken:

-I know there is a camera snapping pictures and that I have on no makeup and I really don’t care.

-Even tho I don’t care, I still know that I am no Demi Moore when it comes to crying.

-They love me…..they really love me.

-Are my kids and husband gonna be ok without me for a weekend?

-Wait, did we have any plans this weekend? (turns out we had nothing….thank you husband!)

-Am I gonna be able to workout (my tri was in 2 weeks)?

-And where are we going???????

Just that morning I had told a friend that I was “unsurprisable”. Yep, I ate crow. I had nooooooooooo idea. Not even a hint of an idea.

So into the house I ran to throw on my favorite yellow dress so we could head out of town…..
I seriously got ready in about 5 minutes. I couldn’t wait! I had been crying on the phone with my momma about our adoption struggles and life’s struggles only a few hours before the girls pulled up. This weekend was just what I needed….. it was a salve to my soul.

These are my 4 closest girls. My front line. My sisters in Christ. I love them dearly.

After we posed a bit, we were on the road to Rocheport, MO…..home of the Katy Trail.

The girl’s had booked us a weekend at a place called “The Girl’s Night Inn“….perfect for a GIRLFRIEND’S weekend.

The first thing we saw when we pulled up were these vintage bicycles. Hilarious! And a deathtrap I might add.

They had old batons and hula hoops. Croquet sets and hammocks. Smores and a firepit. Old fashioned fun!!!

They also had a basket of dress up clothes. Shauna had on the sequins as soon as she saw them….sequins are her second skin.

We spent the entire weekend eating, laughing, crying ….and staying up way too late.

The rode the Katy Trail for a 20 mile bike ride. It was so hot and sweaty and yet we didn’t even seem to notice. There was JOY in the JOURNEY.

The Katy Trail runs right next to the Missouri River and was just a beautiful, beautiful ride!

I love that my GIRLFRIENDS worked exercise into our weekend knowing how important this is to me! 2 of these girls are in the triathlon with me….so the biking was great!

And we did a tiny bit of hiking just for fun.

We spent one memorable night having dinner on the river at a winery. It was a beautiful sunset and the company was even more beautiful.

Then there was movies and nail polish ….. and more staying up late.

What’s not to love about crackled polish?????

Before leaving town, we went through antique stores and bought souvenirs and drove over curbs and photographed all the cute things in the Girl’s Night Inn.

“Here’s to good women: May we know them, may we be them, may we raise them”. Love!

The decor was just so GIRLIE and so cute!

Everything was centered around relationships with GIRLFRIENDS…..which I love!

Even the cookbooks…..

And the tshirts….centered around GIRLFRIENDS.

To my GIRLFRIENDS…..I love you each more than you know. You have been friends who have stuck closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). I am forever grateful for the years and years of close friendship that I have had with each of you. We are in this together for the long haul. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.