Surprise Party & Easter

This weekend has been long anticipated for a couple of reasons. If you have been following my blog for any time at all you know that I have a "Football Family" here in Arkansas. This group of friends was formed as a means to get together every weekend and share a meal, watch a little football, and just hang out. We rotate houses every week. Now that football season is over, we don't get together every Sunday, but we get together often! One thing that I LOVE about this group of friends is that we all come from varying walks of life, life experiences, ages, backgrounds and perspectives. But one thing that we all have in common is that we love each other and like to have a good time! This coming week (Apr 14 & 18) Kelly & Kara turn 40. We cannot believe that they have reached this life milestone already! Of course, we couldn't let this occasion go uncelebrated without a little twist and an element of surprise....so....we decided to throw a little surprise party just among our group of football friends. The funny thing is that the girls thought that no one was going to throw a party for them, so they planned their own for next weekend! Little did they know.....

The plan: Everyone meet at Ross and Courtney's (5 doors down from one of the birthday girls, so this could get a little tricky). Jim and John were to take the girls to a cystic fibrosis fundraiser in Fayetteville (there was no CF fundraiser, but charity events are a dime a dozen up here this time of year, so they would never know the difference). Jim was to text Courtney when he left the house and headed over to John & Kelly's (birthday girl #2). Courtney was to wait 2 minutes then call Kara and ask her to come over and check out an outfit that she was wearing to an event that night.

The surprise: All of the football friends would be standing in the kitchen when Kara and Kelly walked in the house. Jim and John had arranged for a car service to take us all down to Fayetteville to a piano bar that we love, Willy D's.

The result: 2 VERY surprised birthday girls! They LOVED the evening and had a blast! Actually, we all had a great night (and Easter morning came WAY TOO early....)

The tiaras

The birthday cake made my yours truly...Butter cake with vanilla buttercream icing.

Courtney talking to Kara...hoping she takes the bait :)

Kara walking in the kitchen....she was the first through the door

Kelly right behind Kara. Priceless face.

Jim & Kara, Kelly & John

(the men were so glad that everything worked out so well!)

The girls:

Courtney, me, Kelly, Kara, Julie, Jazmin, Heidi

The men:

Eric, Steven (Mike's brother visiting from Iowa), Mike, John, Ross, Paul, Jim

The Football Friends

Loading up and heading to Fayetteville...watch out Willy D's!

Kelly & Kara playing along with the piano guys....

Easter Sunday

This morning we awoke to torrential rains and thunderstorms. If it weren't Easter Sunday morning, I would have just continued to sleep all cozy in my bed. However, I could not do that on THE Sunday mornings of all Sunday mornings! I braved the elements and headed to church for 9 a.m. service. Much excitment and anticipation welled within me as to what the service would bring...especially after last week was so awesome! I hate to say this, but I was sadly disappointed this morning. The service was rushed, no traditional music/hymns. There was a lot of upbeat rockin' and rollin' of new songs. Where was "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" or Dolly singing "He's Alive"?? I even turned to the Christian station on XM AND radio....no dice. Bad music selections for this most wonderful Sunday of the year! This is NOT the way I was hoping Easter Sunday would go. Needless to say, by the time I got out of the service, I was soaked from my trek inside, disappointed by the service (which lasted 30 minutes!), and lack of suplimental music from the Christian radio stations. Bad start to a supposedly good day. Mercifully, I met my neighbors for brunch at Crabby's. AWESOME meal with 2 awesome families! Day is looking up.... Football friends lunch at Kelly's at 1:00. I am so looking forward to this time with my Arkansas family. With each passing hour, the day is getting better. By the time I left Kelly's at 5:00, I am in a great mood and the day has been wonderful. God is so good to me.

I struggle being away from my biological family during the holidays. When this day didn't get off to a "right" start, I really started getting sad. Being tired from lack of sleep from the night before, the tears seemed to come too easily. By noon, when my parents called, I was a basket of raw emotion. The one thing that I am most thankful for is that my Football friends ARE there and that we all have only each other during the holidays. None of us have our family close by and we take seriously leaning on each other. God is good to me!

Tonight as I post, I realize that I have had a fabulous weekend! Even though today didn't get off to the greatest start (or the one I anticipated and expected), God had a divine day planned for me. It's all about perspective and managing expectations. I expected today to go one way and God wanted it to go another....He wins!

The absolute best 5 minutes of today was when Erin showed me the dessert that she made for us today. She is 12 years old and LOVES to bake. She is really doing a lot of things on her own these days and I am so proud of her! (especially since I gave her a cake baking lesson one night....) Here is Erin and her strawberry cake. (strawberry is my most favorite cake EVER!)

Erin and the best strawberry cake