SURPRISE!!!

A few weeks ago a friend of mine asked if I would like to go to a new place opening called Dinner My Way. It is one of those places where they have eveything set out for you to make a main dish. All the ingredients are there, you mix it all together, put it in a bag, and take it home to freeze it until you are ready to eat it! She had a coupon to go try it for free and so I thought, why not...it would be fun! It was for this last Thursday when my mom was also in town so I asked if she wanted to go...it would be a fun "girls night out"! :)

On Wednesday my friend called with the idea that since we already have our husbands watching our kids, maybe we should go out after for ice cream or Starbuck's or something to celebrate my birthday. I thought it sounded like fun, so long as my mom wanted to.

Okay, Thursday (OCT 19) arrived. My parents were on their way here from about 4 hours away...my mom had been really sick the whole week and I wasn't sure she would really want to go to a place we would be making food. It is one thing to have my kids throw up somewhere public...but the thought of my mom doing it was too much for me to imagine! :)
She was adament that she would be just fine and she could go...I thought how great of her to want to spend time with me and my friend! :)
So at 6:30 off we went.

The place was really fun...we made a main course in literally 10 minutes.
Which left us alot of time to go out for my birthday (which was really on Sat, the 21st). My friend (Connie) is currently on weight watchers (and doing AMAZINGLY WELL I might add), so I figured we would go somewhere like Starbucks or something where she could still get something. So, when she mentioned The Cheesecake Factory I was somewhat surprised. She assured me there was a low fat something or other that she could eat (which, why would you go there if you aren't going to have something totally fattening...hence, why she is doing good on her diet, and I, well...you get the idea). I thought...okay, that is fun, lets go.

My mom and I drove seperate from Connie..she got there a minute before us and I saw her go in. I thought...hmmm, she probably has to go to the bathroom (I mean what else could it be!). She came back out to meet us as we were walking in. We got up to the hostess where she asked us to hold on.
Here is how the conversation went from there...(Are you ready for this???)

Hostess: "Do you know where they are sitting?"
Connie: (With uncertainty in her voice) "WHO?
Hostess: "You are here for the surprise party, right???
Connie: "Oh...(turns to look at me)...SURPRISE?!

Yes, until this moment...I HAD NO IDEA THAT THERE WAS A SURPRISE FOR ME!
They almost pulled it off! I think that hostess felt bad...especially when Connie had gone in there (nor for the bathroom like I thought) to tell them I was there and could they just seat us with the rest of the group when we came in.

Anyway...we went out onto the patio where my sister-in-law had planned a surprise party for my birthday with all of my dear friends! There were a dozen red roses (my favorite), a scrap book with pages from each of them (which some of you still need to get done by the way...), diet coke (which is more important that the cheesecake), and CHEESECAKE! It was wonderful to see all my friends and know how much they love me and were willing to get together. We laughed so much (you wouldn't belive some of the things we talked about! Let me put it this way...some bodily fluids/functions, etc were mentioned...it is good we were on the patio away from everyone else!!).

Thank you to each of you who came and made my birthday so special...to my sisters who wish they could have been here, and to Stacey for arrainging the whole thing for me. That was so sweet and something I will never forget and always be thankful for. Especailly as this was my last birthday for a VERY LONG TIME in the states around family and friends. Turning 28 really wasn't such a bad thing...it was really fun, thanks to all of you!

Here are some pictures that were taken during that "SURPRISE". :)

Okay... I cannot get the pictures to post, i will try it on a seperate post!

Update: Tried to post the pictures...still can't get it to work. So just imagine all of us having so much fun...laughing, eating cheesecake (well all but one of us who had strawberries...that actually I will possibly order next time because they came with DARK chocolate to dip them in!), and laughing some more! It really was a great time (have I mentioned that before...?)

UPDATE #2: Check out Stacey's blog...she has pictures! :)