How does a day at the spa with your mom, sisters, aunt, cousin and girlfriends sound? I can tell you firsthand it was fabulous! I had no idea the surprise that was in store. My sister Shannon was supposed to drive from Utah and spend the day with me Saturday as Eric was in Alaska and would continue to be until the eve of the 17th (my b day). I made it very clear to Eric that I did not want a surprise for my 40th. What does that translate to him - she's getting a surprise! And he, along with family and friends, pulled off quite the event. He had been planning for months. He was smart and put together a great team with Shannon, Sadie, & Kennedy. The first surprise was seeing my mom and sister Ashley at my house, along with Shannon. They informed me we had an appointment at the spa and to get my bathing suit. No complaining from me. Just a little shock. Upon entering the changing area of the spa, I found a room full of naked ladies...Just kidding. Seeing if you were paying attention. I found a room full of smiling friends. I was immediately overcome with tears of gratitude and then embarrassed that all this was for me. Overwhelmed at the love I felt.
There wasn't much time for tears and hugs, we had facials and massages and hot tub time to share.
Lisa lives here in Vegas and we have gone on family vacations together. She refers to Eric as Miki's "boyfriend." Miki is her husband. Lisa is the easiest person to visit with and makes you feel like you are the most fabulous person on the earth.
My cousin Kim turned 40 in January and she traveled from Rigby, ID. We share many memories of family reunions and Ricks College time together. My Aunt Pam, sitting next to me, has always been someone I look up to. She knows what charity is all about. She traveled from Morgan, UT. Then of course my mom, always an inspiration. She drove 17 hours from Washington. That's love.
I wish I would've gotten an individual picture with everyone but the day and night happened so fast. Shannon carried the majority of the texting/emailing/calling/scheduling burden of the surprise (seated next to my mom). By the time we got to the spa and everyone was there, she breathed a sigh of relief. Keeping a secret is hard work. Shannon is my sounding board. She is the most organized person I know and the most thoughtful. She isn't a big talker but when she does have something to say, it's profound and usually funny. Kari, to the left of me, is a close friend who just moved back from a 2 year stint in Provo, UT (no she didn't serve a mission:). She is always the life of the party and as real as they get. She loves my children like her own. Sitting next to her is Sadie. Sadie lives across the street from us and we are diet Pepsi addicts together. Sadie is very laid back and doesn't let much bother her. I can tell her anything and she doesn't judge. She helped pull the surprise off behind the scenes. Ashley Davis, next to Sadie, I have met through church and our boys, Boston and Luke. Ashley is very mellow and a great example. She is very insightful with gospel principles. Standing by me is my sister Ashley. She is the baby of 7 and by far the most unpretentious person I know. She would sip off your drink, use your lipstick, share your bed, use your spoon - you name it. She is a breath of fresh air. She drove the 17 hours from Washington with my mom. Nikki is next to Ashley and she is my confidant and mentor. She is a classy broad (that's her word) that does everything to the T! If she sends a treat to your house, it's wrapped up in cellophane with a beautiful ribbon. When I grow up, I want to be like her. Melinda is right behind Nikki. She drove from Cedar Hills, UT. Melinda lived in Henderson years ago and we formed a real bond of friendship. She has gorgeous dark hair and sparkly blue eyes and the inside of her is just as beautiful. Lisa is sitting in the black swimming suit and again, so enjoyable to be around. Pam is right behind her. Pam and I go way back too. She is my vacation buddy and dear friend. She is full of talent and energy and always has something nice to say. It was said from Melinda that Pam looks younger now than 10 years ago. I wonder what the secret is? Probably that she doesn't drink diet Pepsi and worship the sun:) And Jen Au is in front of Pam. Our daughters, Kennedy and Kelsea, brought us together. Jen is a voice of reason. She is very consistent with herself and her children. She is big on family and always inspires me to do better.
Everyone chipped in on this beautiful Coach hand bag. I was thrilled! My sister emailed me a couple different purses a month or so ago and said she was needing a new purse, wondering which one I liked best. Well...I had seen Nikki carrying this one around. I insisted Shannon would love it. And now I'm the one that gets to love it. Shannon made sure Nikki wouldn't be bothered with me having the same bag and Nikki assured her, it was not a problem. However, those red eyes tell a different story...
The Chic sisterhood of the traveling pants made their appearance and I couldn't resist modeling them. The waste comes up to your boobs and the butt is made to look a mile long, otherwise known as "mother butt."
This was Nikki's post on facebook:
Allyson is going to kill me for posting this pic... butt... When you turn forty you get "mom jeans"! @allyannb #mombutt #youallknowtheyarecomfy #whoknewallysonwasashowoff
I don't agree with the comfy part. The only good part was that I wasn't worried about my crack showing.
We ate dinner at the Tuscany Grill, a yummy Italian place. We had a big room all to ourselves so we could as wild and crazy as we desired. We arrived at 5:30 and didn't leave until 9:30. We were scheduled to see a movie but were having such a fun time visiting, we opted to skip the movie. It's not every day you get to spend celebrating your 40th birthday with family and friends.
Melinda was the "wild and crazy" I was referring to. Ha ha. It's really just diet coke. She's a fellow drinker too. That's why I like her so much.
You would've thought we coordinated our outfits. Nope. I have some orange pants I could've worn had I got the memo. I actually look pretty shiny and slick due to the fact I didn't have much time to prepare. Oh well, I felt like a million bucks because of the company. Family means the world to me. The dynamics in my family are the perfect balance of fun, work, and love. And the same goes for the family I married into.
Kennedy played a major role in pulling off the surprise. She got every one's cell numbers off my phone and asked inquisitive questions along the way. Like, what's your favorite restaurant? Where are your swimming suits? I want to try them on. She's a great surprise keeper is you ever need one.
Girlfriends play such an important role in my life. They inspire, listen, advise, laugh, eat, drink, cry, and run with me. I have a fuller life because of them. There were many that couldn't make it for the party but I felt of their love via texting, emailing, phone, and gifts. I don't think I have ever felt so spoiled in my life. And the biggest kicker, Eric made it all possible. This was his brainchild. Crazy thing is I don't have a picture of him sharing in the fun. He loves me and knew that a surprise like this was just what I needed.
So far 40 hasn't been bad at all. In fact, it's been surreal. Here's to 40 more!
