The Ultimate Birthday Weekend

When two of my bestest ever friends asked if they could spend the weekend of my birthday with me there was no way on earth they could've thought I'd actually say 'thanks but no thanks!' -how crazy would I have been to turn them down?!

Here's the shortest version of our weekend I can give without taking out all the fun we had!

The girls bus was scheduled to arrived, after 12 hours of travel, at 10:45pm.  I really wanted to be there when they arrived so I rocked up at the bus stop at 10:35pm to see that the bus had beaten me there.  In my excitement (I'm telling you - I was shaking I was so excited!!!) I swung into a car park, turned of the ignition and got out.  Only, as my foot hit the ground, I felt the car move, quickly, and hit the curb with an almighty thunk, scrape and bang!  Oh my goodness!  I jumped back in, reversed, put it into park and slammed on the park brakes amidst giggles from the onlookers -thanks for your support people!  Guess I was just a bit to excited to do that the first time around.  No damage done though - just lots of noise!!  Praise God that all my prangs have been very minor and have so far only included me, the curb and an unsuspecting industrial bin...

I did manage to get to the bus just as Nell was getting off and Tamara, carrying Zaylia, were right behind.  It was so wonderful to see such familiar faces I can't even tell you.  I bundled them into my car, Zaylia was excited about the special seat I had hired for her to use - pretty sure the novelty wore off by sunday though!

Once we got home I gave them a brief tour of my house and then we talked, and chatted and caught up.  Bliss, I tell you!  These girls have shared just about everything in my life for the past three years - joys, frustrations, meals, coffees, shopping, chips, books, holidays, doctors, houses, games, laughs, tears, hairdressers, medical conditions... everything.  To have them here, in my house... made it home.

So, after a very late night and not enough sleep we got up ... for more talking!  And breakfast and some play time with Miss Z.  Both of their husbands will also be pastors soon and had asked the girls to check out Joel's office and our church (One of them even asked for photo's!).  We spent a bit of time in the church looking around and let Zaylia give us all 'communion', sing us some songs, and tell us a story from the pulpit.  She might be only 2 years old but she knows what goes on up the front of church and she is a major case for infants being able to take communion - she knows it's special!

After lunch and cupcakes I took them for a drive up to Walla Walla - my old digs.  I showed them where I had lived and worked for 2 very fun and crazy years of my life.  That was exciting for me as I hadn't been there since I left 5 and bit years ago.  Back in town we did a lap of the main street and stint in Hudson's - my favourite place for a mocha.

The evening saw us eating my favourite roast salad and talking about how much we love chocolate fondu for so long that we went shopping to buy everything we needed for it!

Sunday, my birthday, was church where everyone thought we were sisters.  We often get asked if we're sisters.  We don't mind at all!  After church I opened my fantastic presents and requested chicken and chips for lunch - how classy am I?!  There was cake and singing and talking and laughing -perfect.  In the afternoon we divided our time between shopping, Hudson's and the gorgeous park by the river.  Dinner was Italian - yummy!  

After more talking and some sleep I took them to bus stop at 3:45am on monday morning.  Saying goodbye was incredibly hard but not so much so that it cancels the perfectness of the weekend.

I am blessed - above and beyond what a person can ever deserve in a life time - to have these girls, and others, in my life.  I am blessed to know you, my sisters, my friends.  

Thank you for the ultimate birthday weekend!

Picture One - Nell practicing being mummy!

Picture Two - Zaylia and Koala making the most of one of the last packing boxes.