Surprise Early Birthday Party

Before deployment preparations got too consuming I really wanted to get to Alaska to visit with my family living in the Anchorage area. In the past year I have had the opportunity to visit with my family living in California, Ohio, and in North Carolina but had not yet visited with my family in Alaska. So this trip became a priority. (Lesson learned: don't book your flight too closely after you get off work as you might end up cutting it a little too close...)

This morning was a lazy morning sleeping in and then hanging out with my some of my cousins in their new home. One of my favorite things to do when visiting with my cousins is simply hanging out and swapping stories. I love it! I love the honesty and humor of our failures and I love celebrating in each other's successes.

Just before dinner Anita and I drove to one of her best friend's homes nearby so I could say hi. Carrie Lambing was a bride's maid in Ben and Anita's wedding two years ago. Let's just say my extended family has pretty much adopted her as an honorary G3 (you too Kari Smith!). Carrie is a photographer and world traveller. Once a week I am checking out her blog Carrie Lambing Photography to see her recent pictures.

For dinner we went to Aunt Lynda and Uncle Jim's home for some homemade beef stroganoff and Anita's homemade french apple pie. Yum, do I love homemade meals! The icing on the cake was that this dinner was also a surprise 30th birthday party for me! How awesome is my family?!? Huge birthday balloons, colorful plates, amazing food, and wonderful family to share it with...could it get any better? Yes, it can! My family living in in OH and in NC had sent birthday gifts as well.

I truly have the greatest family in the world! I have the pleasure of having family close by in CA whenever I get to go home and family all over the country that I get to visit. Through all the growing and moving that my generation of cousins is doing, not a one of us is ever left out of each other's lives. We love checking in with each other and seeing what crazy next adventures are in store.

To my family,

The words 'thank you' are all too often not enough. I am truly blessed to have been placed in to the loving and supportive family that I have. No matter what lies ahead of me I know I can get through it with the support of Team Hultgren/Singh/Langdale and Team Burdine/Eller/Mosier.