My 40th Birthday Lunch

GOOD, BETTER, BEST!
 

 My Birthday started out GOOD.  I spent much of my Sunday birthday visiting each ward in our Stake inviting the YW to camp and sharing the 2009 camp theme with them with my great friend Lisa.  It was GOOD to see the Young Women in our Stake and feel of their energy and love.

It got BETTER when Lisa gave me a handmade book filled with some of my favorite people sharing some lovely thoughts about me.  Here is the book:

It got even better when the first page was this:

Lisa knows of my deep affection for cats.  I love the meow, meow ribbon!

The words and thoughts from my friends were so very sweet and I was reminded that I HAVE THE BEST FRIENDS EVER.  I am so blessed to have these amazing women as I look to as my role models and I admire so deeply, call me friend!  WOW!

SO what could be BETTER than that?  Well, how about lunch with many of these fine ladies with delicious food; sweet, sweet fruit, chicken salad sandwiches, pasta spinach salad, tomatobasilmozzarellabalsamicvinegarsalad and cupcakes with ME on each one:

That cracked me up.  I wish I had a photo of 10 cupcakes with a mound of pink frosting and me on top, so funny!

Well, it was better.  It was BEST when my girlfriends gave me my gifts:

They each did service in honor of my birthday.  Here are a few of the many thoughtful acts of service my friends did:

A week of meals to Loaves and Fishes

A donation to help build a library and purchase book in Kenya

Babysitting

Planted flowers to brighten some yards

A donation of items to the West Linn Library

Purchased 4 mosquito bed nets for families in Africa

A donation to buy milk for babies in a Mozambique orphanage

A box of food to families at the Annie Ross House

Toys donated to Doernbecher Children's Hospital

Prepared a garden for a disabled neighbor

A donation of financial advice to someone in debt

Two flocks of chicks to Heifer International

AND MY FAVORITE

A donation to PAWS cat shelter

(Again, my friends know of my love of these furry fur balls ;)

Really, that was the BEST  of all; simple acts of kindness done by these amazing, lovely women, who I am honored to call my friends!  

Thank you Kelly, Kimberli, Shona, Leslie, Ronda, Ellen, Michele, Angie, Danelle, Nancy, and Lisa.

Thank you for being the BEST!  Here's to a great year of paying it FORTY.