Happy, Lucky, Loved, SURPRISED - My 25th Birthday Celebration!

Sometimes in life, you are lucky enough to have a moment where everywhere you look and everything you do, you feel it - that fantastic feeling of being completely surrounded by the people you love, everyone is smiling and happy and having a great time, and you stop for a second and think to yourself, “Life literally cannot not get any better than this.”

Me? I had a whole weekend of that feeling. Three straight days of fun, with truly the most fantastic friends any girl could ask for!

So I was all excited on Friday because Bailey had arrived, my grandmother had arrived, and I was about to pick Gerrick up from the airport, right? All wiggly, insane, couldn’t-sit-still excited? So imagine what happened when I arrived at LAX to get her, with Bailey and Greene in tow. I hopped out of the car, we hugged and screamed, I loaded her suitcase into my trunk, and headed back around to the driver’s seat... only to find A MAN sitting in my car.

I screamed at the top of my lungs until through the window, I saw the man turn around -- and he was holding a camera. And then I realized it was Daniel - Gerrick’s boyfriend who happens to be an amazing friend of mine -- and that he was in town to surprise me! I screamed and screamed and started laughing and jumped on him and hugged him and the best part is, he got it all on camera. (Don’t worry - video coming soon!)

When I finally recovered from what I thought was a carjacking in the middle of LAX, we all piled into the car and drove out of the airport. “I can’t believe it!” I kept saying. Daniel interrupted me. “I’m glad you can’t believe it, but can you believe I’m starving?” he said. “Take me to In-N-Out NOW.”

So we headed to In-N-Out. Shockingly, I actually wasn’t in the mood, but everyone else in the car was and far be it from me to deny my Southern friends a double-double. So we parked and headed in. I was walking behind Gerrick and Greene and Daniel, a few steps behind everyone else, and I just followed them, thinking everyone was acting weird, as they bypassed the side door and walked to the front of the restaurant.

And then I think my heart gave out. Because JACOB WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF ME.

Oh my god, I can’t even type it without crying. JACOB! IN TOWN! SURPRISING ME! FOR MY BIRTHDAY PARTY!

I seriously just collapsed into him in the middle of the parking lot and started crying. He kept telling me to basically stop crying and get a grip but I COULD NOT for seriously almost 10 minutes. When we finally made it into the restaurant, I couldn’t even eat lunch - I just kept saying “WHAT IS GOING ON?” and “ARE YOU SERIOUSLY HERE?” and “I CANNOT FUCKING BELIEVE IT!” over and over and over while everyone else laughed. (PS. I HATE surprises. Did you know that? HATE! I can’t believe my sneaky friends! PPS. There’s video of the Jacob surprise as well. Coming soon, I swear!)

my favorite men/best surprises ever! and their burgers. typical.

So Friday passed in a blur of fun - after the boys ate In-N-Out we headed for a SECOND MEAL (so us girls could have sushi), then met up with Anna in Santa Monica for some shopping, and then later on, out for a night on the town at Rush Street, where we ate tons of food and made friends with the Midori people who handed out free shots and lots of swag, including a pair of snazzy lime-green Ray Bans that did not leave Daniel’s face for the remainder of the weekend.

after dinner at Rush Street Friday night

Saturday dawned and I was in FULL ON PARTY FREAK OUT MODE. Gerr and Daniel had lunch with family while Jacob kindly chauffeured my ass around town in his RENTAL (yes, he rented a car - a bright red Dodge that he referred to as “THE RENTAL” the whole weekend. I’m not sure why he needed to rent a car, but it did aid in the surprise, so I’m happy he did. And happy that doing so made him so happy) as we picked up booze, cupcakes, ate lunch, and packed up the car so we could all head to the valley. My mother, the insane party planner, then put ALL of us to work hanging lanterns, smoothing tablecloths, unfolding chairs, setting out candles, mixing drinks.... my poor friends! Not exactly a relaxing vacation, but no one complained ONCE. I love them :)

And then it was time to party! And the party itself? Was amazing. I am devoting an ENTIRE post tomorrow to pictures from it (after all, the whole thing was PINK!) but for now, let me just say that I was shocked and touched beyond description at how many people came to celebrate with me. I know I know a lot of people in this town, but to see everyone gathered in one place was truly unbelievable. We ate, we drank, we ate, we drank, we sang karaoke and danced and then ate and drank some more.... I had the time of my life and can’t believe how fast it flew!

Just a few.... more to come tomorrow, I promise!

I woke up Sunday with a smile on my face. Sad it was over, but MAN did I have fun. After breakfast with the fam and the besties, a little cleaning up, and some present opening (HOLY F AM I A LUCKY BITCH - MORE ON THAT LATER), we packed up my car and THE RENTAL and headed on down to Newport! Jacob had never been to my family’s house, and Daniel and Gerr love the beach, so Anna, Greene, and I knew we had to take them. We laid out all afternoon and Gerrick and I challenged the boys to a bodysurfing/boogie-boarding contest in the waves - we lost, but it was fun anyways until I totally wiped out in the ocean :)

After dinner in Newport, we headed home and quite literally, all passed out with our clothes on - we were EXHAUSTED! And this morning, with a lot of sadness, I said goodbye to my friends. Words cannot describe how much I miss them already and how glad I am that they were here to share my weekend with me. I am a damn lucky girl with people like Gerrick, Greene, Anna, Daniel, and Jacob in my life -- not to mention all my other best friends all over this country who couldn’t be here but called and texted and emailed to hear about it!

So I can’t believe it, but the celebration is over :( The good news is, my actual 25th birthday is a week from today... I don’t know how it could possibly be topped, but I can’t even begin to think about it :) I am still wiped out.... so off to bed I go!

Thank you to everyone who made my weekend so incredible. It was one of the most special times of my life, and I will truly never forget it :)