JT's 40th Birthday Surprise!

My wonderful husband JT turned 40 on October 25th. JT is my BEST friend and the best father I could have ever asked for to our two children. He is always doing amazing things for everyone else so he really deserved something very awesome to celebrate his big day! I'd heard of "card showers" before and thought doing something like that would be perfect. My sister found this blog, and it was so helpful! 

I sent the following message out: 

Hello dear friends and family!  I hope this email finds you doing well! I'm writing you because JT is turning 40 on October 25! I really wanted to have a party to celebrate this milestone, but all of our friends and family are scattered everywhere across the country! So instead, to celebrate his birthday, I'd like to put together a little surprise! JT isn't always the greatest at keeping in touch with people, but he very much values his relationships with each of you and I know what a great gift it will be for him to hear from folks from all different chapters of his life. I would like to surprise JT with "40 Years of Memories" by filling 40 envelopes with a memory or card from his friends and family.

And then I anxiously waited...

Meanwhile, the kids and I made sure we did everything we could to make sure JT had his best birthday yet! CJ is REALLY into cooking right now, and he was SO excited about making Daddy's birthday cake! It was too cute! Pouring the oil into the cake mix. 

Stirring

"Sprinkles!!!"

CJ helped me choose the balloon colors. Because of the "national helium shortage"?! we just had regular balloons.

The presents and the party hats that CJ picked out and insisted we wear! :)

Daddy and his little girl. She was on her last leg in this pic and went to bed before the "party" started.

After dinner, Daddy, CJ and I did cake and presents together. It was perfect. CJ was excited to put the numbers on the cake...ha ha! And the way he pronounced "forty" sounded more like "fourteen"! lol

There we go! Candles!

Helping Daddy blow them out!

YUM!

Waiting for some cake.

Family picture minus baby E. 

After I sent out the message to all of JT's friends and our families, the cards started coming in the mail and the emails started flooding my inbox. JT has such a special personality, and I'm not just saying that because I married him. He is so loved by everyone he meets. His humor and ability to make people laugh is so contagious, and JT is definitely the smartest person I know. He got messages from friends from elementary school, high school, college, dental school, & our duty stations in Florida, Hawaii, & Michigan. And so many family members reached out too. We waited until CJ went to bed so we could have uninterrupted adult time for JT to read each memory and card. 

He was SO excited and touched by the memories and well wishes. 

Reading a birthday card

Some memories were serious and sentimental...

Some were funny!

Some had pictures to help with the walk down memory lane!

HA HA!

I was strategic on some of the cards and memories, symbolizing a few special years on his 40 year journey. His parents cards and memories were 1 & 2 and his sister was 3 because they were the first people to know him. I put my card in the year he met me, and I put CJ's card in the year he was born. E's card was #40 because she is the newest part of his life's journey.

JT was so overwhelmed. Anyone who knows him, knows he always has something to say or a joke to insert. He was at an absolute loss for words and when he was finally able to summarize, he said "this is the best present I've ever gotten". I was SO happy that he liked it, but it wouldn't have been possible without all the time, effort and love of his family and friends. For that I am so eternally grateful. Thank you to each one of you that wrote JT a memory or sent him a card. "40 years of memories" was a great success and I so look forward to making another 40 years of memories with you JT!!