Happy birthday, Lizza

Lizza and I have been friends since the seventh grade. For her birthday this year, I surprised her by driving to Spokane and spending the weekend with her and Pat, her hubby. I had emailed Pat in April to ask him about gift ideas for Lizza. He replied with “the best gift would be if you and Ed attend her big birthday bash on May 16”. Ed wasn’t free to go that weekend but I was! It helped that it was a long weekend (Victoria Day) in Canada. So on Friday, May 15, I set out for the 7.5-hour drive from Vancouver to Spokane. I had my tunes and great weather and all was good!

Pat met me outside their house when I got there. I asked if he was able to keep my visit a surprise and he said yes. I stood outside their front door and Pat called out, “Lizza, come to the door. Someone’s here and they want to talk to you.” Lizza thought it was the landscaper who had been around the previous day, looking for work. So she came marching to the front door with an “I mean business” look on her face. But it quickly changed to a look of shock as I shouted “surprise!” and gave her a hug. Lizza just looked at me for a few minutes in disbelief. I think Pat and I executed that surprise very well!

The weekend was a lot of fun. We prepared for the party on Saturday and guests started arriving at around 4pm. Deb and Cara, Lizza’s friends, did a fantastic job planning the party and the menu, decorating the house, and getting everything ready. Lizza got to celebrate her birthday surrounded by her good friends and everybody had a great time. On Sunday, we went to their friend’s place by a lake and just hung out. We even went for a boat ride around the lake.

Sadly, Monday came so quickly and it was time to head back to Vancouver. I did stop in Bellevue for a bit of shopping (Nordstrom Rack!) and the border crossing took 90 minutes. Overall, it was an excellent roadtrip.

To my BFF, happy birthday!