The past two weeks have been filled with so many exciting things! I’ve had a brief hiatus from blogging to celebrate my friend’s bachelorette party in New York City and to throw Tyler a 30th super secret surprise birthday party.

First stop was New York City, where we landed bright and early on a Thursday morning.

The weekend was filled with celebrating my dear friend Shusmita, pizza, exploring the city, and more pizza. We ate at various restaurants around town like Meadowsweet, Lil Frankie’s, Sweet Chick, and Verlaine and every meal was better than the next (I’d highly recommend Sweet Chick for their incredible chicken and waffles for brunch!).

We spent one afternoon in Williamsburg, checking out the skyline and their ‘Smorgasburg Flea Market,‘ where we indulged in things like Mexican street corn and sweet mangoes with chili and lime. So dang good.

We also got a chance to visit the new 9/11 Memorial. There are no words to express the impact that was left on me upon leaving the museum. It was a beautiful tribute to those who lost their lives during the attacks.

 

And then this past weekend was Tyler’s 30th birthday! I started planning this party back in January because I knew that it would involve traveling for some of our friends. As someone who gets overly excited easily and regularly gives him his Christmas presents before Thanksgiving each year, it was no easy feat to keep this a secret!

We rented a lakehouse off Cedar Creek Lake in Tool, TX, and drove in late Friday night to get the house ready for a Saturday morning surprise.

I asked some of our friends and family that were unable to attend to send a picture of themselves holding up a single word on a sheet of paper. The end result read: “Happy 30th Birthday Tyler – We Love You!”

 

We set out a cigar and scotch bar…

…and Ninja Turtle Cookies!

We spent the day lounging around the house, eating and playing games, beer pong, and pool, and a few guys were able to get out on the water on paddle boards. That night the guys hung out on the balcony with their scotch and cigars and watched basketball, while the girls grabbed some bottles of wine and Scattergories and had a fun night in. Then everyone got back together to sit around the firepit and talk and listen to the water until the late hours of the night.

It was a weekend of relaxation, laughter, and love shared between family and friends, and our hearts couldn’t have been more full heading back home!